Wain Wath Force

A wide, modest drop of about 1.5 m on the River Swale, spread across the full width of the channel rather than plunging from height. The setting does the heavy lifting: the pale limestone cliffs of Cotterby Scar rise behind, and the water spills into a broad stony pool. The name is thought to relate to an old cart ford. It sits roughly 0.6 miles (1 km) upstream of Keld, just under a mile north of the village by road.

• View it from the roadside in a couple of minutes, which is the easiest option and works even in poor weather.
• Walk down to the stony shore for the classic head-on view of the falls and the scar behind.
• Photography: the wide curtain of water plus the cliff backdrop suits landscape framing, and autumn colour along the banks is often mentioned. Side light earlier or later in the day is usually kinder than harsh midday glare.
• Wild swimming and paddling are reported here, in a natural pool with a stony entry. It is unsupervised open water, so read the safety notes below before you consider it.
• The Coast to Coast route runs along the north bank, with the road on the south bank, so the falls make a natural pause on a longer walking day. Keld itself has further waterfall walks nearby.

The falls are beside the B6270 between Keld and West Stonesdale, with the stored map point at roughly 54.40930, -2.18013 (Richmond DL11 6DZ for postcode-based navigation). You can hear and see the water from the road, so it is hard to miss once you are alongside it. Approach roads are narrow with passing places, so drive slowly and be ready to reverse.

• Official Dales guidance is blunt about open water: rivers and lakes can be extremely cold, deeper than they look, hard to climb out of, and can hide hazards. Check conditions before entering.
• Never dive or jump. Depth varies across the pool and with recent weather, and there can be hidden obstacles under the surface.
• Keep children close at the water's edge; wet limestone and river stones are genuinely slippery.
• Bring sturdy footwear with grip, warm layers or a towel if anyone gets in, water and snacks, and a bag for your rubbish.
• Take litter home and skip fires and BBQs, which are out of place on a small, heavily used riverbank.

It is a small waterfall right next to a road, so do not expect a wilderness moment or a big vertical spectacle. Traffic noise, parked cars and a crowded pool can all break the mood at busy times, and the very limited verge parking is the main practical headache. The riverside scramble rules it out for some visitors, and there is no developed infrastructure to fall back on. As a ten-minute stop woven into a Keld waterfall walk or a Coast to Coast day, though, it earns its reputation.