Malham Cove

Malham Cove is a curved limestone cliff in the Yorkshire Dales National Park that rises 80 meters above the valley floor. A wide limestone pavement spreads across its summit, carved by erosion into rectangular blocks.

The cliff formed at the end of the last Ice Age when meltwater cut through the limestone and shaped the curved rock face around 12,000 years ago. Where the cliff stands today, a waterfall once flowed before the water retreated into underground caves.

The limestone cliffs of Malham Cove appeared in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows film, representing a remote camping location for the main characters.

A path with 400 stone steps on the western side leads up to the limestone pavement, with the climb taking around 20 to 30 minutes. The pavement at the top can become slippery when wet, so sturdy footwear with good grip is recommended.

In December 2015, extreme rainfall caused water to cascade over the cliff edge, temporarily forming England's highest single-drop waterfall at 80 meters. Such events occur only a few times per century when underground water channels become overwhelmed by heavy rain.

GPS coordinates: 54.07083,-2.15861

Latest update: December 13, 2025 19:12