Defence against the elements, wild beasts or people competing for food or land has always been a human concern.
The Romans established a marching camp at Malham and a fort at Bainbridge. The Normans built a castle at Sedbergh and later by Bolton Castle. In the 14th century the Scottish army sacked parts of the area. Later Bolton Castle was besieged during the Civil War.
Several volunteer regiments in the nineteenth century had practice rifle ranges in the Dales. War memorials show how all Dales communities were affected by the World Wars. More recently, the Cold War left its mark in the form of monitoring posts for nuclear explosions.