How to walk the Malham Circular

Directions to be used in conjunction with a map.

1. Beginning from the Malham Visitor Centre Car Park, exit the car park and turn left along the road heading into the village (you’ll pass the Old Barn Cafe on your left - great for a coffee, cake or a light bite in case you need to fuel up before you go!) Just before you get to the Malham Smithy on the opposite side of the road, cross over and head to the little stone footbridge over the beck, signposted Janet’s Foss and Gordale Scar.

2. Once across the bridge turn right, with the beck now to your right. You are on a well surfaced wide path, which is at times paved (as pictured). Follow the path through a gap in the wall and then through a double gate. Here, bear left, keeping the dry stone wall to your left and walk towards the farm buildings where there is a further gate in the wall.

3. Go through the gate and continue along the wide path which passes through another gate, turning into a flagged path and following the edge of the beck. Continue to follow this path, there are no offshoots here, you simply need to follow it until you reach the National Trust sign for Janet’s Foss, which takes you into the woodland.

4. After this gate the path continues to follow the beck (which is still on your right) through the woodland, where it begins to be more undulating. You will soon hear Janet’s Foss before you see her! Take a moment to appreciate her magic (for she is the home of the Fairy Queen of course!) it’s likely you’ll encounter wild swimmers here, as it is a bit of a haven! (Yes, I include myself, as I’ve swum in Janet’s Foss all year round! I can confirm the quietest I’ve seen her has been in the run up to a storm in some pretty shocking weather!) So be prepared to share her! She’s a popular waterfall! (leave no trace - Janet is super popular, so if you see any rubbish, please do pick it up and take it with you even if it’s not yours!)

5. After Janet, head along the path next to the wall (with the waterfall on your right and head up and out of the woodland. Here the path is rocky and a little bit scrambly, but nothing that is too taxing! You will get to a gate leading onto the road to Gordale Bridge. Head out of that and turn right (signposted Gordale Scar).

6. Follow the road for a little while (you will regularly see the food van at Gordale Bridge, which sells hot drinks and tasty treats - excellent sausage rolls!) continue past the Gordale Bridge pull in, and head straight on. The road will begin to bend round to the right, and here there is a gate in the wall opposite, next to the information board for Gordale Scar. Head through the gate and onto the wide track ahead. This track will take you all the way to Gordale Scar.

7. Once you have soaked in the absolute GLORY of Gordale (pictured at the head of the page), you need to double back on yourself and head back to Gordale Bridge. If the food van isn’t there, you can identify it as it is quite literally the bridge over the Gordale Beck. There you will see a gate in the wall on your right, signposted Malham Cove, 1 mile. Follow that signpost!

8. What begins as a gravelly path, turns into a grassy one and it heads steeply uphill at first, before levelling out a bit (be aware this bit can get slippery when wet due to mud) You will head through a gate, then through another field, before reaching some stone steps up to a further gate. Here follow the signpost pointing left to Malham Cove.

9. You will continue to follow the wall on your left until the path reaches the road (Malham Rakes - here, if you need to, you can cut the walk short - head to our Janet’s Foss walk for further instructions on that return route)

10. Cross the road to a ladder stile over the dry stone wall ahead and cross it (there is also a gate) and continue to follow the path straight on. There is a footpath sign pointing in the direction of Malham Cove 1/4 mile. Follow the path in the direction of that signpost. At this point in good visibility, you will be able to see the top of the cove and the limestone pavement emerging ahead.

11. Continue in the direction of the cove, as the path descends slightly to a dry stone wall with a gate in it and a further signpost. Head in the direction of the signpost and up onto the limestone pavement (pictured in walk details section). In anything other than bone dry conditions, the pavement can be slippery and there are lots of deep grykes (fissures in the rock) to hop over. Which can be fun, but also…. quite interesting! If you’d prefer to avoid it we’ve found the easiest terrain underfoot is slightly higher up. Whatever you choose, you need to head directly straight on towards the far end of the cove, keeping the edge of the cove well away on your left. Here is where they filmed one of the locations for the final Harry Potter film.

12. At the far end, you will spot an information board about the limestone pavement and directly ahead, you will spot an opening in the dry stone wall, leading to a gate. Head through the gate and down the steps beyond it, which take you to the base of the cove. Towards the bottom, there is a further gate and then beyond you can bear left to continue right to the bottom of the cove, where you can observe climbers, and the beck emerging from the cave systems below the rock.

13. Turn back on yourself and continue along the path following the beck which will be on your left. You can either continue to follow this path all the way back to the road and then to the village, or you can follow our route, which avoids the road walk (and we think is much prettier!)

14. A short distance from the base of the cove, you will see a stone bridge made up of several flat flags on your left, crossing the beck to a gate ahead. Cross the beck and head through the gate. Ahead you will see a steep bank. The path heads diagonally right and upwards towards the rocky bank meeting the top end of the dry stone wall on your right.

15. From there continue straight on, passing the ruins of Bombey’s Barn on your left, and then through a gate into a narrow fenced path. The path is very clearly marked and varies between open field, walled path and further fenced paths all the way back to Malham. You will exit via a gate onto an access road, which takes you straight back to the village.

    Last walked January 2025.