What is the main town in Wensleydale?
Hawes. The main town in Upper Wensleydale is Hawes, home to the world-famous Wensleydale Creamery, the Dales Countryside Museum, shops and lots of places to eat. From here you can also embark on a red squirrel trail to see these loveable creatures making a comeback in their natural habitat. With its long history of dairying, it’s no wonder this dale is home to the Wensleydale Creamery, a source of the world-famous Wensleydale Cheese – nibble on all its varieties in the unique tasting room.
Why is it called Wensleydale?
Wensleydale is different to most other Yorkshire Dales: it’s named after its market town – Wensley, instead of its river (the Ure). Wensley is now a tiny village with several special ‘treasures’. It was bigger until a plague in the 1500s meant most of its inhabitants died or fled. One of the Yorkshire Dales Park’s famous Three Peaks, Ingleton is one of the most stunningly beautiful villages of this area. This is our top pick for natural scenery in the Yorkshire Dales villages. There are waterfalls, caves, gorges, and limestone cliffs.One of the most spectacular and most popular villages in the Dales is Malham. With dramatic limestone scenery just a stone’s throw from the village centre, Malham has few equals anywhere in the UK. A gentle stroll of about half an hour from the village will bring you to Malham Cove.The best 5 dales to visit are Wensleydale, Swaledale, Ribblesdale, Malhamdale and Wharfedale. The Dales is a popular destination for families, nature lovers, hikers and cyclists plus day trippers from nearby Yorkshire cities like York and Leeds.