Just 6.5 miles from Bramble Cottage but a 20 minute drive along twisty turning dry stone wall lined country lanes down to single lanes with passing places at times. Swoop down into Airton and past the old mill on the river Aire on the journey to Malham.
You get a good glimpse of the scar as you descend into the village. Park in the carpark by the visitors centre ( pay and display with card facilities ) or if you are lucky enough to find a space park on the roadside as you enter the village and avoid the charges. £2.50 for 2 hours ( 2019 ).
Make your way on foot up through the village past the tea shops and pubs, save those for later, and pick up the pathway to the cove further up the road.
The climb to the top is an approx round trip of two hours, carefully climbing the 400 or so steps up the cove.
Only once in living memory has it become an actual waterfall and in recent years has been the back drop to Harry Potter scenes. The limestone pavement at the top was scraped bare by the ice over 12000 years ago. Since then slightly acidic rainwater has dissolved the rock away along faults and cracks.
