Catrake Force
Catrake Force is a beautiful and relatively secluded waterfall located in Keld, a tiny hamlet in the upper reaches of Swaledale in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. The waterfall sits on Catrake Beck as it tumbles over a series of limestone steps and ledges before making its principal plunge into a narrow rocky gorge below. It is one of several notable waterfalls in close proximity along this stretch of the Dale, and while it may be less widely celebrated than nearby Hardraw Force or the famous falls of the Lake District, it rewards those who seek it out with a genuinely wild and intimate character. The surrounding limestone landscape gives it a distinctly northern English flavour — austere, green, and ancient-feeling.
The name "Catrake" is believed to derive from Old Norse, reflecting the Viking settlement of this part of Yorkshire during the early medieval period. Swaledale as a whole carries deep traces of Norse influence in its place names, with words like "force" (from "foss," meaning waterfall) and "gill" (a narrow mountain stream) appearing throughout the valley. The Norse settlers who farmed and grazed these uplands would have known this beck and its falls well, and the landscape has changed little in its fundamental character since those times. The hamlet of Keld itself, through which walkers typically pass to reach the fall, is one of the most remote and atmospheric settlements in the Yorkshire Dales.
In physical terms, Catrake Force drops perhaps eight to ten metres in total over its main section, with the water channelling through a tight limestone gorge that amplifies the sound considerably. After rain or in winter and spring, the beck runs with real force and the falls become thunderous and spray-laden, coating the surrounding rocks and ferns in moisture. In drier summer conditions the flow reduces but the falls remain photogenic, revealing more of the geological structure beneath — the clean horizontal bedding of the Great Scar Limestone that underpins so much of the Dales landscape. The gorge is draped in ferns, mosses, and hart's-tongue in the wetter crevices, and the whole scene feels enclosed and slightly secret.
Keld and the immediate surroundings represent Swaledale at its most remote and scenically powerful. The village sits at the head of the dale where the valley narrows dramatically, and the area is ringed by open moorland rising to the fells above. Close by are other waterfalls including Kisdon Force on the River Swale itself, which is accessible by a short diversion and arguably even more dramatic. The route between Keld and Muker to the east is one of the great short walks in the Dales, passing meadows renowned for their wildflowers in early summer. The Pennine Way long-distance footpath passes through Keld, as does the Coast to Coast walk, making the hamlet a well-known waypoint for long-distance walkers even if Catrake Force itself is sometimes overlooked in favour of the Swale gorge below.
Access to Catrake Force is straightforward on foot from Keld. There is limited roadside parking in or near the village, and walkers follow a clear path from the hamlet down into the gill to reach the falls. The walk from the centre of Keld to the waterfall is short — a matter of a few minutes — making it accessible to most visitors without requiring significant fitness or equipment, though the path can be muddy and uneven in places and appropriate footwear is advisable. The best time to visit for dramatic water volume is after a period of rainfall or during the wetter months from autumn through to late spring. Summer visits are pleasant for the greenery and light but may coincide with lower water levels. The nearest town of any size is Reeth, around twelve miles down the dale, and Kirkby Stephen lies to the northwest over the fell.
One of the quietly fascinating aspects of Catrake Force and the Keld area is how it sits at the confluence of two of Britain's most beloved long-distance walking routes without becoming heavily touristed. The Coast to Coast walk, devised by Alfred Wainwright and followed by tens of thousands of walkers each year, passes directly through Keld, yet the falls themselves see a fraction of the footfall of comparable features elsewhere. The landscape around Keld also contains remarkable concentrations of traditional hay meadows that in June erupt into colour with wood cranesbill, yellow rattle, pignut, and dozens of other wildflowers — a habitat so rare nationally that the area is carefully protected. Catrake Force is, in this sense, part of a broader tapestry of natural and cultural richness that makes the head of Swaledale one of the genuinely irreplaceable corners of northern England.