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GEOGRAPHY OF THE YORKSHIRE DALES

Spend the day in the Yorkshire Dales with Mark Reid FRGS, learning about the physical and human geography of this wonderful area.

We’ll explore Buckden and Upper Wharfedale on a 8 mile walk, taking in the summit of Buckden Pike (702m), the hamlets of Cray and Hubberholme as well as the glaciated valley of the River Wharfe.

• Discover the physical geography of the Yorkshire Dales – from the Great Scar Limestone to the Yoredale series & Millstone Grit.
• Explore the rich history of human settlement – Cray Barrow (Bronze Age), amazing Iron Age settlements, Norse farmsteads and place-names, Norman hunting forest and a Quaker meeting house.
• We’ll look at drystone walls, lead mines, hay-meadows, sheep breeds… plus much more!

This Geography of the Yorkshire Dales will introduce you to the key elements that make the Yorkshire Dales such a special place, with its topography and landscapes protected as one of the Britain’s 15 National Parks. This full day’s walk will give you an overview and understanding of the Yorkshire Dales, how it was formed and shaped, and what makes it so special.

If you love the beauty of the Yorkshire Dales, then you’ll enjoy our Geography of the Yorkshire Dales field study trip.

Mark Reid has walked almost all of the paths, tracks, lanes, hills and fells in the Yorkshire Dales over the past 30 years. Mark has a Geography Degree from the University of Lancaster, is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (FRGS) and has also written 17 walking books, including 6 books about the Yorkshire Dales. Mark wants to share his passion and knowledge of the Yorkshire Dales with you!

We cover around 8 miles over the day, following paths across farmland, valleys, riversides, woodland, moorland, hills and fells in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales, with some rough, uneven and wet ground in places. Please note: the path up Buckden Gill to the summit of Buckden Pike is narrow with some steep drops to the side of the path in places. There are some sections of scrambling up limestone rock steps as well as a couple of stream crossings to make. Limestone is slippery when wet.

OUTLINE OF THE FIELD STUDY DAY

9:30am: Meet at Buckden village car park in the Yorkshire Dales

9:30am – 4:30pm: Full day’s guided walk in the Yorkshire Dales, looking at the physical and human geography along the way. The walk will cover around 8 miles over the day, with plenty of rest stops and time to admire the explore and admire the views.

4:30pm – 5pm: De-brief back at Buckden