W.R. Outhwaite & Son, Hawes

W.R. Outhwaite & Son is a traditional rope makers on the high street in Hawes, the market town in upper Wensleydale roughly nine miles east of Garsdale. Ropemaking has taken place at the works since 1905, and the firm is still producing hand-crafted rope using traditional machinery. They make everything from bell ropes and church sallies to dog leads, washing lines and decorative pieces, and there is a shop and small visitor viewing area where you can watch rope being made. Well worth a visit during a day in Hawes, and easy to combine with the small Tuesday market, the Dales Countryside Museum in the old railway station, the Wensleydale Creamery with its cheese demonstrations, and the craft, art and clothing shops across the town. Hawes itself also sits on the Pennine Way.