Malham - the Cove and Janet's Foss

Our first full day away took us to Malham - walking to the Cove and later to Janet's Foss. Midweek in late April it was very quiet, but car parks and hard core paths to the attractions hint at how busy it could be on a summer weekend. Those visitor numbers are also reflected in the numerous choice of places to eat, considering the size of the village itself, but we dropped our evening dinner plans as the weather felt too cold for sitting around outside. 

Malham itself was far prettier than I'd been expecting. I don't know why but I'd had an image of dour, bleak stone houses huddled against winter winds and snow (maybe a photo in those long ago school text books), whereas it's green and leafy with a pretty beck gently running over stones and under bridges.

I'd heard of Malham Cove long ago in school geography/geology lessons but it's one of this year's 'first's'. Formed by a waterfall from a glacial lake back further in time than even my schooldays, the cliff-face doesn't look really impressive from a distance as its size isn't apparent. Close to, with climbers for scale, you realise how high those cliffs are! 

At the base of the rock-face, water bubbles out after flowing underground, but, although it's no doubt geologically interesting, it feels a bit like of an anticlimax; maybe like ticking-off something worthy-but-dull from a must-see list..

 

I wasn't in the mood to climb the steps (a hundred or so) to the top of the Cove (reports about this being on 'easy' walk aren't accurate, in my opinion) so we headed back to Malham, but not along the stony path we'd taken on the way out. 

Instead we crossed to the other side of the valley via an old clapper bridge, and followed a path between ancient field boundaries, with wonderful views over the village.

It was now mid-afternoon. An awkward sort of time, but after sitting for a while (and deciding it was way too early for dinner at one of the pubs) we headed off on the walk to Janet's Foss - a little longer than the walk to the Cove but flatter. 

Again, the walk itself was quite dull - loose stones or even slabs showing how many trudge this way at busier times of year - till it picked up a brook and headed into a ravine clothed in wild garlic, leading up to the waterfall. 

This section is almost magical, or would be if stumbled upon unexpectedly, and preferably without other visitors, but it definitely makes up for the dull approach.

The recent lack of rain had taken its toll on the waterfall, but it's still a delightful spot. As a warning though (and a reminder to myself), I've read since our visit that this is a popular plunge pool in summer, so it's probably best to visit away from warmer weather.