West Burton Falls (Cauldron Falls) – The Ultimate Visitor’s Guide

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.

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’?

Read our guides about Aysgarth Falls, Bolton Abbey Waterfall and Hull Pot

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.

To find out more about renting a car with Discover Cars, read our Discover Cars review and Discover Cars Insurance review.

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 Trainline and 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.

• Cray Gill Waterfalls: explore many breathtaking cascades along Cray Gill.
• Askrigg Waterfalls: chase the underrated Mill Gill Force and Whitfield Gill Force near Askrigg.
• Hardraw Force: a famous waterfall located in Hardraw just north of Hawes.
• Cotter Force: a stunning multi-tier cascade waterfall that’s also located in Hardraw.
• Aysgill Force: a gorgeous waterfall that you can walk to from Hawes.
• Aysgarth Falls: another well-known set of waterfalls in the Dales.
• West Burton Falls (AKA Cauldron Falls): an impressive waterfall located near Aysgarth Falls.
• Hawes Falls: you’ll find these quaint falls thundering through the town of Hawes.
• Settle Caves and Waterfalls Walk: you’ll visit a couple of waterfalls and caves during this circular walk from Settle.
• Bolton Abbey Waterfall: an epic waterfall located in the Valley of Desolation near Bolton Abbey.
• Malham Cove Walk: after seeing Malham Cove, explore Gordale Scar Waterfall and Janet’s Foss.
• Cautley Spout: as mentioned, this is England’s highest broken waterfall above ground. It can be seen on a walk around Howgill Fell.
• Hull Pot: an amazing waterfall located next to Pen-y-ghent.
• Force Gill Waterfall: a superb waterfall found near Whernside – the highest of the Yorkshire Three Peaks.
• Rat Hole Waterfall: see the highest underground waterfall in England during a visit to Gaping Gill.
• Other lesser-known waterfalls worth visiting in the Yorkshire Dales include Buckden Beck Waterfalls, Cow Close Gill Waterfall, Gastack Beck Waterfall and Stainforth Force.

Hiking Essentials

These are our hiking gear essentials for the West Burton Falls walk.

To find out more about all of the gear that we use and recommend, read our guides about our favourite hiking gear, travel gear and camera gear. Otherwise, read our comprehensive travel packing checklist.

Best Villages to See in the Yorkshire Dales

• Grassington: Everything You Need to Know About Grassington
• Hawes: The 16 Best Things To Do In Hawes
• Ingleton: 10 Awesome Things To Do In Ingleton
• Masham: Everything You Need to Know About Masham
• Buckden: The 5 Best Things To Do In Buckden, Yorkshire
• Keld: The 5 Best Things To Do in Keld, North Yorkshire
• Clapham: The Top 13 Things To Do During A Visit to Clapham, Yorkshire
• Ribblehead: 15 Awesome Things To Do In Ribblehead

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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