There are three villages in the dale, all in its lower part:
West Burton,
Thoralby and
Newbiggin. The
Bishopdale Beck flows through the dale to join the
River Ure about east of Aysgarth. The B6160 road follows the path of the river from its junction with the
A684 to the watershed at Kidstones Pass where it continues to
Cray and
Buckden in Upper
Wharfedale. The highest point in the dale on the road is to be found at Kidstones, some above sea level. The dale is divided between four civil parishes, Bishopdale, Newbiggin, Thoralby and the northern part of
Burton-cum-Walden (which includes the largest village, West Burton). The populations of the four parishes were estimated in 2012 at: :: From 1974 to 2023 it was part of the district of
Richmondshire, it is now administered by the unitary
North Yorkshire Council. == Civil parish of Bishopdale ==