Two cherished Yorkshire Dales waterfalls to feature on new Royal Mail stamp collection
A new collection of stamps celebrates 10 of Britain’s water wonders, including two ‘cherished Dales landmarks’.
Royal Mail has unveiled images of 10 stamps that showcase some of the UK’s most spectacular waterfalls – and two of them are in Yorkshire.
The stamps feature photography of waterfalls across the UK, which Royal Mail says captures the power and beauty of some of the country’s most dramatic natural landscapes.
The waterfalls shown on the stamps are: Rogie Falls in the Highlands; Pollnagollum Cave in Northern Ireland; Aysgarth Falls in North Yorkshire; Pistyll Rhaeadr in Mid Wales; Becky Falls in Dartmoor; Hardraw Force in North Yorkshire; Rhaeadr y Graig Lwyd/Conwy Falls in North Wales; Fairy Pools of Glen Brittle on the Isle of Skye; High Force in County Durham AND Ess-na-Larach in Northern Ireland.
David Gold, Royal Mail’s director of external affairs and policy, said: “The British Isles are rich in natural beauty and these stamps highlight some of the UK’s most striking waterfalls in all four nations.
“They showcase the richness of our natural environment which has been shaped by water over thousands of years.”
The stamps, and a range of collectible products, are available to pre-order from today.
Aysgarth Falls is featured on one of the stamps. They form as Wensleydale’s River Ure spills down tiers of rock formed from horizontal layers of hard carboniferous limestone alternating with bands of softer shale.
The river’s sudden drop in height is a result of differential erosion caused during the last glacial period.
Sketched by JMW Turner, visited by William Wordsworth and used as a setting in the 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, the falls remain a popular Yorkshire Dales attraction.
Hardraw Force in the Yorkshire Dales is also featured.
Reputedly England’s highest single-drop, above-ground waterfall, Hardraw Force plummets more than 30 metres over a limestone lip, eroding softer rocks below to create an overhang.
In 1799, William Wordsworth described the resulting recess as “lofty and magnificent”.
Today, visitors to this dark amphitheatre are warned not to walk behind the veil of water because of the precarious nature of this overhang.
Derek Twine, Chair of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, said: “We’re delighted to see these two iconic waterfalls featured in this new series of stamps, which beautifully capture their scale and character. They are among the most cherished natural landmarks in the Yorkshire Dales.”
Mark Thompson, Hardraw Force Heritage Centre, said: “As we enter our 25th year as custodians of Hardraw Force, we are honoured to see the waterfall we love featured in the new collection of stamps.”
High Force in County Durham is also in the collection. As the River Tees comes hurtling down from its North Pennines source, it plunges about 21 metres over an almost vertical cliff. It is England’s most powerful waterfall in terms of volume.