CHAPEL-LE-DALE

Chapel-le-Dale

Cutting through the hills north-east of Ingleton is Chapel-le-Dale. Gouged out by an Ice-Age glacier over 12,000 years ago, the valley is like an open geological history book with it's strata revealed in exposed rocky outcrops, the best example of which is
Twistleton Scar.

Most of the rocks in Chapel-le-Dale are made of limestone and consequently riddled with numerous caves and potholes. Most of them are accessible only to explorers with specialised equipment but one, White Scar Cave is open to the general public. A few years ago the tourist section was extended to a large underground chamber by boring a tunnel making White Scar Cave the longest show cave in Britain. It is one and a half miles (2.5km) from Ingleton.

Halfway up the Dale is Chapel-le-Dale village with it's church. Nearby are the Old School House, now a bunk house and the Old Hill Inn, once a venue for riotious Saturday nights but now a quiet family pub offering meals.

White Scar Caves

Chapel le Dale Church Chapel le Dale village

The River Doe flows through Chapel-le-Dale before plunging down Beezley and Snow Falls (both of which can be seen on the Ingleton Waterfalls Walk) and into Ingleton. Several underground rivers surface at the River Doe, resurgances for the many caves high up on Ingleborough. One such example is Joint Hole which can be explored by cavers using SCUBA diving equipment.

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