Sedbergh

Back from the Howgills which for much of the week were under low cloud but there are lots of low level walks in the area to explore plus some quaint towns and villages.  The three views on this card probably sum up Sedbergh, a market town dating back to Saxon times. It is located at the foot of the Howgill hills and just inside the Yorkshire Dales national park but also part of the Lake District county of Cumbria, this is a town that has always straddled areas and was where ancient trade routes merged.

Its main industry in the past was farming, knitting and woollen goods. The set of ten steps are on Grade II historic buildings in Weavers Yard,  dated probably c1800 when the surrounding area had many mills and weavers were converting the local wool .  The streets are narrow and full of interesting buildings and at one end of the town is the 12th Century Norman Parish Church of St Andrews, restored in 1886 when the interior was altered.

In present times farming still predominates but many of the shops are now sellers of books and Sedbergh has become a Book Town, an ideal place for the bibliophile. But as it is also a walking and tourist area there are also lots of pubs and tea shops. What a great combination.