Aysgarth Falls

The Ure runs over a staircase of limestone beds here, producing three separate falls, Upper, Middle and Lower, spread along about a kilometre of wooded gorge; none is high, but they are wide, and the rock steps make the water break across the full width of the river rather than drop in a single plunge. Turner painted them and Wordsworth wrote about them. The Middle Force was used for the quarterstaff duel between Robin and Little John in Robin Hood Prince of Thieves in 1991, which brought a lasting stream of visitors. The riverside woods are ancient semi-natural woodland with a strong spring flora, and Freeholders' Wood is still managed as hazel coppice under commoners' rights. Volume varies enormously: in dry summers the falls are a trickle over bare rock.

The landscape

• Three separate falls - Upper, Middle and Lower over about a kilometre.
• The full-width breaks - water spread across limestone beds rather than plunging.
• Freeholders' Wood - hazel coppice still cut under commoners' rights.
• The film location - the Middle Force used for the 1991 quarterstaff fight.

When to go

April to October for the woodland walks; the falls are best after heavy rain and can be almost dry in a hot summer. Spring flowers in the woods are excellent in late April and May.

What to expect

The falls are wide rather than tall and can underwhelm in low water. The paths between them involve steps and mud, and the Lower Force is the longest walk. Summer weekend parking is charged and fills.

Nearby

Bolton Castle and Hawes lie up the dale; Leyburn is east.

Key facts