Airedale

53°52′55″N 1°54′17″W / 53.8819°N 1.9048°W / 53.8819; -1.9048 Airedale is a valley, or dale, in North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire, England. It is named after the River Aire, which flows through it. The upper valley, from Malham Cove to Airton, is known as Malhamdale, named after the village of Malham.^[1] At Airton the valley widens and becomes Airedale proper. The river flows past Skipton on to Keighley, Bingley, Shipley, and Leeds.

Airedale, in conjunction with the Ribble Valley, provides low-altitude passes from Yorkshire to Lancashire through the Aire Gap. It is therefore an important transport route and was a strategically important area historically.^[2]