Ribblehead

I'm fortunate to live within relatively easy reach of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, though I tend to visit Ribblesdale, on the western edge, rather less often than some of the other dales. It has a very different character. This is 'Three Peaks' country (Pen y Ghent, Ingleborough and Whernside) and is bleaker and more open than many of the other Dales areas. 

We had a camera club outing up there recently, and it reminded me that it is quite spectacular and scenic. I've rarely been there on a sunny day and the weather did not disappoint! There were billowing storm clouds, though we didn't get any rain until later in the day so we were very fortunate.  

My top photo shows the eastern flank of Ingleborough, though the actual peak can just be seen jutting out beyond and was in the cloud for much of the day. Any climbers won't have had a good view! The rocks in the foreground are some of the many glacial erratics that litter the area. 

North east of Ingleborough lies Ribblehead, with the famous viaduct: 24 arches that carry the Settle-Carlisle railway across the wonderfully named Batty Moss. Built between 1869 and 1874, it necessitated a workforce of 2300 men, who lived in shanty towns near its base. Over 100 men died during its construction and it was the last major railway structure to be built primarily by manual labour. Plans to close the line in the 1980s were fought off and regular trains still use it, as well as frequent steam excursions. In fact we saw a steam train crossing it while we were there, though my lens isn't long enough to get a good photo from that distance.

The area has a number of outcrops of limestone pavement, and an array of interesting plants grow deep in the grikes (clefts).