Wild Swimming Walks: Janet’s Foss and Gordale Scar

North Yorkshire-based writer and wild swimmer Sarah Banks invites you on 28 unforgettable adventures through Yorkshire’s stunning dales, moors, and coastline in her new book, Wild Swimming Walks: Yorkshire. In this issue, we have a sneak peak, with a 6.5-mile hike near Malham Cove, venturing beyond the well-trodden paths to uncover hidden gems.

Take the path less travelled to the amphitheatre of Malham Cove. Plunge into a fairytale waterfall and ascend a towering gorge to a natural jacuzzi in the rock face.

As you head towards the start of this walk, don’t be alarmed if you see a string of sightseers snaking up the well-trodden path from Malham village to Malham Cove. This area is a geological wonderland of remarkable limestone features. Its striking karst scenery, including the sweeping amphitheatre of rock that forms Malham Cove, is the result of mildly acidic water eroding the soluble bedrock of limestone. Strange things happen in this extraordinary landscape: streams vanish and reappear, springs seemingly bubble up from out of nowhere, and a subterranean network of caves and sink holes hides beneath the soil.

Harry Potter fans will recognise this otherworldly landscape as the place where the young wizard and his best friend, Hermione, camp out…

Instead of joining the crowds on the traditional route up to Malham Cove, this walk follows an alternate path through the limestone canyon of Watlowes Valley, enjoying magnificent views of the awe-inspiring Malham Cove as well as the mighty ravine and cascades of Gordale Scar. The enchanting waterfall of Janet’s Foss, with its exquisite plunge pool, is the perfect place for a cooling dip along the way. It is another popular spot so timing your walk to arrive here in late afternoon will give you the best chance of a quiet dip.

Starting just north of the small village of Malham – home to pubs, cafés, a hostel and a National Park Visitor Centre – the walk begins on Malham Moor. The name of the car park, Water Sinks, hints at one of the peculiarities of this landscape; just metres after leaving the south end of the lake, water destined to journey to the North Sea via the River Aire mysteriously vanishes through deep fissures in the limestone, re-emerging south of Malham village at Aire Head Springs and not, as would be expected, beneath Malham Cove – that is Malham Beck which begins life elsewhere on Malham Moor. You have been warned, things are never quite what they seem around these parts.

From Water Sinks car park, the route almost immediately picks up the long-distance Pennine Way towards Malham Cove. As it approaches the gorge, the path is increasingly hemmed in by exposed and weathered rocks on either side. It eventually emerges at the deep limestone canyon of Watlowes Valley, a dry ravine carved out by glacial overflow from Malham Tarn streaming down to what was once England’s highest waterfall at Malham Cove. In 2015 heavy rain from Storm Desmond flooded the valley bottom and water briefly flowed through Watlowes to Malham Cove, meaning it could temporarily lay claim to being the highest waterfall in England once again.

With sweeping views down the dry valley, pause for a moment and take in the splendour of this canyon. The wiggly path through its core is reached via steep, rocky steps before the route rejoins a path, widening out onto limestone pavement, 80m above Malham Cove.

Having soaked up the distant views towards Pendle Hill and the South Pennines, take a closer look at the pavement itself. Blocks of limestone (clints) have been weathered to form deep fissures (grykes). During the summer months, herb robert, spleenwort and mountain pansy grow in the nooks and crannies of the huge slabs of rock, while fresh green fronds of hart’s tongue fern unfurl between the crevices. Harry Potter fans will recognise this otherworldly landscape as the place where the young wizard and his best friend, Hermione, camp out in the film version of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1.

It’s possible to admire the horseshoe-shaped cove from below by descending the 400 stone steps at the far end of the pavement. However, bear in mind that you will need to climb back up to continue the walk. After admiring this unique feature, the route carries on around the cove’s ridge line with an impressive side-on view of the cliff face as well as sweeping vistas of characteristic Dales countryside, criss-crossed by dry stone walls. As you head down towards Gordale Bridge, look out for statuesque grey herons patiently awaiting their next meal by the beck. There are a couple of picnic benches and a food truck at Gordale Bridge in spring and summer, though you may wish to wait until after your swim for a treat.

Janet’s Foss is one of the most cherished waterfalls in the Dales and for good reason.

Magically situated, in leafy ancient woodland owned by the National Trust, this delightful place has a fairytale quality. According to local folklore, Janet or ‘Jennet’ was a fairy queen who lived in the small cave behind the waterfall that you can reach by clambering up some slippery rocks by the falls or wading through the pool.

Although this area feels remote, remains of settlements, cairns and even a Roman camp indicate that it was an important place for our ancestors.

In times gone by the pool of Janet’s Foss was used as a natural sheep dip by farmers but you are unlikely to encounter any woolly dippers if you visit today. The lime-rich water has deposited a screen of spongy moss-covered tufa beneath the waterfall, lending the pool a pearlescent quality. To swim here on a sunny afternoon, the foamy white drop of the falls pouring into the turquoise pool, is an unforgettable experience. In spring and early summer the woodland hums with birdsong while, beneath the sun-dappled tree canopy, bluebells and ransoms carpet the steep, wooded slopes.

A brisk walk back up the woodland path and along the lane to Gordale Bridge should warm you up after your dip, perhaps stopping at the food truck for an ice cream. Further along, a path weaves through Gordale Scar campsite, a semi-wild site next to the beck, towards Gordale Scar. Continuing on, the looming grey cliffs of New Close Knotts and Cross Field Knotts edge ever closer as you enter the chasm of Gordale Scar itself.

This magnificent ravine was formed when torrents of glacial meltwater flowed over it, cutting through faults in the rock. Successive ice ages and cave collapses carved it out further, creating the deep gorge that exists today. So awe-inspiring, intimidating even, is this natural feature that it has been immortalised by several English Romantic painters and poets. Artist JMW Turner’s 1808 plein air painting, ‘Gordale Scar,’ hangs in London’s Tate Britain and poet William Wordsworth was so moved by a visit that he wrote a sonnet about it: “let thy feet repair To Gordale chasm, terrific as the lair where the young lions couch.” It is also possible that J.R.R. Tolkien had Gordale in mind when he described Helm’s Deep, the scene of an epic battle between men and orcs, in The Lord of the Rings.

Like Janet’s Foss, the water that flows over the waterfalls here is rich in dissolved limestone, creating a soft tufa screen on the mossy rocks. There is a jacuzzi-sized plunge pool beneath the first waterfall, just large enough for a quick dip in the frothing icy water. Take care scrambling up as the rocks are extremely slippery, and be careful not to damage the delicate tufa. In low water you may spot other hikers scrambling up and above the falls. This walk, however, follows a more sure- footed route, returning to Gordale Bridge, and following the path back uphill to the quiet country lane you crossed earlier.

From here, the walk continues across the vast, wild moorland of Malham Lings, an area of abundant limestone pavement deeply riven by rainwater. Although this area feels remote, remains of settlements, cairns and even a Roman camp indicate that it was an important place for our ancestors. Your only company today, however, is likely to be skylarks performing their aerial acrobatics and maybe roaming cattle as you wander back towards Water Sinks.

Beyond the car park lies the shimmering water of Malham Tarn 1. England’s highest limestone lake, 380m above sea level, the tarn is an SSSI and also the centre of a nature reserve managed by the National Trust. Rich in submerged aquatic plants and home to several fish species, and the rare white-clawed crayfish, this glacial lake is also a good place to spot tufted ducks, greater crested grebes and teals. Another of Malham Tarn’s claims to fame is that it was the inspiration for Charles Kingsley’s 1863 children’s classic, The Water Babies. Unfortunately, you can’t swim there, due to its precious wildlife habitats. However, it is a beautiful place to unwind after your walk, with spectacular scenery all around.

Wild Swimming Walks Yorkshire: 28 Waterfall, River & Coastal Days Out in the Dales and Moors, by Sarah Banks, is published on 1 April 2025. Readers can buy the book with 25% off and free P&P (usually £14.99) using code NorthernLife at wildthingspublishing.com

NorthernLife March/April/May 25