The Dent Fault is a major fault on the boundary between the counties of Cumbria

Cumbria

Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...

 and 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...

 in northern 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...

. The fault is named for the village of Dent in Dentdale

Dentdale

The valley of Dentdale in Cumbria and North Yorkshire, England, takes its name from the village of Dent.The Dent Fault cuts across the valley close to the village of Gawthrop, marking a geological boundary between the Carboniferous Limestone of Deepdale and the Craven Dales to the south and the...

 on the western margin of the Yorkshire Dales

Yorkshire Dales

The Yorkshire Dales is the name given to an upland area in Northern England.The area lies within the historic county boundaries of Yorkshire, though it spans the ceremonial counties of North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and Cumbria...

.

The fault, or rather the 'Dent Fault System' - a collection of closely associated faults and folds, defines the western edge of the Askrigg Block

Askrigg Block

The Askrigg Block is the name applied by geologists to the crustal block forming a part of The Pennines of northern England and which is essentially coincident with the Yorkshire Dales. It is defined by the Dent Fault to the west and the Craven Fault System to the south whilst to the north it is...

, a geological structure which underlies the Yorkshire Dales. The fault is associated with the 'Taythes Anticline

Anticline

In structural geology, an anticline is a fold that is convex up and has its oldest beds at its core. The term is not to be confused with antiform, which is a purely descriptive term for any fold that is convex up. Therefore if age relationships In structural geology, an anticline is a fold that is...

' to its west and the 'Fell End Syncline

Syncline

In structural geology, a syncline is a fold, with younger layers closer to the center of the structure. A synclinorium is a large syncline with superimposed smaller folds. Synclines are typically a downward fold, termed a synformal syncline In structural geology, a syncline is a fold, with younger...

' to its east. Other than vertical movement on the fault, there has also been an element of strike-slip movement.

To the north, the fault links with the Pennine Fault System in the vicinity of Brough

Brough

Brough may mean or refer to:-Products:*Brough Motorcycles, made in England from 1908 to 1926*Brough Superior, a brand of English motorcycles and automobiles were made from 1919 to 1940...

 and with the Craven Fault

Craven Fault

The Craven Fault is the name applied by geologists to the group of crustal faults in the Pennines that form the south edge of the Askrigg Block. It is evident at the surface in the contrast of limestone with millstone grit. It is coincident with the south edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park...

 near Kirkby Lonsdale

Kirkby Lonsdale

Kirkby Lonsdale is a small town and civil parish in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria, England, on the River Lune. Historically within Westmorland, it is situated south east of Kendal along the A65. The parish had a population of 1,771 recorded in the 2001 census.Notable buildings include St...

to the south.