Masham is a must
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- Stories & Inspiration
- Introduction To Masham And Surrounding Area
Here's your introduction to Masham and the surrounding area
Masham in North Yorkshire is nestled in the Lower Wensleydale countryside and is a picture-perfect destination to spend a day, a short break or a longer holiday.
There is a choice of accommodation from a castle hotel to boutique B&Bs, cosy cottages and campsites.
Stay in a castle at Swinton Park Hotel with luxurious rooms, fine dining restaurants, a luxury spa and even a cookery school. The estate covers 20,000 acres and here you can stay ‘off-grid’ in a yurt or tree lodge at Swinton Bivouac.
Try wild swimming, fly fishing or clay pigeon shooting or explore the many cycle and walking trails in the parkland before enjoying a picnic before heading back to the hotel for afternoon tea.
The main town is built around one of the largest marketplaces in Yorkshire where a market is held on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Visit one of the little cafes and pubs that surround the marketplace for breakfast, lunch or dinner, or pop in for some yummy cake and coffee after your walk, run or cycle.
Masham is home to two breweries. The Black Sheep Brewery Visitor Centre is open for guided tours throughout the week where you can learn about the art of brewing.
Enjoy some lunch and of course a pint or two in the ‘Baa…r’ & Kitchen and then call into the Sheepy Shop where you can pick up a few bottles of ‘Old Peculier’ or ‘Riggwelter’ and take the taste of Masham home with you and don’t forget to grab some Black Sheep merchandise too.
The countryside around Masham is perfect for cycling and hiking. The Ripon Rowel is a 49-mile route through Mashamshire taking you through some of the small villages featuring historic monuments, rolling hills and beautiful scenery. The route is waymarked and can be followed with an OS map.
Hackfall Woods is two and a half miles south of Masham near the village of Grewelthorpe and is a beautiful woodland to walk in with its follies, stone features and lake. See it carpeted with bluebells in May.
Cycle from Masham into Upper Wensleydale or pick up the Northern Loop Cycle Route which can be started in Masham. This 40-mile circular route takes you through the Nidderdale National Landscape.
The Himalayan Garden and Sculpture Park is only a ten-minute drive from Masham and is home to one of the North’s largest collections of rhododendrons, azaleas and magnolias.
Explore the 45 acres of woodland which is festooned with the colours of the blooming rhododendrons in May and ablaze with autumn colour in September and October.
Spot the many sculptures as you wander around including the cascade of blue poppies representing the rare meconopsis blue poppy that grows here.
Visit Masham and let it capture your heart and your imagination. Find out more about this North Yorkshire gem on our Masham pages.
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