Nidderdale AONB in the context of Jervaulx Abbey

The Yorkshire Dales are a series of valleys, or dales, in the Pennines, an upland range in England. They are mostly located in the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, but extend into Cumbria and Lancashire; they are entirely within the historic boundaries of Yorkshire. The majority of the dales are within the Yorkshire Dales National Park, created in 1954. The exception is the area around Nidderdale, which forms the separate Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The landscape of the Yorkshire Dales consists of sheltered glacial valleys separated by exposed moorland. The predominant rock is Carboniferous Limestone, which is particularly visible in the south-west in features such as Malham Cove. It is overlain in many areas by the Yoredale Series of alternating weak shales and hard limestones and sandstones, which give the dales their characteristic 'stepped' appearance. Most of the dales contain rivers, and the area contains seven primary catchments: the Swale, Ure, Wharfe, Aire, Nidd, Ribble, and Lune. There are several notable cave systems in the area, including part of the longest system in the United Kingdom, the Three Counties.

Harrogate (/ˈhærəɡət, -ɡeɪt, -ɡɪt/ HARR-ə-gət, -⁠gayt, -⁠ghit) is a spa town and civil parish in the district and county of North Yorkshire, England. Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, the town is a tourist destination; its visitor attractions include its spa waters and RHS Harlow Carr gardens. Yorkshire Dales National Park and the Nidderdale AONB are 13 miles (21 km) away from the town centre.

In the 17th century, Harrogate grew out of two smaller settlements, High Harrogate and Low Harrogate. For three consecutive years (2013–2015), polls voted the town as "the happiest place to live" in Britain. Harrogate spa water contains iron, sulphur, and common salt (NaCl). The town became known as 'The English Spa' in the Georgian era, after its waters were discovered in the 16th century. In the 17th and 18th centuries its 'chalybeate' waters (containing iron) were a popular health treatment, and the influx of wealthy but sickly visitors contributed significantly to the wealth of the town.