Hawes, Wensleydale, North Yorkshire

The town of Hawes in Upper Wensleydale is at the heart of the Yorkshire dales national park and is surrounded by some of the most beautiful countryside in England. One of the highest market towns the country has to offer, Hawes lies 259 metres above sea level and gained silver award for best day trip out from English Tourist Board in 1998 (to my mind it still is). The Pennine way passes through the town along its 268 mile route and it is a popular destination for walkers as well as the many tourists that flock here each year. Hawes is a picturesque little town with cobbled streets and old world charm around every corner and has a tiered waterfall at its centre (a meeting point for many).

The Wensleydale creamery is one of the biggest employers in the area and helps bring a lot of tourism as well as employment to the town helped by Wallace and Grommet who made Wensleydale cheese famous by using the brand name in their animated films. Sheep and dairy farming also play a big part in the local economy and you can often hear local farmers chatting about their latest sales and their mishaps with tut’s and alike.

Hawes is host to a rock festival ( The Mid Summer Bash ) once a year and it has proved to be popular with locals and tourist alike it is host to local bands like The Exploding Buddha’s, Riot, Relentless and Stone deaf, all proceeds to go to local charities. There is also a traditional rope makers, a cat pottery, various restaurants, tea rooms and hotels on offer as well as the countryside museum which is part of the tourist information centre.