The Yorkshire Dales are the home of Britain's largest collection of caves, in terms of both number and size. It's not just the size, it's what you do with them that counts, and quantity aside, the Yorkshire caves rival those in South Wales for quality too.
Caves are scattered about most of the hillsides in the area, but the caving community is centred around the small village of Ingleton where accomodation, cafés and caving shops can be found.
Unlike the situation in other parts of the world where caves are kept secret, the caves in Yorkshire are well documented. Dalesman publish the definitive reference guides documenting every hole in the ground big enough for a person although they tend to focus on the use of ladders rather than SRT. Guides covering SRT are available from the local shops.
An interesting glossary of terms and features related to the Yorkshire Dales includes descriptions of beck, dale and pot-hole, plus Craven, Alum Pot, Gaping Gill, Ingleborough and Penyghent.
Coming soon! A more comprehensive map showing all major caves with links to all caving regions. Take a sneak preview at the map.
Click on a cave area for more information, or choose from the list below the map.
Also available in three dimensions, and now clickable too!
The cave areas referenced on the map are Ease Gill, Leck Fell, West Kingsdale, East Kingsdale, Ingleborough, Gaping Ghyll, Selside, Pen-y-ghent and Fountains Fell.
More information about Caves and Caving in the UK.
External links to pages about the Yorkshire Dales:
http://www.yorkshirenet.co.uk/ydales/
http://www.yorkshire-dales.com/