Swaledale

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Swaledale is a dale, or valley, of the east side of the Pennines in the North Yorkshire, England. It is one of the northernmost dales in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. It begins as a narrow valley at the small village of Keld and from there runs east, broadening as it goes and ending at the market town of Richmond. Swaledale takes its name from the River Swale which flows down the dale through other Swaledale villages, such as Muker, Gunnerside and Reeth.

Arkengarthdale joins Swaledale at Reeth and it is here that Arkle Beck, from which the dale takes its name, flows into the Swale. Wensleydale (famous for Wensleydale cheese) runs parallel with Swaledale to the south. Sheep have always been an important commodity in Swaledale, which is probably best-known for lending its name to a breed of round-horned sheep.

Traditional Swaledale products are woollens and Swaledale cheese; formerly made from ewe’s milk, but now made from cow’s milk. During the 19th century, a major industry in the area was lead mining. Today, tourism has become important and Swaledale attracts thousands of visitors a year.

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