Dales Life

Where do we start?

Music – The Swaledale Festival in late May lasts 2 weeks and attracts international stars across a wide spectrum of genres.

Church Life - details of services, events, fundraisers and a flavour of the diversity of our four parish churches.

Brass and Silver Bands – Reeth Brass and Muker Silver bands play at village shows and events and compete internationally.

Concerts and Shows – orchestras and choirs performing in local churches to Georgian theatres, local thespians in village halls and much much more. The acclaimed Swale Singers perform regularly throughout the area.

Agricultural Shows - traditional village shows displaying the labours of the land and the traditional skills of the local artisans, as well as the enthusiasm of the children, take place in Reeth on the late August bank holiday Monday and Muker on the first Wednesday in September every year.

Farms – local farm stays as well as the phenomenally popular Hay Meadows, a must for late May where you will see more wild flowers in a square metre than in the average garden.

History – Swaledale Museum celebrating the huge diversity and change the dales have seen from neolithic man to the present day.

Environment – get involved with the local National Park Volunteers, the Dry Stone Walling Guild for a skilful workout, archaeologists with the SWAAG (Swaledale and Arkengarthdale Archaeological Group). Birdwatching for the ornithologists with curlews, golden plover, sand martins and many more. As a geologist you will be astounded by the fossilised marine life and coral reefs.

Shopping – local craft centres, art galleries, village shops and post offices packed with local produce and traditional village markets that go back centuries selling fresh produce and Swaledale Cheese.

Inns, Pubs and Hotels – no outdoor experience is complete without a traditional homecoming to a historic pub frequented by a fictitious James Herriot (the vet of TV fame), a warm fire, a yellow glow at the window and a smooth pint of a traditional Yorkshire Square Brew beer (they do coffee too!). Cafes – plenty of these, too. You can even sit outside, European-style, and savour locally homemade cakes. Sport – there are areas of flat land for football but the game up here is Quoits. You’ll find the pitch next to a pub – ideal!