Yorkshire Dales Holiday Accommodation

The Yorkshire Dales (often just "The Dales") is the name given to an upland area, mostly in Yorkshire, in Northern England, and to a National Park which covers a large part of the area.

The area is so called because it is a collection of river valleys ("dale" comes from a Danish word for valley), and the hills in between them. It lies in North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, and Cumbria. A large part of the Dales is contained in the "Yorkshire Dales" National Park, one of the twelve National parks of England and Wales - and sometimes "The Dales" can mean just this Park, rather than the entire area.

Most of the dales in the area are named after their river. The two well-known exceptions to the rule are Wensleydale, which is named after the town of Wensley rather than the River Ure (although an older name for the dale is Yoredale), and Arkengarthdale, which was formed by Arkle Beck. In fact, valleys all over Yorkshire are called "(name of river)+dale" - but only the more northern Yorkshire valleys (and only the upper, rural, reaches) are included in the term "The Dales". The boundary area lies in Wharfedale and Airedale, the lower reaches of which are not usually included in the area. Calderdale, for example, is not usually included, even though the upper reaches are as rural as many valleys further north.

Yorkshire Dales are world famous for their picturesque combination of rolling hills, woodland, wild moorland, dramatic landscapes and gentle valleys that create unique and beautiful vistas. There are many opportunities for great walks and the lovely little dales towns and villages provide a glimpse into traditional old-fashioned Yorkshire life. Many of the upland areas consist of heather moorland. The characteristic scenery is green upland pastures separated by dry-stone walls and grazed by sheep and cattle.

In 1954 an area of 1,770 km² was designated the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Most of the National Park is in North Yorkshire, but thanks to local government reforms in 1974 a small part now lies in Cumbria.