How Stean Gorge
How Stean Gorge near Lofthouse in Nidderdale is one of the most dramatic and most accessible limestone gorge experiences in the Yorkshire Dales, a narrow ravine approximately 24 metres deep cut by How Stean Beck through the Great Scar Limestone in a system of pools, waterfalls and underground passages that provides an excellent combination of outdoor adventure and natural heritage interest. The gorge is managed privately and provides a range of ways of experiencing the gorge from the easy pathway along the gorge floor to the underground cave sections and the more athletic climbing and via ferrata routes for those seeking more challenging engagement.
The gorge was carved by the erosive action of How Stean Beck cutting down through the limestone over thousands of years since the last Ice Age, the resistant limestone creating the near-vertical walls and narrow channel that give the gorge its dramatic character. The combination of the water running through the gorge floor, the overhanging limestone walls, the cave passages and the vegetation on the ledges above creates an enclosed, atmospheric world quite different from the open Dale above.
The café at the gorge entrance and the range of activities available, including guided cave tours through Tom Taylor's Cave and the outdoor adventure activities on the gorge walls, make How Stean one of the most popular outdoor activity destinations in Nidderdale and an excellent wet-weather alternative to the open moor walking of the surrounding area.