Wensleydale Creamery

The smell hits you first - that unmistakable tang of cheese and buttermilk as you walk through the doors in Hawes. Wensleydale Creamery is where the famous crumbly cheese has been made since 1897, and you can actually watch the whole process happening behind glass while the cheesemakers get on with their work. It's properly fascinating, even if you're not normally bothered about dairy production.

You get to see the curds being stirred, the blocks being wrapped, all of it. Free admission means you can pop in for twenty minutes or spend a couple of hours if you're really keen. The shop at the end is where most people spend their money - the cheese counter is excellent, and they do tastings if you ask nicely. Kids find the viewing gallery entertaining enough, though patience wears thin after about thirty minutes.

Go mid-morning on a weekday if you can. Weekends get rammed with tour coaches, and you'll spend half the time dodging school groups. Summer holidays are absolute bedlam.

If you're camping at Hawes Caravan and Motorhome Club Campsite just down the road, this is an easy stop-off rather than a full day out. It pairs well with a walk around Hawes itself - the town's got decent shops and pubs - or heading out to explore Wensleydale proper. Worth an hour of your time, nothing more.