Caves

Bar Pot, part of the Gaping
Gill cave system

The Yorkshire Dales National Park is renowned for its caves the majority of which are in the limestone areas of the Park. It is the geological and archaeological interest of the caves which is of primary importance as well as their recreational use for potholing. Caves do however, provide habitats for a number of important species. Bats are known to use caves for hibernating over the winter as are a number of butterflies and moths such as the tissue moth, herald moth, peacock and small tortoiseshell butterflies. There are also some species of invertebrate that live solely in caves such as the cave spider Meta menardi for which the Dales caves are probably notable. Caves are of high biodiversity importance in the Yorkshire Dales National Park.