Reeth

Reeth makes an excellent base for exploring the upper Yorkshire Dales, with accommodation ranging from traditional inns on the village green to farmhouse bed and breakfasts and self-catering cottages tucked into the surrounding hamlets of Swaledale and Arkengarthdale. The Buck Hotel and Black Bull, both old coaching inns overlooking the green, offer rooms alongside their pub dining, while the Burgoyne Hotel provides a more formal country-house style stay with views over the valley. Away from the centre, working farms and converted barns across the dale offer bed and breakfast and self-catering options, many well used to walkers arriving muddy from the fells and cyclists passing through on the Coast to Coast route.

Because Reeth sits at a crossroads of several long-distance paths and quiet, scenic driving routes, it suits both short breaks and longer stays. Booking ahead is worthwhile during the Swaledale Festival in late spring, the Reeth Show in September, and through the main summer season, when the limited stock of village accommodation fills quickly. Outside these peaks the dale is much quieter, and many properties offer better value for multi-night stays. Whichever type of accommodation is chosen, most places are within a short walk of the green, its shops, pubs and the Swaledale Museum, making a car useful for exploring further afield but not essential for enjoying the village itself.

Reeth rewards slow exploration on foot, with the surrounding dales offering some of the best walking in the National Park.

• Swaledale Museum — Housed in a former Methodist schoolroom just off the green, this small local museum tells the story of lead mining, hand-knitting, farming and Methodism in Swaledale and Arkengarthdale, including an early 18th-century map of the dale.
• Reeth village green — One of the largest in the Dales, the green has been the site of markets, sheep fairs and the annual Reeth Show since the 18th century, and is still ringed by traditional stone inns and shops.
• Old Gang Mines — A well-preserved lead-mining landscape up on the moor above Gunnerside, reachable on foot or by bike from Reeth, with ruined smelt mills, flues and spoil heaps telling the story of the dale's industrial past.
• Arkengarthdale — The quieter side valley running north from Reeth towards Tan Hill, dotted with old mine workings and the hamlet of Langthwaite, and a favourite with cyclists tackling the Coast to Coast route.
• Skeldale House connections — A Reeth property stood in as Skeldale House in the original 1970s BBC adaptation of James Herriot's All Creatures Great and Small, and the wider dale appears throughout the books and both TV series.
• Swaledale walking routes — Riverside paths along the Swale, moorland tracks to Fremington Edge, and a stretch of the Coast to Coast path all start from or pass through the village.
• Reeth Show — Held every September on the green, this traditional Dales agricultural show features livestock, fell racing and country pursuits, and has run for well over a century.

The Black Bull, trading since the 1680s, serves food sourced from local Dales suppliers in a traditional beamed pub setting on the green. The Buck Hotel, a former 1780s coaching inn at the top of the village, offers hearty pub food, local cask ale and a relaxed atmosphere with a pool table and open fire. The Burgoyne Hotel, overlooking the green, is known for its more formal dining and afternoon teas, and the village also has a handful of tea rooms and cafés for walkers refuelling between routes.

Swaledale and Arkengarthdale offer some of the most dramatic scenery in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, and campsites around Reeth take advantage of riverside meadows and fellside views, with several within walking distance of the village green. As with the rest of England, wild camping on open moor or farmland is not legal without the landowner's permission, so campers should stick to recognised sites, several of which sit right on the banks of the River Swale or look out over the surrounding fells. Facilities range from simple, low-key farm sites with basic amenities to larger touring parks with full hook-ups, suited to tents, campervans and caravans alike.

The terrain here is steep-sided and can change quickly, with narrow lanes climbing out of the dale and open moorland exposed to wind and rain even in summer, so it is worth checking a site's access and shelter before booking, particularly for tents. Late spring through early autumn is the most reliable camping season, when the hay meadows are at their best and the long evenings suit riverside walks from the pitch; winter camping is possible but conditions can be harsh and some sites close over the colder months. For those who prefer a roof over their heads without giving up the outdoor feel, glamping options in the area include shepherd's huts, pods and yurts, several with views across Swaledale towards Fremington Edge, offering a comfortable way to enjoy the dale's scenery and dark, star-filled night skies without the full commitment of a tent.