Catrake Force is a waterfall

Waterfall

A waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...

 on the river Swale

River Swale

The River Swale is a river in Yorkshire, England and a major tributary of the River Ure, which itself becomes the River Ouse, emptying into the North Sea via the Humber Estuary....

 in North Yorkshire

North Yorkshire

North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...

, England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

. It is not visible from the road but only a short walk to reach it. It comprises a series of 4 steps each its own small waterfall and each with a very different character with the largest single drop being about 20 feet (6.1 m).

It lies on the Pennine Way

Pennine Way

The Pennine Way is a National Trail in England. The trail runs from Edale, in the northern Derbyshire Peak District, north through the Yorkshire Dales and the Northumberland National Park and ends at Kirk Yetholm, just inside the Scottish border. The path runs along the Pennine hills, sometimes...

 walk 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) from Keld

Keld, North Yorkshire

Keld is a hamlet in the English county of North Yorkshire. It is situated on Swaledale, in the Yorkshire Dales. The name derives from the Viking word Kelda meaning a spring, and the village was once called Appletre Kelde - the spring near the apple trees.Keld is the crossing point of the Coast to...

, downstream from Wain Wath Force

Wain Wath Force

Wain Wath Force is a waterfall situated on the River Swale in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, North Yorkshire, England. The falls are located at grid reference , one kilometre upstream from the hamlet of Keld which has three other waterfalls in its vicinity, namely Kisdon Force, East Gill Force...

. Just below Keld the river descends into a narrow gorge just above Catrake Force. The next waterfall downstream is Kisdon Force

Kisdon Force

Kisdon Force is a series of waterfalls on the River Swale in Swaledale, England. The falls are situated at grid reference within the Yorkshire Dales National Park in the county of North Yorkshire, 500 metres downstream from the small hamlet of Keld....

. Waterfalls in the north of England are often termed Forces after the Norse word Foss which means waterfall, whilst Catrake derives from Latin "cataracta" (waterfall) via Middle English