We arrived in Malham in the Yorkshire Dales National Park on a fantastic summer’s day which has been rare this year!
The Route:
We parked in the National Park Centre car park which is £4 for the full day, please be mindful that this car park does fill up quickly. Don’t threat if you are unable to park here as there is an overflow car park that opens a little later in a field almost opposite and is slightly cheaper at £3.50 for the full day.
The Malham to Kilnsey circular starts at the opposite end of the village from the car park. Turn left out of the car park past the Old Barn Cafe, the Old Smithy and the Buck Inn until you get to a fork in the road. To the right takes you to the Lister Arms to the left will take you up to the beginning of the walk – take the left fork.
You’ll pass a campsite on your right and just after this you shall see the start of a public footpath signposted to Malham Cove. Follow this footpath which is a very pleasant flat (ish) path down to the sheer limestone cliff face, Malham Cove. Here you can see a range of wild life such as Peregrines, Buzzards, Red Kites, Sparrow Hawks, Yellow Wagtail and much more.
At the foot of Malham Cove is a nice place to sit and we contemplated having a picnic here. However, we wanted to picnic with the views at the top of Malham Cove so set off up the steep steps. We forgot to count the steps to the top but there is a lot so don’t be afraid to take a breather on the way up!
At the top, there is the magnificent limestone pavement that the area is famous for. The limestone pavement is caused from the slightly acid water that is eating away at the limestone all the time. It is strange to think that, where we were sitting, hundreds of years ago was once a sheet of ice that when melted became a massive waterfall that cascaded over the top.
From the top we decided to head for the Old Roman Road that incorporates Malham Tarn. There are two footpaths one to the right and one to the left. We took the left footpath that starts with a short steep climb but then the footpath becomes very flat and relaxing with great views across the dales.
We came out by a car park opposite Malham Tarn, where very handily there was an ice cream van waiting for us with a much needed 99! From the car park we continued up the road for a short distance till we reached the Old Roman Road, from here it was roughly a 4 mile walk to Kilnsey.
When we arrived in Kilnsey we turned left for a quick refreshment break at the Tennant’s Arms next to the famous Kilnsey Crag before heading back to Malham. To return to Malham we retraced our steps over the Old Roman Road until we reached the fourth bridleway on the left. This bridleway takes you back a slightly different route but is about the same distance.
When approaching Malham you have the option to divert your walk to Janet’s Foss which is a beautiful little waterfall and pool. Behind the waterfall there is a cave where Janet the queen of fairies is said to live. This small diversion is about ½ a mile longer then following the road but far nicer! We chose to do this as from Janet’s Foss you are able to walk along the river until you reach the centre of Malham.
As a reward we treated ourselves to a lovely dinner at The Buck Inn. The food was very filling and we would highly recommend the Beef and Ale pie!!
