Dales Countryside Museum

It's well worth making the uphill journey to Hawes, Yorkshire's highest market town, just to visit this fascinating museum. Housed within the town's converted railway station, this award-winning institution is not only packed with ancient local treasures, but also modern interactive exhibits that retell the stories of Dales life throughout the ages.

There's a lot to learn about the Yorkshire Dales and the Countryside Museum starts, as far as human influence is concerned, right at the beginning. Its collection stretches back 10,000 years, incorporating assorted items from prehistoric man's first foray into this part of the world.

Life for many new settlers here was trying, but we're shown just how it was possible to carve out a living in what was then merely a harsh wilderness. The primary means of survival was farming, which brings us to the first of the museum's many interactive experiences: a demonstration of sheep sheering and a lesson in how to make best use of the wool.

Like much of the British Isles, the Dales was subjected to numerous invading forces over the coming millennia and adopted many new cultural aspects as a result. First came the Romans, who criss-crossed the area with their typically straight roads (a Roman milestone dating from the 3rd century is a key item in this part of the archive). The Angles, Danes and Norsemen then followed in turn, the influence of the latter often being best reflected in local places names, e.g. Aysgarth Falls and Hawes itself, which comes from the Old Norse word hause meaning the mountain pass. Norman rule is given greater focus in the museum, especially in the Time Tunnel, where visitors come face to face with a French soldier.

The industrial age is covered in great detail. Mining was big business in the Dales in the 18th and 19th centuries, as the wealth of items present from the era go some way to testifying. One of the most enjoyable aspects is a recreated lead mine, which can be explored by those brave enough to step inside.

There are also some well-preserved examples of cheese- and butter-making equipment, demonstrating the area's continual reliance on its livestock.

In addition, the museum houses several galleries chronicling the life of its inhabitants from the turn of the 20th century onwards. Follow the Time Tunnel all the way to the end and you'll come out onto the old railway platform. Here, a series of railway carriages have been kitted-out with video screens, as well as more local artefacts that couldn't fit inside the main building.

Throughout the year, the museum hosts numerous events, including bonus exhibitions, workshops and demonstrations (many of which take place in the adjacent amphitheatre, the John Baker Exhibition Hall). A gift shop and an information centre are also on hand. The museum is open every day (barring Dec 24, 25, 26 and Jan 1), from 10am to 5pm.

For a real taste of Yorkshire, try combining your visit with a trip to the nearby the Hawes Wensleydale Creamery. The creamery is the world's sole producer of Wensleydale cheese, which was created by monks at Jervaulx Abbey in the 14th century.

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