The origin of the name Reeth is unclear. It is possibly derived from the Germanic for 'place by the stream'. While this claim can neither be confirmed nor denied, Reeth could also have been derived from the Cumbricrith meaning 'Ford'. Both would make sense as Reeth is located near two shallow rivers.
History
In Saxon times, Reeth was only a settlement on the forest edge, but by the time of the Norman conquest it had grown sufficiently in importance to be noted in the Domesday Book. Later it became a centre for hand-knitting and the local lead industry was controlled from here, but it was always a market centre for the local farming community. On 5 July 2014, the Tour de France Stage 1 from Leeds to Harrogate passed through the village.
Reeth is located on the B6270 road that crosses the entirety of Swaledale, linking Richmond with Kirkby Stephen in Cumbria. Nearby settlements to Reeth include the fellow parish villages of Fremington east and Healaugh to the west, as well as Grinton, to the east. Reeth is situated at the meeting point of the two most northerly of the Yorkshire Dales: Swaledale and Arkengarthdale. It is also near to Reeth that Arkle Beckfrom the north joins the River Swale. The village is overlooked by the surrounding fells of Harkerside Moor, Fremington Edge and Calver Hill. Alfred Wainwright's Coast to Coast Walk, an unofficial but popular long-distance footpath from Saint Bees to Robin Hood's Bay, passes through Reeth.
Demography
For the parish of Reeth, Fremington and Healaugh:
Community and culture
Primary education is provided by Reeth Community Primary School, which is engaged in a confederation with nearby Gunnerside Methodist Primary School. Pupils then receive secondary education at Richmond School & Sixth Form College. In May and June every year Reeth becomes the hub of the Swaledale Festival, a two-week celebration of music and guided walks. Unfortunately it had to be cancelled in 2020 owing to Coronavirus. Additionally on the final Wednesday of August the Reeth Show, an agricultural event, is held. In 2012 it celebrated its centenary. Reeth is also home to the Swaledale Museum, which covers rural history including life and work in the local area of Swaledale and Arkengarthdale within the Yorkshire Dales National Park.
Amenities
Village amenities include three public houses, a caravan and camp site, a village shop and post office, two bakeries, a cafe, eleven guest houses variously bed and breakfast or self-catering, two hotels, a community centre, the Evangelical Congregational Church, Reeth Memorial Hall and the Swaledale Museum. One of five National Park Centres for the Yorkshire Dales is located in Reeth. The local health establishment is Reeth Medical Centre, which serves more than 200 square miles and more than 1,500 patients.
Religion
Reeth is home to two churches. The current Reeth Methodist Chapel has been in use since 1822, although Methodists have been worshipping in the village since at least 1766. The larger Reeth Evangelical Congregational Church is located on the village green.
