WHAT TO DO IN THE YORKSHIRE DALES 1. Outdoor Activities. Walking, cycling, nature study (birding, wild flowers, and geology), leisurely motoring, horseback riding, caving, angling, golf and viewing gardens are all outdoor interests that can be fully indulged in the Dales. One of the marvelous things about the Dales is the sheer number of walks sponsored by the National Park and many other organizations. If you are not familiar with reading Ordinance Survey maps but want to experience the beautiful riverside and moor walking that abounds in the Dales, you can always find a group to join. You can find lists of sponsored walks at the National Park Centers (the local one is in Reeth) and in the Darlington & Stockton Times (published every Friday and available from the two newsagents in Reeth) in its What's On listings. For a sampling of local walks with beautiful photographs, please go to the Dales and Vales website (Dales and Vales). If you want to see a Yorkshire farm first hand, a visit to Hazel Brow Farm in Low Row is highly recommended, especially for families with younger children (Hazel Brow Farm). 2. Visiting Sites of Historical Interest . Within Swaledale itself, an iron age hill fort and earthworks (Maiden Castle), medieval lynchets (cultivation terraces), nineteenth century lead mines and well preserved vernacular architecture stretching back over the past four centuries are all reachable by easy walking. Within an hour and a half drive are the ruins of at least four significant abbies (Easby, Fountains, Jervaulx and Rievaulx) the ruins of at least four significant castles (Bolton, Middelham, Richmond, and Skipton) many stately homes, including Newby (www.newbyhall.com) and Castle Howard(www.castlehoward.co.uk) Roman sites, notably Hadrian's Wall several military history museums, including Eden Camp (www.edencamp.co.uk), the Yorkshire Air Museum (www.yorkshiremuseum.co.uk) and the Green Howards Regimental Museum (Green Howards Museum) five cities and towns of great historical interest: Durham (www.durham.gov.uk), Harrogate (www.harrogate.co.uk), Richmond (www.richmond.org.uk), Ripon (www.ripon-internet.co.uk) and York (www.visityork.org) several museums that focus on the farming heritage of the Yorkshire Dales, including one in Reeth and one in Hawes, and the mining and industrial heritage of Durham (www.beamish.org.uk) and (www.durham.gov.uk/killhope). More information on historic sites and stately homes in North Yorkshire can be found at www.castleandgardens.co.uk, www.english-heritage.org.uk, and www.nationaltrust.org.uk. 3. Arts and Crafts. The Yorkshire Dales and the neighboring Lake District and North York Moors National Parks (www.brigantia.co.uk) are home to many fine potters, furniture makers, landscape painters and many other artists and craftspeople. In the past several years, Reeth has developed into quite a center for craftspeople and artists and a pleasant afternoon can be spent browsing in the workshops in the Reeth Dales Centre (for a partial list of the workshops, visit Reeth Arts and Crafts). Cumbria is the home of one of the finest pottery festivals in England, Potfest, which is held for three days at the beginning of August (www.potfest.co.uk). Reeth in Swaledale is also the home of Stef's Models, whose range of handmade farm animals has garnered an international following (www.stefmodels.co.uk). The world famous Swaledale Woollens, where most of the goods for sale are hand knit in Swaledale, is located in Muker (www.swaledalewoollens.co.uk). Finally, mention must be made of the Josephine & John Bowes Museum in Barnard Castle, with over thirty galleries of paintings, ceramics and other works of art (www.bowesmuseum.org.uk). 4. Antiques. England's largest regional auctioneer, Tennants Auctioneers(www.tennants.co.uk), is located in Leyburn, which is about nine miles from Reeth. Tennants runs three catalogue sales and two book sales each year as well as regular uncatalogued sales with upwards of nine hundred lots. If you want to browse in antique shops, the nearby market towns of Barnard Castle and Hawes both have several good antique shops. If you are a bit more ambitious, then Harrogate and York (see, e.g, Antiques in York) are both worth visits. 5. Restaurants and Gastropubs. The area has many fine restaurants and gastropubs. Notable among the gastropubs are the CB Inn in Arkengarthdale (www.cbinn.co.uk) and the Blue Lion in East Witton (www.thebluelion.co.uk). 6. Pubs and Breweries. If you just want a pint or a good bar meal, Swaledale has many fine country pubs. Notable among them are the Farmer's Arms in Muker, which is an unspoiled country pub. Many of the local pubs have Black Sheep, a fine locally brewed ale. For a change of pace, try the Bridge Inn in Grinton (www.bridgeinngrinton.co.uk), which carries Jennings beer (a Cumbria brewery) and a constantly changing guest beer, all well kept, and has excellent pub meals. If you enjoy visiting breweries, there are three different breweries that are open to the public in North Yorkshire: Black Sheep (www.blacksheep.co.uk) and Theakstons (www.theakstons.co.uk), both in Masham; the North Yorkshire Brewing Co.; and York Brewery (www.yorkbrew.demon.co.uk). 7. Yearly Events. Swaledale is home to five yearly events that are of great interest: the Tan Hill Show in May (the premier show for Swaledale sheep farmers) (Tan Hill Show); the Swaledale Festival in late May and early June (music and art exhibits)(www.swaledale-festival.org.uk); the Reeth Show at the end of August (a traditional agricultural show) (www.reethshow.co.uk); the Muker Show in early September (another, albeit smaller, traditional agricultural show (Muker Show); and the Reeth Christmas Shopping Evening, which is held on the last Friday of November from 6:30 to 9;30 pm and features open houses held by the local businesses, including all of the arts and crafts workshops, in Reeth. 8. Food. In Wensleydale, the Wensleydale Creamery produces a range of traditional cheeses (www.wensleydale.co.uk). Leyburn has a market day every Friday that is particularly good for buying food, especially fish and meat. Reeth also has a Friday market with a very good butcher usually in attendance. There are also a number of farmers' markets active in the area at Richmond, Leyburn and Barnard Castle (www.farmersmarkets.net). For further information, please consult the Yorkshire Tourist Board site at www.yorkshirevisitor.com and the North Yorkshire Dales National Park web site at www.yorkshiredales.org.uk.