This site is primarily concerned with Nidderdale, the valley of the River Nidd, which rises on the slopes of Little Whernside and enters the River Ouse at Nun Monkton. However, it is impossible to limit the subjet matter to an area defined in these precise geographical terms. Not only does the valley have many links to the surrounding dales and share many of their characteristics, but human curiosity draws the 'eye' outwards to the wider context. For these reasons, the site incorporates material on areas and features that are not contained within Nidderdale itself. The definition of the area covered by the Nidderdale AONB similalry blurs the issue, as it incorporates significant areas outside Nidderdale proper, including large areas of the Ure and Washburn valleys. Whenever this site strays from the dale, it should either be self evident or acknowledged in the text.
| Geology | Landscape | History | Industry & Transport | Flora & Fauna |
500 million years ago, the land that became Nidderale was far south of the equator. During its journey north, the limestone foundation was laid down when Nidderdale was at the bottom of a warm, shallow sea. Stump Cross Cavern and the lead industry had their origins in faults which filled with liquid rock and the millstone grit was laid down when Nidderdale lay in the delta of a huge river. In recent geological time, the distinctive shape of the valley was carved by glaciers flowing from the flanks of Great Whernside and exciting features, such as Brimham Rocks and How Stean Gorge, were shaped by the forces of erosion.
TopDuring the bronze and iron ages, the woodland covering was substantially cleared by our ancestors, seeking to farm the land. The Romans left little behind, but place names can be traced to the Anglo Saxons and Vikings. Following the 'Harrying of the North' by William I, the Domesday Book recorded that much of Nidderdale was 'waste'. The foundations of modern agricultural organisation were laid down by the grange farms of the Abbeys of Fountains and Byland and the neat, rectangular fields of the uplands, bounded by grit-stone walls, are owed to the enclosure movement of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
Affairs of state have largely passed Nidderdale by. Knaresborough, lower down the Nidd and Middleham to the north, were royal castles, respectively associated with King John and Richard III. Oliver Cromwell stayed at Ripley Castle after the Battle of Marston Moor. The Yorke family have been prominent in the valley for centuries, but typically the history of the valley is concerned with that of the farmer, miner and factory worker.
Lead mining has taken place on the hills above Pately Bridge for thousands of years, in Roman times worked by slave labour following the defeat of the Brigantes in battle. In a valley dominated by agriculture and production for the home, the beginning of the nineteenth century saw the factory system come to Nidderdale, following inventions in Leeds which allowed the mechanisation of flax spinning, powered by water. The earlier pattern of settlement was characterised by isolated farms and small hamlets but the villages of Glasshouses and Summerbridge owe their existance to the mills.
The signs of quarrying may be found up and down the valley, Scotgate Ash quarry provided fine sandstone for The National Gallery in London and the surviving quarry at Coldstones provides limestone for road building. Commercial interests in Pately Bridge pressed for the construction of a rail link, which was built in 1862 and closed in 1964.
A further lease of life was given to quarrying and rail transport in the valley with the construction, during the last two centuries, of the major series of dams in the Washburn valley and above Pateley Bridge, built to provide water for the industrial conurbations of Leeds and Bradford to the south. The railway was extended to Scar, to serve a substantial village built to house the construction workers.
The southern skyline of the the Valley is dominated by Menwith Hill early warning station, which is entering a controversial phase as America contemplates a new defence system that would rely very much on the Nidderdale 'golf balls'.
Agriculture is still a very important part of life in the valley and the Nidderdale Show, at Pateley Bridge in September, is a celebration of this. Tourism is increasingly important for the economy of Nidderdale, evidenced by the many visitors to the valley.
Nidderdale has been deservedly designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The varied, wooded landscape, with its clear streams, is home to a diverse flora and fauna. Curlews, lapwings and perhaps the occasional red kite, fly over the higher slopes, while the kingfisher, dipper and heron may be seen in the valleys. Gouthwaite Reservoir is an important nature reserve and there are Sites of Special Scientific Interest. However, there is constant pressure on the valley's biological diversity and much needs to be done to preserve and enhance it.
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