How Stean Gorge

It forms a unit of the Upper Nidderdale Site of Special Scientific Interest.

The limestone here is an inlier in the millstone grit, which prevails on the surface in Nidderdale.

It is a subaerial gorge, some 15 to 20 metres deep, to which a series of vadose caves drain, a reversal of the usual pattern of underwater capture in a karst landscape.

[3] The gorge and Tom Taylor's Cave have been operated as a tourist attraction since the 19th century.

[4] The attraction now offers gorge walks and access to the cave, and also canyoning and a via ferrata.