Ghost River

What's this?


If you look closely, you will see it's a waterfall. Or rather, a little flight of several waterfalls. But without the water.


I went there with David on our trip to the Dales last week: it's a valley called Conistone Dib near the far better-known Kilnsey Crag in Wharfedale.

I found it very confusing. There was the place where the stream wasn't, flowing quickly down the valley, with rocks on the river bed - but no water.

I almost expected to see the fish flapping where the water had just left.

Here's David standing where the stream had carved its way through the hillside:

You can see the grooves on the rocks where the water had flowed by over thousands and thousands of years.

But where had it gone? Already knowing the answer, I asked David if the stream was there when he used to visit as a child.

And no, of course not - it probably vanished from this valley hundreds - or thousands - of years ago. Of course, this is limestone country and water disappears and reappears in all sorts of strange places through the rock.

It brought it home to me how different River Time is from People Time. And it's a lovely walk.