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Hardraw Force, in the village of Hardraw in upper Wensleydale, is England's highest single-drop waterfall above ground, falling 30 metres from the limestone cliff to the pool below. It is spectacular after rain, impressive at any time, and accessed through the bar of the Green Dragon Inn — the only waterfall in England where you pay your entrance fee at a pub.
The combination of the waterfall's scale and the eccentricity of the access arrangement makes Hardraw Force one of the more memorable single stops in the Yorkshire Dales. The short walk from the inn through the wooded gorge, with the sound of the falls audible before you see them, builds anticipation that the view at the end reliably delivers.
The falls drop over a band of particularly hard sandstone that resists erosion more effectively than the softer rock above and below. This differential erosion has created a pronounced overhang — the water falls clear of the cliff face for most of its descent, and in sufficient frost (not uncommon in Hardraw) can freeze into an ice column of considerable size. In historic hard winters, the ice column at Hardraw Force has formed a solid pillar of ice from pool to overhang, which is one of the most extraordinary natural winter phenomena in northern England.
Hardraw Force is the site of Britain's longest-running open-air brass band contest, held annually in the natural limestone amphitheatre formed by the gorge above the falls. The contest dates from 1881 and continues today, typically in September. The acoustic properties of the gorge — steep limestone walls concentrating the sound back towards the audience — make it one of the finest outdoor performance venues of its kind in England.
In December 1799 William and Dorothy Wordsworth stood behind this waterfall on their walk to their new home at Grasmere, and Turner painted it in 1816. Their Dales journeys, and Wordsworth’s haunted Hart-Leap Well, are in our ghost stories and legends of the Yorkshire Dales.
Hardraw is in upper Wensleydale, approximately one mile north of Hawes on the A684. The Green Dragon Inn is on the left as you enter the village; waterfall entry is through the bar. A small fee applies. The walk from the inn to the falls is approximately 10 minutes on a good path.
The site is accessible year-round; it is most dramatic after heavy rain and in early winter when the ice formation begins.
Hardraw Force can be included in a bespoke Wensleydale tour.