Looking down at Thwaite meadows

This patchwork of tiny meadow fields is a favourite of many

Each meadow is enclosed by ancient stone walls and each has its own Cow House (they are not called barns in Upper Swaledale).  Built originally to store hay made in the surrounding meadow and to house three or four cows during the winter.  Very few cow houses (pronounced cowus) are used in this way anymore as our cows are wintered in modern farm buildings.  The hay meadows however are still farmed traditionally to make flower-rich hay which is so valuable to  hill farmers for their sheep.