The beautiful North Yorkshire town you must visit in summer

A handsome market town on the River Ure at the foot of Wensleydale, with one of the largest market squares in England, two of the country’s most beloved breweries, and a high street almost entirely made up of independent businesses, Masham has been called an ‘unsung gem’ of the region.

The market square

The heart of Masham is its vast cobbled market square, ringed by Georgian townhouses and independent shops.

Markets have been held here since 1250, and it shows.

In its heyday the square was used to sell up to 70,000 sheep every year – a scale of trade that explains why the square is so disproportionately large for a town of Masham’s size.

A market still takes place every Wednesday and Saturday, while the Masham Sheep Fair returns each September to mark that heritage.

The square is surrounded by cafes, pubs and galleries, making it an easy place to spend a morning even before you have touched a drop of beer.

(Image: NORTHERN ECHO)

Two breweries, one family feud

The story of Masham’s breweries is one of the best in British brewing — and it starts with a family falling out.

Theakston’s was established in Masham in 1827, initially brewed in the basement of the Black Bull Hotel before moving to its current site.

It became one of Yorkshire’s best known brewing families, producing Old Peculier — the famously dark, strong ale named after the ancient Peculier of Masham, an ecclesiastical court with its own set of laws.

In 1992, after Theakston’s was sold to a larger brewery group, one family member — Paul Theakston — refused to go along with it.

(Image: TRIPADVISOR)

He set up his own brewery just up the road instead, naming it Black Sheep at the suggestion of his wife Sue. The two breweries have operated in the same small town ever since, a few hundred metres apart, both producing award-winning ales from the same corner of Wensleydale.

Both offer visitor tours.

Theakston’s runs guided tours of the brewery including its cooperage, one of the last working barrel-making operations in England.

Black Sheep runs hour-long tours with tastings at the end, and has a bistro and shop open throughout the week.

Beyond the breweries

Masham’s identity goes well beyond beer, though it helps.

The town has a strong arts and crafts scene, with several galleries and studios including ArtisOn, which runs courses for visitors.

A glassmaker producing hand-blown ornaments operates from the town.

The Himalayan Garden and Sculpture Park at nearby Swinton Estate is one of the most unexpected attractions in North Yorkshire — 16 acres of ornamental gardens planted with Himalayan species, a short drive from the market square.

For walkers, Masham sits on the eastern edge of Nidderdale National Landscape and is well placed for riverside walks along the Ure, as well as longer routes into the lower Dales.

Getting there

Masham is in Lower Wensleydale, North Yorkshire, approximately six miles north-west of Ripon and easily reached from the A1 via the A6108.

There is free parking in and around the market square. The town is served by bus from Ripon, Leyburn and Bedale.

Have you visited Masham?

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