Hawes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hawes |
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 Main Street, Hawes |
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 Hawes
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| Population | 1,137 (2011 census) |
| OS grid reference | SD873898 |
| Unitary authority |
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| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | HAWES |
| Postcode district | DL8 |
| Dialling code | 01969 |
| Police | North Yorkshire |
| Fire | North Yorkshire |
| Ambulance | Yorkshire |
| EU Parliament | Yorkshire and the Humber |
| UK Parliament |
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Hawes is a busy market town in North Yorkshire, England. It's located at the top of Wensleydale in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales. Historically, it was part of the North Riding of Yorkshire. The River Ure, just north of the town, is a popular spot for visitors in the Yorkshire Dales National Park.
In 2011, about 887 people lived in Hawes. The area of Hawes also includes the small village of Gayle. Hawes is about 31 miles (50 km) west of Northallerton, which is the county town. Hawes is famous for making Wensleydale cheese.
A special non-profit group in Hawes works hard to get money to keep important community places open. They also try to reopen places that have closed.
Contents
Hawes History
Hawes isn't mentioned in the old Domesday Book from 1086. This means there wasn't a big settlement here back then. The area was part of a larger parish called Aysgarth. We don't hear much about Hawes until the 1400s. By then, enough people lived there to build a small church. The town was first recorded as having a market in 1307.
The name Hawes comes from an old Norse word, hals. This word means "neck" or "pass between mountains." It describes the town's location well.
King William III gave Hawes permission to hold markets in 1699. This meant they could have a market every Tuesday and two big fairs each year. Later, in 1887, an auction market started. They sold cattle every two weeks. They also held several cattle and sheep fairs each year. Soon after, four cheese fairs also became a regular event in the town.
Hawes became its own church area in 1739. It became a separate civil parish in 1866.
The main road from Richmond to Lancaster was changed in 1795. After that, it went right through Hawes. The Wensleydale Railway reached Hawes in 1878. Hawes used to have a train station. It was the end of the line for trains from Northallerton. This line closed in 1954. The Wensleydale Railway Association wants to rebuild the railway. They hope to reopen the station in Hawes. The old Hawes railway station is now part of the Dales Countryside Museum. Since 2015, the building has been a bike shop and a cafe.
In the past, water-powered mills worked in Gayle and Hawes. Gayle Mill, built in 1784, is one example. These mills were used for grinding corn and making fabrics like wool. They also generated electricity and sawed wood. Limestone was burned in special ovens called kilns. In 1789, Gayle Mill started using new technology. It became a sawmill powered by a special water turbine. From 1919 to 1948, part of the mill provided electricity for the village.
Hawes Government
Hawes is part of the Richmond and Northallerton area for the UK Parliament. The local Member of Parliament (MP) is Rishi Sunak. He is a Conservative and used to be the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
Hawes is in the Upper Dales area of North Yorkshire Council. Before 2023, it was part of the Richmondshire district.
Hawes has a shared local council with High Abbotside. It's called the Hawes & High Abbotside Parish Council. This council helps manage local services. In 2011, the combined population of these areas was 1,347.
Hawes Geography
The Hawes area includes large parts of moorland. These are Dodd Fell, Snays Fell, Stags Fell, and Widdale Fell. The River Ure has smaller rivers flowing into it here. These include Widdale Beck and Gayle Beck. Gayle Beck flows right through Hawes town. You can see many old lead mines, quarries, and limekilns. These show that the area used to have a lot of industry. Not far from town, on Gayle Beck, are the beautiful Aysgill Force waterfalls. The highest point in the area is Great Knoutberry Hill, which is 2,205 feet (672 metres) high.
The Hawes area also includes the small villages of Gayle, Appersett, and Burtersett. The A684 road goes through Hawes. This road connects Sedbergh to Osmotherley. The B6255 starts at the west side of Hawes. It links Hawes to Ingleton.
The M6 and A1 motorways are less than an hour away by car.
Hawes Economy
The Wensleydale Creamery is the biggest company in Hawes. In 2018, it had 224 staff members. About 250,000 people visit it every year. The Creamery closed in 1992, but the old managers bought it and reopened it within six months. In 2015, the Creamery moved to its current location. They still make the famous Wensleydale cheese by hand. They use traditional recipes that French monks first used in the 1100s. Cheese has been made in this village since about 1150.
Wensleydale Creamery has won many awards for its cheese. In 2018, its new Yorkshire Cheddar won "Supreme Champion" at The Great Yorkshire Show. Yorkshire Wensleydale also won "Reserve Supreme Cheese." The company received ten other awards that year.
The cheeses made by the Creamery have a special "Protected Food Name Status." This means that only cheese made in Wensleydale can be called "Yorkshire Wensleydale." This protects the traditional product.
Farms around Hawes raise sheep and cattle. They also grow grass for hay. Tourism is very important to Hawes. It's a market town with many shops and places for visitors to stay. Over 40 farms in the area provide milk to the Creamery.
There is a National Park Centre in the village. It has a large car park and is next to the Countryside Museum. Other attractions include the Dales Countryside Museum. This museum is connected to the old Hawes railway station. Nearby is the Hardraw Force waterfall. The Buttertubs Pass is a scenic road that connects Wensleydale to Swaledale. A market is held in Hawes Market Hall on Tuesdays. There are also many shops, pubs, and tearooms. Hawes is a great place for walking (hiking) in the countryside. The famous Pennine Way walking path goes through Hawes. There is also a youth hostel for travelers.
Just south of Hawes is the 18th-century Gayle Mill. It's a historic building and a scheduled monument. In 2004, it was shown on a BBC2 TV show called Restoration. It was one of the top three places in the national finals. Restoring the mill took four years and cost over £1 million. The mill was open to visitors in 2017. However, it needed more work to be safe and meet insurance rules. Fundraising was happening in 2018 to help reopen it.
Hawes Community Amenities
Hawes Community Primary School provides education for children in the town. It opened in 1878. Older students go to The Wensleydale School & Sixth Form in Leyburn. In spring 2018, the primary school had 114 students.
The town has a fire station. It's run by firefighters who are on-call from their homes or jobs. The North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service operates this station.
Medical care is available at the Hawes Surgery. Three doctors work there and at another office in Aysgarth. The closest hospitals are Friary Community Hospital in Richmond (about 14.5 miles or 23.4 km away) and Castleberg Hospital in Settle (about 17.8 miles or 28.6 km away).
On weekends and bank holidays, the DalesBus travels between different villages, including Hawes. This service runs from Easter Sunday until late summer. Other buses provide service all year round, stopping in Hawes and nearby villages.
Saving Village Services
The only petrol station in Hawes was going to close in 2017. The next closest one was a 36-mile (58 km) round trip away! A non-profit group called the Upper Dales Community Partnership (UDCP) stepped in. They took over the station in October 2017. The town even gets a small discount on fuel from the government because it's so remote. This discount is passed on to customers. In May 2018, a grant helped the petrol station stay open 24 hours a day.
In earlier years, the UDCP also took over the local library and post office. In February 2018, Royal Mail planned to close the mail sorting office in Hawes. This would have meant losing jobs. Residents would also have to drive 30 minutes to Leyburn to pick up packages. But local people worked hard to stop this, and the Post Office changed its plans.
The Partnership also started a bus service in 2011. It's called The Little White Bus. It has 11 vehicles and carries 60,000 visitors each year. After the police station closed, police officers were given a room in the community group's office. This office also has the Post Office and Library. It offers free Wi-Fi, a coffee machine, and a scanner/printer for residents. In 2018, the Partnership was thinking about building new houses. They would rent these to families with lower incomes.
The Upper Dales Community Partnership started over 20 years ago. In May 2018, it had 25 paid staff and 60 volunteers.
Hawes Religion
The main church in Hawes is called St Margaret of Antioch. The current church building was rebuilt in 1850. It stands where an older, smaller church used to be. It is now a Grade II listed building, which means it's historically important. In the past, there were also other churches in the village, like Wesleyan and Congregational chapels.
The Methodist Church in Hawes was built in 1856. It closed in 2015. People who worship there can now go to the chapel in nearby Gayle.
Hawes Media
Local news and TV shows for Hawes come from BBC North East and Cumbria and ITV Tyne Tees. TV signals are received from the Bilsdale and local TV transmitters.
Local radio stations are BBC Radio York on 104.3 FM and the community station Dales Radio on 103 FM.
The local newspaper for the town is The Westmorland Gazette.
Hawes Population
The 2011 UK census showed that the population of Hawes was 1,137 people. It was almost an even split between males (50.1%) and females (49.9%). Most people (70.8%) said they were Christian. A small number (3.8%) were Buddhist, and 0.1% were Muslim. The rest either had no religion or didn't say. Most people (91.4%) were White British. There were 683 homes in the area.
See also
In Spanish: Hawes para niños
