East Gill Force

East Gill Force is a waterfall in Swaledale, 330 yards (300 m) east of the hamlet of Keld, in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, North Yorkshire, England.[1] The falls are located on East Gill at grid reference NY896012, just before its confluence with the River Swale at the point where the Pennine Way and the Coast to Coast Walk intersect. The falls are a popular spot for visitors, not just long-distance walkers but also families and picnickers because of the proximity of the road. East Gill Force has two main torrents: the upper falls have an impressive 15-foot (4.5 m) drop whilst the lower section is a series of stepped cascades that fall 9.8 feet (3 m) as East Gill enters the River Swale.

East Gill Force upper falls in Swaledale, North Yorkshire
The lower part of East Gill Force as the Gill joins the River Swale

East Gill Force is one of four waterfalls in the Keld area, the others being Kisdon Force, Catrake Force and Wain Wath Force that occur where the river cuts a gorge through the carboniferous limestone between the hills of Kisdon and Rogan's Seat. The falls in this area are called "forces" after the Norse word foss, meaning waterfall.[2] The falls are surrounded by deciduous broadleaved woodland.

East Gill Force is sometimes mistaken for the nearby Catrake Force (on the River Swale proper), perhaps because the latter is marked on the Ordnance Survey map but is less prominent and less easily accessible.[3]

References
  1. Dillon, Paddy (25 February 2011). The Pennine Way (Third ed.). Cicerone Press Limited. p. 110. ISBN 978-1-84965-359-6. OCLC 467775692. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
  2. Skeat, William W. (2005). A Concise Etymological Dictionary of the English Language. New York: Cosimo Classics. p. 194. ISBN 1-59605-092-6. OCLC 318273. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
  3. "Catrake Force". My Yorkshire Dales. Retrieved 23 August 2020.

54.40615°N 2.16172°W / 54.40615; -2.16172


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