I met Lizzie Shepherd and the other workshop participants in Hawes, and took the opportunity to have a little wander around the town. Hawes sits at the head of Wensleydale, beside the River Ure. Though fairly remote, it is a tourist hotspot and an important town for the local communities. It has a market and a livestock auction. The largest business is the Wensleydale Creamery, which produces the renowned Wensleydale cheese and has an interesting visitor centre. Hawes' petrol station was, apparently, reopened by the community in 2017, in order to save them a 36 mile round trip to the next refuelling stop!
The parish church of St Margaret sits above the town centre. Many of the graves date back to the 1800s.
The market is colourful and busy. I imagine it is quite necessary in a town sited so far from major supermarkets and with few 'ordinary' local shops. Many of the shops are aimed at tourists and visitors: antique centres, art and craft galleries, gift shops and suppliers of walking and country clothes and accessories. (The Pennine Way long distance footpath passes through the town.) There are lots of nice cafés and pubs too.
The River Ure is the main river in Wensleydale. Strangely, unlike all the other Yorkshire Dales, the valley isn't named after its river but after the village of Wensley. It was once, however, known as Yoredale. The Ure flows just north of Hawes and the stream cascading down through the town is Gayle Beck.
Nice portrait of a Yorkshire country town. I'm glad there's still a livestock and ordinary market in the town. It's usually fun to visit these places on cattle market day when all the farmers and their families come to town.
ReplyDeleteIt was on market days that my brave veterinary aunt went into the bustling pub. All her clients were there and paid their outstanding bills without a murmour!
ReplyDeleteI have bought that cheese here on the rare occasions when I see it.
ReplyDeleteThe lovely little waterfall catches my eye, as do those graves.
ReplyDeleteIt is a cute little village and good on them for reopening the service station.
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