Discover Thwaite: Village in the Valley, Pennine Way and Kearton Heritage

Thwaite lies deep on the northern bank of Thwaite Beck, in a valley setting enclosed by valley slopes to the north and south. The village combines a distinctive landscape with clearly recognisable traces of its history: enclosed fields, pasture and meadowland, historic buildings and paths make Thwaite a destination for travellers who want to combine nature and culture.

Walking between the beck, meadows and valley slopes

The Pennine Way passes through Thwaite and continues uphill to Kisdon Hill. The section over Great Shunner Fell also descends to Thwaite and meets the Coast to Coast Path National Trail at Keld. This makes it possible to include different route options in your travel plans without reducing the village to just one walking experience.

Another path from the area around Usha Gap Bridge initially follows the beck and then crosses meadows. Historically, an earlier route from Thwaite towards Muker also ran above the northern bank of Thwaite Beck, across the south-facing slopes of Kisdon Hill. Families travelling together can therefore choose between different landscape experiences: the beck and meadows sit alongside valley slopes, open views and longer routes across the surrounding heights.

A compact village with its own character

Thwaite largely retains the compact character of a nineteenth-century village. Small private and public open spaces are just as much a part of the village scene as the largely absent modern development on its edges. There are three working farms within the settlement; outside, Thwaite is surrounded by enclosed fields that are now used as pasture and meadowland.

A path along the northern row of houses offers more open views eastwards into the Swaledale valley. Millholme Meadow is designated as an SSSI and is an upland hay meadow. Details like these give a stay a tangible landscape and agricultural dimension, rather than presenting the village merely as a starting point for walks.

The Kearton brothers and historic buildings

Thwaite is closely associated with Richard and Cherry Kearton. Richard was born in 1862 and Cherry in 1871; both came from Thwaite in Swaledale and became known as pioneers of wildlife photography. Corner House is regarded as their childhood home. Around the front door are carvings depicting animals, along with the brothers' initials and years of birth. A lintel carved in the 1970s with bird and animal motifs also commemorates their lives and work.

The village's history also includes an enclosure consisting of an earth bank and ditch on a rounded summit east of Thwaite. It is dated to the pre-Roman Iron Age, from 600 BC to AD 70. The settlement also contains a Grade II listed Congregational Chapel. It was built in 1863 from coursed sandstone and has a slate roof and round-arched side windows.

Thwaite as a base for planning your trip

When searching for a holiday apartment or holiday cottage in Thwaite, you can therefore consider which focus best suits your trip. Those who want to make paths and landscape the centre of their visit will find different points of interest along the Pennine Way, at Thwaite Beck and in the meadows. Those interested in history can include the Kearton connections, the chapel and the Iron Age enclosure in their explorations. The compact village, the agriculturally shaped surroundings and the views across Swaledale add a quieter village setting to this selection.

For further comparisons with other places, you can also view Scotch Corner, Whenby, Northallerton, Thornton-le-Moor, Flixton, Birstwith, Ruswarp and Ganton.

For the overarching travel overview: North Yorkshire.