Thwaite lies deep along the north bank of Thwaite Beck, in a valley between slopes to the north and south. The Pennine Way passes through the village and continues uphill towards Kisdon Hill. In Thwaite, the valley setting meets a section of the long-distance trail.
A village in the valley and its character
Thwaite has largely retained the compact character of a 19th-century village. Small private and public open spaces form part of its character; modern development is largely absent from its edges. Enclosed fields surround the settlement and are now used as pasture and meadowland.
A path along the northern row of houses offers more open views eastwards into the Swaledale valley. Millholme Meadow in Thwaite is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and classified as upland hay meadow.
The road to Thwaite enters the village from the south and crosses a bridge over Thwaite Beck.
Routes and directions
The Pennine Way section over Great Shunner Fell descends to Thwaite; at Keld, the trail meets the Coast to Coast Path National Trail. The route description thus distinguishes the descent into the village from the point where the two National Trails meet at Keld.
A path from the area around Usha Gap Bridge to Thwaite initially follows the stream and then crosses meadows. This route therefore features two specific landscape elements: first the stream bank, then the meadows.
A former route from Thwaite towards Muker ran above the north bank of Thwaite Beck, across the south-facing slopes of Kisdon Hill.
Buildings and Kearton history
East of Thwaite, an enclosure of an earth bank and ditch sits on a rounded knoll. It is dated to the pre-Roman Iron Age, from 600 BC to AD 70. This dating covers a long period and does not refer to a single year of construction.
The village has a Grade II listed Congregational chapel. Built in 1863 from coursed sandstone, it has a slate roof and round-arched side windows.
Richard and Cherry Kearton came from Thwaite in Swaledale; Richard was born in 1862 and Cherry in 1871. Both became known as pioneers of wildlife photography. Corner House is considered the brothers’ childhood home; engravings of animals, along with their initials and birth years, surround the front door.
A lintel carved in Thwaite in the 1970s bears bird and animal motifs and commemorates the lives and work of the Kearton brothers.
Planning your stay
Consider whether walking routes or village history should shape your stay more; this will help you focus your search on the place’s actual highlights.
Discover more destinations: Staithes, Bradley, Cropton, Whitby, Ravenscar, Whenby, West Rounton, Linton-on-Ouse.
For the broader travel guide: North Yorkshire.
