ABSTRACT

Like Eskdale, the parish of Ingleton is a hill farming area, although it differs markedly in its geology and topography, lying in the heart of the dramatic karst limestone scenery of Craven district in North Yorkshire. It contains several tracts of common land, two of which – Ingleborough Fell and Scales Moor – form the focus of this case study. The summit of Ingleborough (723m) is famed as a hill walkers’ destination (one of the ‘three peaks’ of the Yorkshire Dales) and an iconic landmark, visible from a wide district and immediately recognizable because of its distinctive flat-topped profile (see Figure 7.1). Equally as famous is the invisible landscape that lies beneath: the extensive cave systems which have drawn visitors to experience the ‘natural curiosities’ of the area for over 200 years (Johnson, 2008, pp1–11). Today, the limestone pavements, heaths and blanket bogs of the Ingleton area are recognized as being among the most highly valued conservation landscapes in England and Wales, while also supporting upland pastoral farming and a range of intensive recreational uses. The area lies within the Yorkshire Dales National Park and has a number of protective designations, including the Ingleborough Complex Special Area of Conservation (SAC), Ingleborough Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Whernside SSSI (covering Scales Moor). Ingleborough from Scales Moor: The section of dry stone wall in the foreground is a ‘bield', to provide shelter for sheep https://s3-euw1-ap-pe-df-pch-content-public-p.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/9781849775632/35edd366-72d9-44f2-bf40-58494a0d7d47/content/fig7_1_B.jpg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"/> Source: Angus Winchester