East Gill Force is a waterfall in

Swaledale Swaledale is one of the northernmost dales (valleys) in Yorkshire Dales National Park, located in northern England. It is the dale of the River Swale on the east side of the Pennines in North Yorkshire. Geographical overview Swaledale runs ...

, east of the hamlet of Keld, in the

Yorkshire Dales National Park The Yorkshire Dales National Park is a national park in England covering most of the Yorkshire Dales. Most of the park is in North Yorkshire, with a sizeable area in Westmorland (Cumbria) and a small part in Lancashire. The park was designat ...

North Yorkshire North Yorkshire is the largest ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county (lieutenancy area) in England, covering an area of . Around 40% of the county is covered by National parks of the United Kingdom, national parks, including most of ...

, England. The falls are located on East Gill at grid reference , just before its confluence with the

River Swale The River Swale in Yorkshire, England, is a major tributary of the River Ure, which becomes the River Ouse, that empties into the North Sea via the Humber Estuary. The river gives its name to Swaledale, the valley through which it flows. Th ...

at the point where the

Pennine Way The Pennine Way is a National Trail in England, with a small section in Scotland. The trail stretches for from Edale, in the northern Derbyshire Peak District, north through the Yorkshire Dales and Northumberland National Park and ends at Kir ...

and the

Coast to Coast Walk The Coast to Coast Walk is a long-distance footpath between the west and east coasts of Northern England, nominally long. Devised by Alfred Wainwright, it passes through three contrasting national parks: the Lake District National Park, th ...

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 drop whilst the lower section is a series of stepped cascades that fall as East Gill enters the River Swale. East Gill Force is one of four waterfalls in the Keld area, the others being

Kisdon Force Kisdon Force is a series of waterfalls on the River Swale in Swaledale, England. The falls are situated within the Yorkshire Dales National Park in the county of North Yorkshire, 500 metres downstream from the small hamlet of Keld at grid refe ...

Catrake Force Catrake Force is a waterfall on the River Swale in North Yorkshire, England. It is not visible from the road but is accessible via a campsite in Keld. It comprises a series of four steps, each its own small waterfall, and each with a very diffe ...

and

Wain Wath Force Wain Wath Force is a waterfall on the River Swale in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, North Yorkshire, England. The falls are at grid reference , upstream from the hamlet of Keld which has three other waterfalls in its vicinity ( Kisdon For ...

that occur where the river cuts a gorge through the

carboniferous limestone Carboniferous Limestone is a collective term for the succession of limestones occurring widely throughout Great Britain and Ireland that were deposited during the Dinantian Epoch of the Carboniferous Period. These rocks formed between 363 and ...

between the hills of Kisdon and

Rogan's Seat Rogan's Seat is a remote hill located near East Stonesdale and Gunnerside Gill, in the Yorkshire Dales in England. It is a high expanse of moorland that stretches alongside Swaledale, Swinner Gill and Gunnerside Gill. It is the joint 17th hig ...

. The falls in this area are called "forces" after the Norse word ''foss'', meaning waterfall. 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.

References

Waterfalls of North Yorkshire Swaledale {{Richmondshire-geo-stub