10 MINUTES FROM PATELEY BRIDGE
How Stean Gorge
Known locally as Yorkshire's Little Switzerland, How Stean Gorge is an 80ft limestone ravine carved by the beck over thousands of years. Metal walkways bolted into the rock face let you walk the length of the gorge, with a cave to explore and a rope bridge to cross along the way. Just up the dale from Pateley Bridge, it is one of the most exciting short outings in Nidderdale, and a sure-fire hit with children.
BOOK ONLINE
Want more than the walkways? Book the How Stean 3-in-1 Experience online: Via Ferrata, abseiling and gorge walking in one day, with lunch included.
Just after the Via Ferrata and abseiling and would rather skip the gorge walking? See our page on the Via Ferrata & abseiling experience on its own.
Visit information
- Location
- How Stean Gorge, Lofthouse, Harrogate HG3 5SF
- From Pateley Bridge
- 10 minutes up the dale via Lofthouse Road
- Open
- Daily, seasonal hours - check howstean.co.uk before travelling
- Entry
- Paid admission covers the gorge walkways, Tom Taylor's Cave and the rope bridge
- Dogs
- Welcome on leads on the gorge walkways
- Facilities
- On-site cafe, gift shop and car park
Carved by water and ice
The gorge was cut by How Stean Beck working through layers of limestone over thousands of years, helped along by meltwater at the end of the last ice age. The result is a narrow, steep-sided ravine that feels far grander than its modest length suggests.
The limestone here is part of the same geology that produced the show caves and potholes found elsewhere in the Yorkshire Dales, riddled with cracks and underground passages that the beck has exploited over millennia. Tom Taylor's Cave is the most accessible example of that hidden network.
The name "Yorkshire's Little Switzerland" was coined by Victorian visitors who came up the dale to marvel at the ravine, and the gorge has been a visitor attraction in one form or another ever since.
Making the most of your visit
Allow at least two hours for the full circuit of the gorge, the cave and the rope bridge, longer if you stop at the cafe. Good grippy footwear is worth bringing, as the rock underfoot can be damp even when the walkways are dry.
The site works well as a half-day out on its own, or combined with a wander up the dale towards Scar House Reservoir, a few miles further on. Either way it is an easy add-on to a stay in Pateley Bridge.
Children tend to love it here. The combination of walkways, a cave and a wobbly bridge is about as good as it gets for a family day out that does not require a long drive.
What to see
The Gorge Walkways
Metal walkways and bridges bolted into the limestone walls carry you the full 80ft-deep length of the gorge, with the beck rushing below. Dramatic from the first step, and perfectly safe underfoot.
Tom Taylor's Cave
A natural cave system reached from the gorge floor, named after a local character said to have used it as a hideout. Bring a torch if you want to explore further in - the entrance alone is worth the detour.
The Rope Bridge
A wobbly suspension bridge strung across the gorge that is, by general agreement, the most fun ten seconds of any visit. Popular with children and the more adventurous adults alike.
Picnic and Cafe Area
A welcome sit-down after the walkways, with home-cooked food and a view back towards the gorge entrance. A good spot to dry off if the weather has been doing what Yorkshire weather does.
A short drive up the dale
How Stean Gorge is 10 minutes from Pateley Bridge by car, following the road up through Lofthouse. Check opening times before you set off, as they vary by season.
