Muker
OS grid reference:-SD 910 978
The picturesque village of Muker lies between Gunnerside and Thwaite, at the western end of beautiful Swaledale, in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. The unspoilt valley of Swaledale winds its way north west into the northern Pennines. It is famous for its wildflower meadows, heather moors and waterfalls.
Muker's unusual name derives from the Old Norse language, from the words 'mjór akr' which means 'the narrow newly cultivated field'.
The earliest recorded evidence for human occupation in the area was found in the form of a skeleton, with accompanying flints, which was discovered on Muker Common in the early twentieth century. The burial was found to date from the Bronze Age.
The village church of St Mary the Virgin, which stands at the highest point of the village, occupies the site of a former chapel of ease. The present building was constructed during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, a graveyard was consecrated at the time, so that residents of Upper Swaledale no longer had to transport their dead all the way to the parish church in Grinton. The tower, nave and chancel all date from this period. It would at that time have had a thatched roof and the evidence for the older steep pitched roof can be seen inside. The building was extensively restored in 1890.
Muker is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Swaledale. The warm and friendly village pub, the Farmers Arms, offers a wide selection of reasonably priced meals and up to 6 traditional ales
on tap at the bar. The pub also lets out the holiday apartment opposite.
There is also a village shop, tea rooms, as well as craft shops, a woollen shop, the famous Swaledale Woollens, a café and an art gallery which is housed in the Old School, the characterful building has a history dating back to the seventeenth Century. Originally the Vicarage, the Muker village tea shop was built in 1680 and still retains much of its Olde Worlde charm.
The village provides one of the best places to see upland wild flower meadows from public footpaths in the Yorkshire Dales.
Muker is also home to the Muker Silver Band, a brass band formed in 1897. The band, which recently celebrated its hundredth anniversary, is now one of the last surviving bands in Swaledale and Wensleydale, and still maintains a busy calendar of public appearances.
The Muker Meadows offer a wide and colourful range of wild flowers. Farmers in Muker and the surrounding Dales use organic fertilisers which allows other plants to grow also. This is the reason why the meadows in Upper Swaledale are filled with such a vast amount of wildflowers. Six of the meadows at Muker have flagged paths, some are inaccessible but viewable, whilst the first two are suitable for wheelchairs or pushchair visitors.
Muker, where both the long distance trails of the Pennine Way and Coast to Coast walk meet, is a popular starting point for walks around the Swaledale area and across the northern dales of the Yorkshire Dales National park. The River Swale runs parallel to the village and is renowned for being the fastest flowing river in England. It is a very popular destination for experienced kayakers.
Muker is featured in the British television series All Creatures Great and Small, in the episode “Hampered”, as the venue for the Darrowby Flower Show.
Images courtesy of Paul Johnson
Towns and Villages of Yorkshire