Hawes Webcam – England’s Highest Market Town

The Hawes Webcam looks along the A684 as it runs through the middle of this Wensleydale town, with the Penny Garth Cafe’s picnic benches sitting in the bottom of the frame. Motorcycles and cars line the left curb, stone houses and shopfronts close in on both sides, and the road climbs away toward the head of the dale. The square tower of St Margaret’s shows above the rooftops, and a green fellside rises behind it. On a Tuesday the street fills for market day; on a dry weekend the bike parking does the same. Weather moves quickly at this height, so the view can go from clear fells to low cloud inside an hour.

About Hawes

Hawes sits at the head of Wensleydale on the River Ure, in North Yorkshire, and is often described as England’s highest market town at around 260 meters (850 feet) above sea level. The population was 1,137 at the 2011 census, which makes it a small place carrying a lot of traffic. The A684 from Sedbergh to Osmotherley runs straight through the frame, and the B6255 branches off toward Ingleton.

The market is the reason the town took this shape. King William III granted a charter in 1699 for a weekly Tuesday market and two fairs a year, and Tuesday is still the busy day, with a farmers’ auction mart that pulls sheep farmers in from across the north of England. St Margaret’s, the parish church whose tower appears over the roofline in the middle distance, was rebuilt in 1850 and is dedicated to St Margaret of Antioch. The neighboring hamlet of Gayle sits within the same parish, a few minutes uphill.

The Penny Garth Cafe, which hosts the camera, describes itself as a meeting point for motorcyclists, cyclists, campers, families and walkers, and says it has been one for decades. That shows up in the picture, where the bikes parked along the curb can outnumber the cars on a clear day. The cafe runs the stream through SkylineWebcams and is direct about what it is for, which is letting people see what weather to expect before they set off.

Weather and Climate in Hawes

Hawes is high and exposed, and the numbers reflect it. January is the coldest month, with daytime temperatures around 6 C (43 F) and nights near 1 C (34 F). In winter the camera tends to show wet stone, early dusk and cloud sitting low on the fells. Snow at this altitude is a normal part of the year rather than an event, and the roads through the town feel it early.

July is the warmest month, at about 19 C (66 F) by day and 10 C (50 F) overnight, which by the standards of an English summer is mild rather than hot. Rain is spread through the year rather than concentrated in one season: the town averages roughly 1,231 millimeters (48 inches) annually, with December the wettest month at about 124 millimeters (4.9 inches). Spring and autumn are the changeable ones, and they are when the view rewards a second look, because the fell behind the rooftops can appear and disappear several times in a morning.

Things to Do in Hawes

The Wensleydale Creamery is the name most visitors arrive for. Cheese has been made in this part of the dale since about 1150. The creamery closed in 1992 and was reopened within six months by its former management team, and it now runs a visitor center alongside the production side.

The Dales Countryside Museum occupies the former Hawes railway station, which was open from 1878 until 1954, and covers the history and working life of the Dales. A short way out of town, Hardraw Force drops 30 meters (100 feet) and is described as England’s highest unbroken waterfall above ground. It lies 1.5 kilometers (0.9 miles) north of Hawes on private land, reached through a turnstile behind the Green Dragon Inn for a small entry fee. Access behind the falls, once part of the visit, is no longer permitted.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

If the Hawes Webcam has you watching stone and weather, these three are worth opening next.

• North Landing Webcam
• Lochgelly Webcam
• Boscastle Webcam

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Hawes located?

Hawes is at the head of Wensleydale on the River Ure, in North Yorkshire, England, inside the Yorkshire Dales National Park. The A684 between Sedbergh and Osmotherley runs through the town.

What can you see on the Hawes Webcam?

The A684 running through the town center, stone houses and shopfronts on both sides, parked motorcycles and cars along the curb, the tower of St Margaret’s church above the roofline, and a fellside behind. Market day and weekend bike traffic are the two times the street is busiest.

Is Hawes really England’s highest market town?

It is commonly described that way, at around 260 meters (850 feet) above sea level. The claim depends on what counts as a market town, so treat it as the local description rather than a settled measurement.

When is market day in Hawes?

Tuesday. King William III granted the charter for a weekly Tuesday market and two annual fairs in 1699, and the Tuesday market still runs, alongside a farmers’ auction mart that draws sheep farmers from across northern England.

What is the weather like in Hawes?

Cool and wet by English standards. January averages about 6 C (43 F) by day and 1 C (34 F) at night, July about 19 C (66 F) and 10 C (50 F). Rainfall runs to roughly 1,231 millimeters (48 inches) a year, with December the wettest month.

What is the Penny Garth Cafe?

A cafe on the A684 in Hawes that hosts the camera. It describes itself as a meeting point for motorcyclists, cyclists, campers, families and walkers, and has been one for decades.

What is there to see near Hawes?

The Wensleydale Creamery and its visitor center, the Dales Countryside Museum in the old railway station, and Hardraw Force, a 30 meter (100 foot) waterfall 1.5 kilometers (0.9 miles) north of the town reached through the Green Dragon Inn.

Source: Penny Garth Cafe