Yorkshire Dales limestone

Limestone outcrop at Stackhouse in the Yorkshire Dales. A familiar scene on much of the higher hills here. This limestone used to be of vital importance to the welfare of our country. The stones were heated to make the fine powder of lime and then used as a soil conditioner etc. Much of the limestone here was created under our oceans eons ago by the accumulation of sediments rich in carbonate minerals like calcite. Since it is very porous, numerous cave systems often lie beneath these hills.