Malham Cove is one of the most incredible sights in Yorkshire, and – depending how far north you live – is only an hour’s drive from parts of Greater Manchester.
Even if you’ve never visited before, it might look a little familiar.
Malham Cove was used as a major filming location for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1.
In one scene, Harry and Hermione are seen scrambling over huge stepping stone-like rocks while trying to solve the clues left to them.
It’s one of the most memorable locations from the film, which sees the main characters in hiding across the UK.
ADVERTISEMENT
Malham Cove. Credit: The Manc Group
These unusual rock formations are actually part of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, and a visit to them will lead you on a truly great hike.
You can visit the curving limestone cliffs of Malham Cove, the amazing waterfall and gorge at Gordale Scar, and the pretty pools of Janet’s Foss all in one walk.
ADVERTISEMENT
Once you make it up to Malham Cove itself, you’ll be greeted with sweeping views of the surrounding countryside.
The view from Malham Cove. Credit: The Manc Group
You’ll have to leap and bound your way through the rocks – so go steady – where deep cracks have formed between the limestone.
It’s well worth the effort to see the tiny trees that have tried to grow between the rocks and soak up this surreal landscape.
ADVERTISEMENT
A long, steady flight of stairs leads up from the village of Malham to the top.
Walking through Gordale Scar. Credit: The Manc Group
From there, you can walk through the fields to get down to Gordale Scar, the dramatic limestone gorge with 100 metre-high cliffs and two huge waterfalls.
This part of the national park was used by Netflix crews for The Witcher, and is said to have inspired the writer William Wordsworth as well as famous artists such as J.M.W. Turner and James Ward.
Then nearby is Janet’s Foss, a small National Trust waterfall in the middle of a magical wood.
Janet’s Foss waterfall. Credit: The Manc Group
The easiest way to see all three beauty spots is to take the stairs up to Malham Cove then loop back around past Janet’s Foss.
For those who fancy something a little longer, there’s also a 12.4km loop which heads a bit further into the hills.
There’s a small pay and display car park at the visitor centre – where there are also toilets, maps, and drinking water taps – and a larger parking area further afield.
As always, make sure to stick to footpaths, take your litter away and generally respect this beautiful corner of Yorkshire.
Featured image: The Manc Group
Feature
The inflatable floating obstacle course you can splash around on near Manchester
Daisy Jackson
There’s a giant inflatable floating obstacle course less than an hour from Manchester, where you can slide, jump, and fall straight into a lake.
At Wild Shore Delamere, you can tackle obstacles like monkey bars, the ninja-jump, the tyre run, and a giant 3.8 metre-tall inflatable tower, all floating on the surface of the picturesque lake.
The adventure hub opened back in 2019, offering families a chance to play on Delamere Lake, or try new watersports right here in the North West.
Let’s head to that inflatable Aqua Park – even as a full-grown adult, this is one of the silliest afternoons you can imagine.
Squeeze yourself into a wetsuit then launch yourself into the lake, ready to clamber all over a course that is essentially a gigantic floating bouncy castle.
The trickiest part is managing to stay on your feet as you slip and slide your way around the course in your 50 minute session – but really, where’s the fun in staying on your feet?
Monkey BarsThe Ninja JumpThe Tyre RunThe Figure EightFeatures of the Aqua Park at Wild Shore Delamere
While you’re on the lake, you can also try other activities like the Ringo, which whips you up and down the water on a huge inflatable, while the operator seems dead-set on flinging you off.
As well as the inflatable Aqua Park, there’s the Aqua Chimp ropes course for the more gymnastic types, plus wakeboarding, paddle boarding, and open water swimming.
Wild Shore Delamere has also added a new sauna this year, which overlooks the water – you can enjoy contrast therapy, switching from the warm sauna to the lake itself.
Wetsuits and life vests are included, so all you need to pack is a swimsuit, towel, and a bit of reckless abandon as you crash beneath the surface.
Paddle boards at Wild Shore DelamereThe sauna and cold plungeThe RingoAqua Chimp
Family behind Salvi’s launch new concept, weeks after iconic restaurant closure
Daisy Jackson
Just weeks after the closure of its iconic, 16-year-old Italian restaurant in the Corn Exchange, the family behind Salvi’s have revealed a brand-new concept.
And this time, the reins are being handed over to the next generation.
Salvi’s founder Maurizio Cecco has helped to shape Amò, but it’s all the brainchild of his daughter, Sienna.
Sienna will run the business out of a unit up on Deansgate Mews, serving fresh pasta dishes, pizza sandwiches, tubs of tiramisu, and two-for-£10 spritzes.
The deli aspect of the original Salvi’s has been carried over to Amò too – you’ll find shelves almost to the ceiling filled with Italian pasta, wine, olive oils, pistachio spreads, and more.
Sienna has grown up in restaurants, with her parents launching Salvi’s when she was just two years old.
She said she wants the space to be a livelier, fresher version of the Italian restaurant that has been so loved by Mancs for so many years.
Sienna outside AmòFresh pasta dishesInside Amò by Salvi’sTheir viral frozen crema di caffeLemon granitaInside Amò by Salvi’sTiramisu pots
Amò, which is Neapolitan slang for ‘my love’, will have loads of fresh Italian dishes, including arancini, gnocchi, and hearty pasta plates.
At lunchtimes, guests can order from a £10 lunch menu, with dishes changing daily depending on the best produce the kitchen can get – it could be a pizza sandwich with proscuitto and tomato, a spicy pasta, or a gnocchi bake, always served with your choice of soft drink.
With its position on Deansgate Mews, Amò basks in the sunshine at lunchtimes.
And while it’s definitely a different concept to the original Salvi’s, Amò looks set to carry the family’s Italian food legacy into its next generation.
Daisy Jackson -
4th February 2022 
