North of Malham village, a 0.75-mile field walk beside a lovely babbling stream leads to Malham Cove, a huge rock amphitheatre lined with 80m-high vertical cliffs. A large glacial waterfall once tumbled over this cliff, but it dried up hundreds of years ago. You can hike up the steep steps on the left-hand side of the cove (follow Pennine Way signs) to see the extensive limestone pavement above the cliffs – a filming location in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
Peregrine falcons nest at the top in spring, when the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) sets up a birdwatching lookout with telescopes near the base of the cliff – call the national park centre for the schedule as it changes every year.
