Pasture Gill Pot

The entrance to Pasture Gill Pot opens up quite suddenly as you're walking through the moorland above Leyburn - one moment you're trudging across rough grass, the next there's a proper chasm dropping away beneath your feet. It's a natural sinkhole that's swallowed a stream, and the cave system below is worth scrambling down to explore if you've got a head for heights and don't mind getting a bit muddy.

Inside, it's cold and damp in the way only Yorkshire caves manage - the kind of place where your breath fogs immediately. The passage opens into a chamber where you can actually see the stream that disappeared above ground, which is genuinely impressive. The whole thing feels properly wild, untouched by the visitor infrastructure you'd find at more famous caves elsewhere. No handrails, no gift shop, just you and the limestone.

Walkers tackling the moorland around here will find this a worthwhile detour rather than a destination in itself. It'll take you a good hour to get down, have a poke around, and get back up again. Families with young kids should think twice - it's genuinely steep and exposed in places. The nearest settlement is Leyburn, a solid base for exploring the Dales, and Stablefell Holidays just over 4 miles away makes for convenient camping if you're planning a longer stint in the area. Visit after rain if you can and you'll see the water flowing properly through the system. Worth the walk.