There is a strange isolated chimney that stands on the moor not far from the road from Malham Cove to Malham Tarn. This is a relic of an industrial past when metal ores were mined on Pike Daw and the crushed ore was processed at a smelt mill. The poisonous gases from the process were allowed to escape into the atmosphere through this chimney which was connectd by a long flue. Lead, copper and zinc ores were mined back in the 18th century.
At a first glance it may appear that there is little to see in this remote area, however, walk slowly and you will notice wild flowers struggling for survival on these limestone moors and pass hundreds of sheep that do not mind the isolation. How this enormous number of sheep is managed and rounded up for market would be another interesting topic.
