70 RIVERS. 



Whernside and Carlton. The Nidd, excavated into a narrow 

 channel of limestone, plunges into a sinuous underground course 

 at Govden* Pothole, fully two miles in length, from which it 

 emerges a fresh and full stream at Lofthouse. Here it receives 

 a large branch from the west, and, thus reinforced, runs in a 

 nearly straight course to Pateley Bridge and Barley ; then bend- 

 ing eastward passes by Ripley, and south-eastward to Knares- 

 borough, the Castle of Serlo de Burg, and finally north-eastward 

 to join the united Swale and Ure. 



The few tourists who penetrate to the upper end of Nidderdale 

 above Angram, find the expansion of the remote fingers of this 

 dale upon the broad slopes of Whernside extremely grand; the 

 still fewer who have the resolution to cross over these slopes to 

 the ' limestone pass ' between Great Whernside and Buckden 

 Pike, will experience great enjoyment. Once I guided a friend 

 over this wild ' no road/ and by great, if not good luck, there 

 came on a most glorious thunderstorm, with the lightning in 

 almost a constant blaze of discharges over the summit of Great 

 Whernside, while all around us was in dark shade. After this 

 severe storm had passed, the sun shone brilliantly, and we reached 

 the ' limestone pass ' dry, and rejoicing in the most splendid 

 effects of light on the vast expanse of mountains and glens 

 spread out before us. 



Between Angram and Govden Pothole, the river runs in a con- 

 tracted, partly limestone channel, having on the left bank very 

 bold edges of gritstone, with coal strata interposed; between 

 Govden Pothole and Lofthouse, the nearly dry channel is enclosed 

 in rocks of limestone and woods, overhung by lofty gritstone 

 hills. A similar description applies to the How Steane Beck, 

 which here enters the Nidd. Below Lofthouse, the emerging 

 river flows in a picturesque woody dale, shaded by gritstone 

 summits 1000 and 800 feet high, by Ramsgill, Gouthwaite 

 Hall, the house of Eugene Aram, to Pateley Bridge, and 



* From Go/, Ogof, a cavern, in Celtic. It is also called Gowden, Goyden, 

 Cowden. 



