Cloughs

Clough, plural cloughs, is a term used in the geography of the British Isles to describe a narrow, steep-sided valley or ravine carved into upland terrain, typically by a stream. The word is most common in Northern England and Scotland and is frequently written as cleugh in Scottish usage or seen in various local spellings. Etymology traces to older dialect words for a hollow or ravine, with related forms in English and Scots.

Cloughs form where resistant bedrock is eroded by running water, creating a gully that can be deep and narrow. They are characteristic of upland landscapes such as the Pennines, the Lake District, the Peak District, and the Scottish Highlands, where glacial activity and water flow have widened natural hollows. Many cloughs have steep, rocky sides and a stream or seasonal watercourse at the bottom. Vegetation varies with altitude and moisture, ranging from grasses and heather to scattered pockets of woodland.

In place names across the British Isles, clough appears as a geographical descriptor in parish, township, or estate names, and the term is familiar to hikers and geographers. Some cloughs are protected as part of national or regional landscapes, while others are notable local landmarks or routes.