| Reeth | |
|---|---|
 Reeth as seen from Grinton Lodge Youth Hostel | |
.svg)  Reeth Location withinNorth Yorkshire | |
| Population | 724 |
| OS grid reference | SE037991 |
| Unitary authority | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | RICHMOND |
| Postcode district | DL11 |
| Dialling code | 01748 |
| Police | North Yorkshire |
| Fire | North Yorkshire |
| Ambulance | Yorkshire |
| UK Parliament | |
| 54°23′21″N1°56′32″W / 54.38917°N 1.94222°W /54.38917; -1.94222 | |
Reeth is a village 11 miles (18 km) west ofRichmond inNorth Yorkshire, England, in thecivil parish ofReeth, Fremington and Healaugh.Historically part of theNorth Riding of Yorkshire, it is the principal settlement of upperSwaledale.
The origin of the nameReeth is unclear. It is possibly derived from the Germanic for 'place by the stream',[1] although this claim can neither be confirmed nor refuted. Reeth could also have been derived from theCumbricrith (cf.ryd inModern Welsh,rys inCornish ), meaning 'Ford'.[2] Either would make sense as Reeth is located near two shallow rivers.
InSaxon times, Reeth was only a settlement on the forest edge, but by the time of theNorman conquest it had grown sufficiently in importance to be noted in theDomesday Book.[3][4] Later it became a centre for hand-knitting and the local lead industry was controlled from here, but it was always a market centre for the local farming community.[5]
Built in 1783,The Burgoyne Hotel (named after Mrs Burgoyne Johnson) stands on Reeth's idyllic green, the late Georgian county house hotel is full of history and elegant charm with many of its original features. The hotel previously known as Hill House, was made into guest accommodation and then a hotel after the Second World War.May Sinclair features Hill House in her novel,The Three Sisters, as the home of Miss Kendal. The "Swaledale Walk 5 May Sinclair's Reeth", is a short walk that takes you around and above Reeth to discover pivotal places featured in two of her novels.[6]
On 5 July 2014, theTour de France Stage 1 from Leeds to Harrogate passed through the village.[7]
The village lies within theRichmond and Northallerton parliamentary constituency, which has been represented since 2015 byConservativeRishi Sunak, who took over from retiring fellowConservativeWilliam Hague.[8] From 1974 to 2023 it was part of the district ofRichmondshire, it is now administered by the unitaryNorth Yorkshire Council.
Reeth is located on the B6270 road that crosses the entirety of Swaledale, linkingRichmond withKirkby Stephen in Cumbria. Historically, Grinton was the most important settlement in the Upper Swaledale area as it had a church, but Reeth is now the largest and principal settlement.[9] Nearby settlements to Reeth include the fellow parish villages ofFremington 0.5 miles (0.8 km) east andHealaugh 1.4 miles (2.3 km) to the west, as well asGrinton, 1.5 miles (2.4 km) to the east. Reeth is situated at the meeting point of the two most northerly of the Yorkshire Dales: Swaledale andArkengarthdale. It is also near to Reeth thatArkle Beck from the north joins theRiver Swale. The village is overlooked by the surroundingfells of Harkerside Moor,Fremington Edge andCalver Hill.Alfred Wainwright'sCoast to Coast Walk, a popular long-distance footpath fromSaint Bees toRobin Hood's Bay, passes through Reeth.[10]
For the parish ofReeth, Fremington and Healaugh:
| Population[11][12][13][14] | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | 1881 | 1891 | 1901 | 1911 | 1921 | 1931 | 1951 | 1961 | 1971 | 2001 | 2011 |
| Total | 988 | 667 | 570 | 628 | 709 | 616 | 588 | 540 | 530 | 685 | 724 |
Primary education is provided byReeth Community Primary School, which is engaged in a confederation with nearbyGunnerside Methodist Primary School.[15] Pupils then receive secondary education atRichmond School & Sixth Form College.[16]
In May and June every year Reeth becomes the hub of theSwaledale Festival, a two-week celebration of music and guided walks. This had to be cancelled in 2020 owing to Coronavirus. Additionally on the final Wednesday of August the Reeth Show, an agricultural event, is held. In 2012 it celebrated its centenary.[17]
Reeth is also home to theSwaledale Museum,[18] which coversrural history including life and work in the local area ofSwaledale andArkengarthdale within theYorkshire Dales National Park.
Village amenities include threepublic houses (theBlack Bull Hotel, the Buck Hotel andThe King's Arms Hotel), a caravan and camp site, a village shop and post office, two bakeries, a cafe, eleven guest houses variously bed and breakfast or self-catering, two hotels, a community centre, the Evangelical Congregational Church, Reeth Memorial Hall and theSwaledale Museum.[19]
One of fiveNational Park Centres for theYorkshire Dales is located in Reeth. The local health establishment is Reeth Medical Centre, which serves more 1,600 patients over an area of 200 square miles (520 km2).[20] In 2021, the medical centre was rated as 24th in England for patient satisfaction, and in 2022, it was ranked as the second best in all of England.[21][22]
Reeth is home to the Reeth Dales Craft Centre, there are 12 units containing artists, an artisan cheese-maker, a shoemaker, metalworker and several fibre arts outlets supplying wool and yarn related products and accessories. The Craft Bakery has won several awards.[23]
Reeth is home to two churches. The currentReeth Methodist Church has been in use since 1822, althoughMethodists have been worshipping in the village since at least 1766.[24] TheReeth Evangelical Congregational Church is located on the village green.[25]
Media related toReeth at Wikimedia CommonsValleys and settlements in theYorkshire Dales | ||
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| Dales |  | |
| Major settlements | ||
| See also | ||