Thwaite, Muker & Keld
Walks from Thwaite, Muker & Keld
About Thwaite, Muker & Keld
Swaledale is the my favourite Dale, particularly towards the Upper Swale where a combination of pretty villages, lovely waterfalls, isolated stone barns (or laithes) and beautiful hay meadows are enclosed by a vast upland moorland. Thwaite, Muker and Keld are small hamlets/villages which characterise the Upper Swale and are simply delightful. The 3 villages surround Kisdon Fell (an unusually isolated peak with water circling it) have many similarities; they are of traditional Yorkshire stone build surrounded by pretty fields with little to do within the village. They are a walking base and pretend to be nothing more.
Of the 3 villages I would actually stay in Keld, which for anyone who knows me would be a surprise as it is the only one which presently does not have a pub. Probably because it is less busy (a relative term) than the other two and seems a little off the beaten track, almost hidden in fact, it has a lovely, tranquil atmosphere – a real escape from the world outside. However staying in Thwaite or Muker would not be in any way disappointing. Muker has a traditional pub and tea shop, St Mary’s Church has great views and probably the best Hay Meadows in the country whilst Thwaite is the start of the Corpse Road, the best start for Kilsdon Fell and a pleasant pub cum tea shop.
The history of Thwaite, Muker and Keld also follow the same pattern. The vikings appear first on the records naming the villages on an agricultural theme – Keld meaning spring, Thwaite a clearing and Muker an acre – and undoubtedly found the pastures to their liking. Lead mines were probably introduced over 1000 years ago but the Kingdom of the Upper Swale remained dominated by an agricultural theme. The land away from the villages was wooded, offering excellent hunting for a succession of lords and landowners until it was finally cleared roughly 200 years ag to leave the bare landscape of today. It is always worth remembering that what we see today is not the natural landscape of the Dales. More industrial activity in the form of lead mining occurred at the beginning of the 19th century but it was never dominant – the best remains though are to be found nearby at Swinner Gill. Sheep farming and tourism now predominate around the villages, the hardy, black faced Swaledale sheep characterising the landscape nearly as much as the famous isolated barns which dot the hillside.
Facilities within the 3 villages are a little limited, particularly in Keld during the winter months when the tea shop closes. However what they all have is good. The Village store and tea shop in Muker are quaintly old fashioned and the Farmer’s Arms is a fine traditional Dales pub. The Kearton Arms at Thwaite is a more spacious option than the Farmers but in my opinion lacks a little of the other’s character. However a weekend break, or longer in Thwaite, Muker and Keld is all about walks from the door in to some of the best landscape the Dales can offer. Well worth a stay
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