Swaledale

 Welcome to Swaledale Burrow, a cosy dwelling nestled in a hillside that is located on our family run Aygill Farm.

Aygill Farm has been in the same family for several generations and produces pedigree ‘Swaledale’ sheep, with a small amount of ‘suckler’ cattle. The Swaledale sheep is a very hardy breed able to withstand the harsh winters that we can have here. The females are bred for replacement of home stock and the surplus animals are sold at auction for further breeding. The males are selected for either breeding with other pedigree sheep or the meat market if they do have not potential as pedigree stock. The wool produced from the ‘Swaledale’ sheep is very coarse and does not have very much monetary value. The females are called ‘ewes’ and the males ‘tups’. 

If you would like any further information about the farm or farming in the dales in general please do ask and we will try to answer your questions to the best of our ability. 

Swaledale & Beyond

There are various attractions to visit in the area, which included Hawes to the north (about eight miles away) where you could visit Wensleydale Creamery, the Ropemakers or the National Park Visitor Centre.

The village of Reeth is twelve miles to the East, where you could visit the Swaledale Museum or hire a bike at the Dales Bike Centre. To the West is the market town of Kirkby Stephen, in the Cumbrian Eden Valley where you could board the train on the famous Carlisle to Settle railway line, or hop on a Cumbrian Classic coach and take a ride to Barnard Castle or Hawes. A little further afield are the towns of Richmond to the East and Barnard Castle to the North.

There are plenty of options for eating out, which include Keld Lodge Hotel within walking distance, Kearton Country Hotel a mile and a half away, and The Farmers Arms at Muker, three miles away. We also have a ‘Fish and Chip’ van which comes up Swaledale once a week as far as the village of Thwaite, at around eight o’clock every Friday evening. It also stops at Muker, Gunnerside, Low Row and Reeth on its way up the Dale.

Other attractions in the area are the Tan Hill Inn, four miles from Keld, which is known for being the highest Pub in England. But one of the most impressive attractions Upper Swaledale has to offer is its beautiful scenery, wildlife, peacefulness and tranquillity, which can be enjoyed best walking one of the many footpaths in the area.