The term limestone country directly refers to areas within the Yorkshire Dales National Park where Carboniferous limestone dominates the landscape. The majority of the limestone country of the National Park is concentrated in the uplands around Ingleborough, Malham and Wharfedale.
Kilnsey Crag in WharfedaleIn these areas the Great Scar Limestone was laid down on seabeds some 300 million years ago and formed the giant outcrops of Malham Cove and Kilnsey Crag (right) as well as the extensive limestone pavements. The soils lying over this rock are usually very thin and of low fertility and, in combination with consistent grazing, often results in a rich diversity of lime loving grasses and wildflowers for which the limestone country of the Dales is famous.
A great deal of information about limestone country is provided in the Nature in the Dales section of this website. Choose from the links below to find out more:
Habitats in limestone country:
Small base-rich wetlands
Areas of low lying ground which are fed by mineral-enriched calcareous (lime or base-rich) water.Limestone pavements
Areas of near-horizontal Carboniferous limestone, corrugated and furrowed by chemical weathering, with deeper fissures (grikes) and separated blocks (clints’).Calcareous grassland
Grasslands where the soils contain dissolved limestone and are low in nutrients.Natural lime-rich lakes
Extremely rare lakes such as Malham Tarn that are rich in calcium, but poor in other nutrients.Rock outcrops, cliffs and screes
Areas of exposed limestone in the Yorkshire Dales.Caves
The Yorkshire Dales National Park is renowned for its caves, the majority of which are in the limestone areas.Limestone quarries
Disused quarries in the Yorkshire Dales National Park.Purple-moor grass and Rush pasture
Wet meadows or pastures containing a species-rich mixture of grasses, sedges, herbs and mosses.
