Yorkshire Dales Monopoly: where will the squares take you?

There are literally hundreds of versions of the board game Monopoly – from national editions to one-off themed releases.

Now, Winning Moves UK has brought out the Yorkshire Dales Edition. It replaces classic Monopoly locations like Pall Mall and Mayfair with local Yorkshire landmarks. And it swaps traditional playing pieces with, among other things, a chunk of Wensleydale cheese and a miniature dry-stone wall.

The locations were voted for by the public – and we're delighted that Stump Cross Caverns takes its place on the board alongside Malham Cove, Aysgarth Falls, Bolton Abbey and many more.

The board is going down a storm, with Britain's Monopoly world champion Jason Bunn telling the BBC:

"I have one of the world's largest collections of Monopoly editions – more than 300 different themes, from Elvis to the Wizard of Oz, but Monopoly: Yorkshire Dales edition could very well be my favourite now."

Stump Cross takes its place on the board

The board is intended to reflect the much-loved heritage and tourism of the region – so we're thrilled to have been included. So thrilled, in fact, that our very own Cavewoman had a photo-op with Mr Monopoly himself.

The layout of the board is also a testament to the community spirit of the area. While the landmarks are in competition with each other on the board, the reality is that we're all looking out for each other.

In that spirit, we thought we'd take you on a tour of some of the board's other attractions. First up: Forbidden Corner.


Forbidden Corner

Billed as "the strangest place in the world", the Forbidden Corner in Leyburn, North Yorkshire, is a four-acre walled garden.

But that description doesn't do it justice. Not many walled gardens are entered through a burping stone mouth or filled with paths, tunnels, chambers, statues and unexpected jets of water.

The Forbidden Corner is suitable for children – but some aspects may not be appropriate for the little ones, especially the "mausoleum". However, the owners have your interests at heart and flag up areas that may be scary.

So if you're looking for a weird and wonderful day out, try the Forbidden Corner and see if it lives up to its tagline.

Aysgarth Falls


On the new Monopoly board, Aysgarth Falls is Yorkshire's Old Kent Road: the most cheap and cheerful square. But in reality, it's priceless.

It's not for nothing that the Aysgarth Falls were sketched by JMW Turner and visited by William Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy. On a typical day, it's a peaceful triple flight of waterfalls. After heavy rain, however, it's quite the spectacle, with huge quantities of water plunging and scattering.

Since then, the falls have been used as a location in  Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves  and a film adaptation of Wuthering Heights.

However, the history of the falls stretches way further back than the 19th century – all the way back, indeed, to their dramatic Ice Age beginnings.

Back then, there was a huge amount of meltwater blocked off by a moraine: the material left behind by a moving glacier. When this moraine broke, the meltwater spilt down into the valley, eroding boulders and penetrating the limestone bedrock.

For visitor information, check out the Yorkshire Dales website .

Ingleborough


Also on the board is Ingleborough: a mountain which, alongside Whernside and Pen-y-Ghent, is one of the Yorkshire Three Peaks.

At 723 metres tall, it's the second-highest mountain in the Dales. It forms part of the Three Peaks walk: a mammoth hiking trip that's as popular with hikers as it is with charity fundraisers.

There are several places to start your trip up Ingleborough, but many opt for the village of Clapham, six miles northwest of Settle.

The hike affords breathtaking views of limestone scenery, taking in Gaping Gill caves, Ingleborough Cave and the wooded limestone ravine of Trow Gill.

Tempted? Make sure you do your homework before setting out. Navigation at the top is notoriously tricky and every year plenty of people try to descend in the wrong direction. This is especially common when visibility is poor. Yikes!

Whether you scale the peak or just admire it from a distance, it's easy to see why it had to be a square on the Yorkshire Dales Monopoly board.

Malham Cove


Another scene of natural beauty that's made it onto the board is Malham Cove: a huge, curved limestone beauty spot that's popular with both sports climbers and casual climbers.

Wordsworth was so inspired by the sight that he wrote a sonnet about it. In it, he calls the cove a "semicirque profound" and "vast theatric structure".

Like the Aysgarth Falls, it's a product of the Ice Age. The cove was formed by a large river that culminated in an 80-metre drop.

In 1779, it was described by the priest Thomas West as looking "like the age-tinted wall of a prodigious castle; the stone is very white, and from the ledges hang various shrubs and vegetables".

If you don't make it to Malham Cove, you can always catch a glimpse of it in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1.


Fountains Abbey

The Yorkshire Dales is a treasure trove for natural landmarks. But it's also got some fantastic properties owned by National Trust and others.

Take Fountains Abbey, a ruined Cistercian monastery that was in operation from 1132 until its dissolution in the reign of Henry VIII.

Today, visitors can explore the roofless abbey ruins and then pop into the education rooms at nearby Swanley Grange.

Final thoughts

That's just a handful of the sights and destinations that have made it onto the Yorkshire Dales Monopoly board. Its squares are a testament to the natural beauty and rich history of the area, and we're proud to be there among them all.


Looking for an unforgettable and unusual day out in Yorkshire ? Visit our ancient underground caves and discover a whole new world concealed deep underneath the Yorkshire Dales. It's quick and easy to book your tickets online .