The heart of Swaledale is the River Swale, one of the fastest rising flood rivers in England. It flows through traditional hay meadows bright with wild flowers in the summer surrounded by miles of drystone walls and dotted with carefully preserved stone field barns. This pattern of field walls, barns and meadows is a special feature of Swaledale.
It’s safe to say the Swaledale is one of my favourite all time places, Upper Swaledale (Muker, Keld, Thwaite etc.) is just a joy to behold and is one of the best places to enjoy a walk – and that includes the Lake District. There’s something magical about the meadows, surrounding hills, quaint stone cottaged villages and meandering golden brown peat stained waters of the Swale.