West Burton Falls, AKA Cauldron Falls and West Burton Waterfall, is a beautiful waterfall in West Burton in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Found on the serene Walden Beck, West Burton Falls is a small but stunning waterfall that doesn’t get the attention it deserves. In this guide, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about visiting this waterfall in the Yorkshire Dales.
We hope you find this guide helpful. For information about other great walking routes and waterfalls in North Yorkshire, read our guides about Simon’s Seat and Bolton Abbey Waterfall, Aysgarth Falls and Pen-y-ghent and Hull Pot (coming soon). Otherwise, read our big Yorkshire Dales hiking guide (also coming soon).
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West Burton Falls (Cauldron Falls)
West Burton Falls is a lesser-known waterfall in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Certainly, the nearby Aysgarth Falls is the most well-known and popular waterfall to visit in the area. But, we think you should also visit West Burton Falls, which is known just as much by the name Cauldron Falls.
Perhaps, you could visit Cauldron Falls after exploring the more popular Aysgarth Falls! That’s exactly what Beck and I did. After seeing Aysgarth Falls, we drove to the charming village of West Burton and did a small circular walk, visiting the waterfall. After all, who doesn’t enjoy a bit of waterfall chasin’?
Where Is West Burton Falls in the Yorkshire Dales?
This waterfall is located near the small village of West Burton in the Yorkshire Dales.
For your reference, please click on the Cauldron Falls map below to access an interactive map on Google Maps.
From the small village of West Burton, it’s a very short walk to access the waterfall. Of course, we thought it best to explore a little more of the surrounding area after visiting Cauldron Falls. Below, we’ll provide some information about the short circular walk we did, which involved visiting the waterfall at the beginning of the walk.
West Burton Falls Walk Details
- Type: Loop
- Distance: 2.3km
- Time: 1 hour
- Accumulated elevation gain: 50m
- Difficulty: Easy
- Trailhead: West Burton
- Map: Wikiloc
West Burton Falls Walk Description
From the village of West Burton in North Yorkshire, you’ll make your way to the nearby waterfall. Indeed, it’s only a little waterfall, but, nevertheless, it’s picturesque and quaint. It’s possible to walk over some rocks to approach the natural pool at the base of the falls. Just be careful as it’s awfully slippery.
Once you’ve scoped out the waterfall, you’ll cross a short bridge, which passes over Walden Beck. You’ll then head acutely up a hill, joining a trail, which passes farmland and woodland. The short trail explores the gorgeous surrounding countryside. You’ll walk for around 1km, before briefly heading in a southwest direction towards another bridge. Once you’ve crossed this bridge, you’ll turn right, eventually joining Dame Lane. This country lane will lead you back to West Burton. Short and sweet!
Other West Burton Walks
If you’re interested in other West Burton walks, there are a few to choose from. When it comes to well-known West Burton short walks, and, also West Burton circular walks, the walk we’ve described in this guide is certainly one of the best short circular walks in the area. The other most popular walks in the area involve longer circular walks. Let’s look at these below.
- West Burton Circular Walk: this is a longer circular walk than the one described in this guide. It explores more of Walden Beck and more of the countryside further south of the village.
- West Burton and Aysgarth Falls Walk: why not combine a walk to see both Aysgarth Falls and Cauldron Falls?
- West Witton to Aysgarth Falls and West Burton: this is the longest of the walks. You’ll start and end this circular walk in West Witton, visiting Aysgarth Falls and also Cauldron Falls.
How to Get to West Burton
The easiest and quickest way to get to West Burton in Yorkshire is to drive there yourself. You can simply park by the village green, for free.
If you don’t have your own set of wheels, we recommend hiring a car using Rentalcars.com. You’ll find a wide variety of cars on Rental Cars, which are very easy to book online.
It’s also possible to use public transport to get to West Burton. Buses alight at this bus stop. From there, it’s a short walk to reach the falls. We recommend using Google Maps to plan your journey. Although, personally, we don’t recommend using public transport to get to West Burton as you’ll have a fairly long-winded journey to get there. Certainly, it’s best to drive there yourself.
Is West Burton Falls Family Friendly?
Yes, Cauldron Falls is easy to access and kid-friendly! The kiddies will just have to be careful around the slippery rocks near the edge of the natural pool. The short walk described in this guide is also fine for kids.
Waterfalls in the Yorkshire Dales National Park
Of course, there are many waterfalls in the Yorkshire Dales. Here’s a list of other awesome Yorkshire Dales waterfalls to explore.
- Aysgarth Falls: as mentioned, Aysgarth Falls is a more popular waterfall, located in nearby Aysgarth.
- Cautley Spout: England’s highest waterfall can be seen on a walk around Howgill Fell.
- Bolton Abbey Waterfall: after reaching the summit of Simon’s Seat, you can scope out the lesser-known Bolton Abbey Waterfall.
- Muker Meadows Circular Walk: you’ll explore many waterfalls on this walk, including the brilliant upper and lower East Gill Force.
- Hardraw Force (Hardraw Falls): a famous waterfall that featured in Robin Hood Prince of Thieves!
- Hull Pot: an excellent waterfall, which can be seen on a circular walk exploring one of the three peaks – Pen-y-ghent.
- Ingleton Waterfalls Trail: of course, there are many waterfalls to see along the Ingleton Falls Trail.
Hiking Essentials
These are our five hiking gear essentials for the West Burton Falls walk.
- Merrell Moab Mid Gore-Tex Hiking Boots: these hiking boots are super comfortable and lightweight.
- The North Face Venture Jacket: a fantastic windproof/waterproof jacket.
- Osprey Skarab 30L Day Backpack: a great backpack for hiking, which has plenty of space to store your gear.
- The North Face TKA Glacier Fleece Jacket: an excellent warmth:weight ratio fleece jacket that’ll help keep you warm.
- Columbia Convertible Trousers: a value for money pair of water-resistant convertible trousers.
For a longer hiking gear list, read our 66 Travel Items You Must Travel With. For a list of everything else you’d need for travelling, read our Packing Checklist.
Bonus Tips and Helpful Information
- Swimming at Cauldron Falls: yes, it’s possible to go for a paddle in the small pool at the base of the falls. The water is surprisingly deep at the base of the falls, so only experienced swimmers should swim out this far. Otherwise, many visitors, in the warmer months, will simply paddle at the water’s edge. Again, the rocks are slippery, so caution is necessary.
- West Burton pubs: The Fox and Hounds Inn is a fantastic country pub. Other than a hearty meal and a pint, you could make a weekend out of it and stay here. Indeed, the country inn gets fantastic reviews and the rates are quite reasonable and affordable.
- Explore other nearby national parks: don’t just stop at the Yorkshire Dales. Head to the beautiful Lake District (guides coming soon) or North York Moors National Park.
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