Wharfedale
| Wharfedale | |
|---|---|
 Wharfedale near Buckden | |
| Length | 50 mi (80 km) [1] |
| Geography | |
| Location | Yorkshire, England |
| District | North and West Yorkshire |
| Coordinates | 53°53′00″N1°27′00″W/ 53.88333°N 1.45°W |
| River | River Wharfe |
Wharfedale(/ˈhwɔːrfdeɪl/WHORF-dayl) is the valley of the upper parts of theRiver Wharfeand one of theYorkshire Dales.It is situated inNorth Yorkshire,and the cities ofLeedsandBradfordinWest Yorkshire.It is the upper valley of theRiver Wharfe.Towns and villages in Wharfedale (downstream, from west to east) includeBuckden,[a]Kettlewell,Conistone,Grassington,Hebden,Bolton Abbey,Addingham,Ilkley,Burley-in-Wharfedale,Otley,Pool-in-Wharfedale,Arthington,CollinghamandWetherby.[b]Beyond Wetherby, the valley opens out and becomes part of theVale of York.
The section from the river's source to around Addingham is known asUpper Wharfedale.It lies inNorth Yorkshireand theYorkshire Dales National Park.The first 15 miles (24 km) or so is known asLangstrothdale,including the settlements ofBeckermonds,YockenthwaiteandHubberholme,famous for its church, the resting place of the writerJ. B. Priestley.As it turns southwards, the Wharfe then runs through a green and lush valley, withlimestoneoutcrops,such asKilnsey Crag,and woodland, generally quite unusual in the Dales.
Below Addingham, the dale broadens and turns to the east. This section is shared between North Yorkshire andWest Yorkshireand includes the towns of Ilkley, Otley and Wetherby. The northern side of Lower Wharfedale, opposite Ilkley, Burley-in-Wharfedale and Otley, is in theNidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
TheYorkshire Dales Rivers Trusthas a remit to conserve the ecological condition of Wharfedale,Wensleydale,SwaledaleandNidderdalecatchments from their headwaters to theHumberEstuary.
History[edit]
The Wharfedale valley was cut into the shape we know today during the last ice age (theDevensian Glaciation). The valley was transformed into its classic U-shaped state between 18,000 and 12,000 years ago by the Wharfedale Glacier,[2]though this was cutting through a channel that had already had a river draining water away to the east through what is now Wharfedale,[3][4]and also to the north through what is nowBishopdaleand thenWensleydale.[5]
Evidence of human settlement has been found dating back toNeolithictimes and the valley has plenty of artefacts relating to theCeltic,RomanandAnglo-Saxonperiods.[6]The Romans built a road over Stake Moss into what is now the village ofBainbridgein Wensleydale.[7]
The Anglo-Saxon influence remains in modern times, with most settlements in Upper Wharfedale having Anglo-Saxon derived names.[8]
The name of the valley is derived from the principal river that flows through it: the Wharfe, which comes from theOld EnglishWeorforOld NorseHverfr,with both taken as meaningwinding river.[9]The River Wharfe starts at the confluence (at the hamlet of Beckermonds) of the Oughtershaw Beck and the Green Field Beck,[10]each of which originates at the Pennine watershed, some 4 miles (6 km) north-east ofRibblehead.The valley roughly follows a south-easterly direction, providing a border between West Yorkshire (on the south side) and North Yorkshire.[11]
Between Oughtershaw Moss and Wetherby, the valley runs for 50 miles (80 km).[1]The uppermost part of the valley is known as Langstrothdale.[12]Below Beckermonds the river is known as the River Wharfe.[13]Wetherby is traditionally seen as the foot of Wharfedale, even though the river continues on through theVale of York.[1]
The valley has been used largely for agriculture, and is now criss-crossed with stone walls and stone barns that evidence its use down the centuries.[14]
Geology[edit]
The geology of the valley is split, with Upper Wharfedale consisting ofcarboniferous limestoneof theYoredaleseries.[15]In the lower part of Wharfedale, aroundIlkleyandOtley,the underlying stone is mostly millstone grit,[16]which can be seen best at the Cow and Calf rocks on the south side of the valley onIlkley Moor.[17]The Bramley Almanac for 1931 lists 'Earthquake in Wharfedale' for 15 December 1859.[18]
Wharfedale Ward[edit]
As anelectoralsubdivision Wharfedale is awardin the north east of theCity of Bradfordmetropolitan borough.It consists of the settlements ofBurley-in-Wharfedale,Burley WoodheadandMenstonalong with surrounding moorland. The population of the ward taken at the 2011 Census was 11,836.[19]
Deanery of South Craven and Wharfedale[edit]
In 2017, in consideration ofregional geography,theChurch of Englandchanged its subdivisions[20]and re-grouped theDeaneryof Wharfedale with that ofSouth Craven,in order that the similar regions can work together more effectively.[21]
Wharfedale in culture[edit]
One of the most renowned painters of the Victorian era,John Atkinson Grimshaw,portrayed the area in his piece, "Moonlight, Wharfedale" (1871 – oil on card17+1⁄2by13+1⁄2inches [44 cm × 34 cm]). He is known as one of the best and most accomplished nightscape and townscape artists of all time, and this painting is a prime example of his mastery.[22][23]J. M. W. Turneralso visited and painted scenes around Otley and Ilkley. Turner was commissioned to paintKilnsey Crag,which he created as an oil painting in 1816.[24]
The valley was featured in episode three of theBBC Twoseries,The Yorkshire Dales.[25][26]
Notes[edit]
References[edit]
- ^abcRaistrick, A. (1931). "The Glaciation of Wharfedale, Yorkshire".Proceedings of the Yorkshire Geological Society.22(1). Yorkshire Geological Society: 9–30.doi:10.1144/pygs.22.1.9.
- ^Embleton, Clifford, ed. (1994).Geomorphology of Europe.London: Macmillan. p. 172.ISBN978-1-349-17346-4.
- ^"Out of Oblivion: A landscape through time".outofoblivion.org.uk.Retrieved5 January2020.
- ^"18,000 YEARS AGO: THE WHARFEDALE GLACIER"(PDF).wyorksgeologytrust.org.Retrieved5 January2020.
- ^Smithson, Peter; Addison, Ken; Atkinson, Ken (2002).Fundamentals of the physical environment(3 ed.). London: Routledge. p. 5.ISBN0-415-23293-7.
- ^"Out of Oblivion: A landscape through time".outofoblivion.org.uk.Retrieved5 January2020.
- ^"YORKSHIRE DALES NATIONAL PARK LANDSCAPE CHARACTER ASSESSMENT"(PDF).yorkshiredales.org.uk.p. 115.Retrieved5 January2020.
- ^Harker, Bailey John (1869).Rambles in upper Wharfedale; including the historical and traditional lore of the district.London: Pitman. p. 288.OCLC931181143.
- ^"River Wharfe".yorkshiredalesriverstrust.Retrieved5 January2020.
- ^Ordnance Survey maps
- ^"Lower Wharfedale National Mapping Project"(PDF).research.historicengland.org.uk.2004. p. 5.Retrieved5 January2020.
- ^Buckley, Norman (2004).Yorkshire Dales walking: on the level.Wilmslow: Sigma Leisure. p. 29.ISBN1-85058-439-7.
- ^"OL2" (Map).Yorkshire Dales - Southern & Western Area.1:25,000. Explorer. Ordnance Survey. 2015.ISBN9780319263310.
- ^Davies, Carey (4 May 2014)."Country diary: Wharfedale, Yorkshire: A glacier bored out the contours of this valley, but the detail was added by hand".The Guardian.Retrieved5 January2020.
- ^Speight, Harry (1900).Upper Wharfedale: being a complete account of the history, antiquities and scenery of the picturesque valley of the Wharfe, from Otley to Langstrothdale.London: E Stock. p. 20.OCLC1079273371.
- ^"Geology".wharfedale-nats.org.uk.Retrieved5 January2020.
- ^Davies, Carey (5 February 2018)."People have been leaving their marks on these rocks since the bronze age".The Guardian.Retrieved5 January2020.
- ^The Bramley Almanac for 1931 (publ. William Witts, Town Street, Bramley)
- ^UK Census(2011)."Local Area Report – Wharfedale Ward (as of 2011) (E05001366)".Nomis.Office for National Statistics.Retrieved5 January2020.
- ^Maps of Anglican deaneries and parishes.Retrieved 6 May 2017
- ^West Yorkshire Dales Anglican News.Retrieved 6 May 2017
- ^"John Atkinson Grimshaw Moonlight Wharfedale 1871 by MotionAge Designs".Fine Art America.Retrieved19 December2018.
- ^"Moonlight Wharfedale by John AtkinsonGrimshaw".artnet.Retrieved19 December2018.
- ^Ames, Daryl (2 August 2012)."Artist enlists local help to recreate Turner scene".Craven Herald.Retrieved5 January2020.
- ^"BBC Two – The Yorkshire Dales, Series 1, Wharfedale".BBC.Retrieved5 January2020.
- ^Chandler, Stuart (16 May 2019)."All you need to know about new BBC Two documentary The Yorkshire Dales".The Yorkshire Post.Retrieved5 January2020.
External links[edit]
Valleys and settlements in theYorkshire Dales | ||
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| Dales |  | |
| Major settlements | ||
| See also | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
