Later it became a centre for hand-knitting and the local lead industry was controlled from here, but it was always a market town for the local farming community. It's eighteenth-century houses and hotel clustered around the triangular village green make it one of the honey pots of the Dales.
Reeth lies where two of North Yorkshire's finest dales meet. The most northerly of these is Arkengarthdale, which is relatively unexplored and one of the more tranquil dales. The other, Swaledale, is formed from gentle slopes as the meandering Swale winds its way to Richmond. Reeth, at the juncture of these two dales, is at the heart of Swaledale. It has a large village green where traditional events and markets are often held. |
Reeth is a popular place with visitors to the Dales, and has many tea rooms in which you can relax, perhaps after a stroll along the river, and interesting craft shops producing traditional, high quality products. |
In the 18th Century Reeth was the capital of the lead mining industry. Its history can be traced in the Folk Museum, which houses exhibits illustrating the life and traditions of Swaledale, and outlining the principle theme of lead mining. Reeth was the capital of this industry, with a population of 1460 in its heyday. Cheaper foreign imports doomed the Swaledale companies and by1885, the area was already converting to the idyllic farming community that we see today. | |||
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Richmond, Barnard Castle, Leyburn and Hawes are all within half an hours drive, and there is no shortage of eating houses in Reeth to enjoy after a long day’s walking or sightseeing. |
Market Days in the Area | ||
Monday: | Darlington | |
Tuesday: | Hawes | |
Wednesday: | Northallerton & Barnard Castle | |
Thursday: | - | |
Friday: | Reeth & Leyburn | |
Saturday: | Richmond, Darlington & Northallerton |