Masham: Market Square, Breweries and Sculpture Trails

Masham combines a Georgian market square with brewing heritage, a gin experience, natural spaces and themed walking trails. If you are looking for a hotel for a stay in Masham, regular market days and the annual Sheep Fair date can help you plan your trip; tours and circular routes offer further points of interest. The offerings differ not only in theme, but also in format: from a visit to the market to a guided tour or a self-guided walk.

Market Square, Breweries and Gin Experience

Masham’s market takes place every Wednesday, Saturday and bank holiday Monday in the Georgian market square. St Mary's Church overlooks the square; its construction dates mainly from the 12th to 15th centuries. This brings the recurring rhythm of the market and the church’s long architectural history together in one place. The Masham Sheep Fair adds to the events calendar: it takes place annually on the last weekend of September in the market square and at other locations around the town. If you would like to plan your trip around the fair, check the specific event dates for the year in question.

T&R Theakston is an independent, family-run brewery founded in Masham in 1827. The Black Sheep Brewery Visitor Centre in Masham offers brewery tours. One detail concerns a company’s history, the other a visitor experience. If you are looking for a guided visit, the Visitor Centre is the specific place to start; the 1827 founding date puts Masham’s brewing history into context.

Another option is the Spirit of Masham Gin Experience, which includes a tour of the Spirit of Masham Distillery. Participants make a personalised bottle of gin using a copper still. Unlike the brewery tour, this experience includes a hands-on activity of your own. When choosing a time, you can distinguish between brewery tours and an experience that involves making your own gin; check the latest visitor information for each in advance.

Walking Trails and Landscape

The distances make it easy to compare the circular walks. The Masham Leaves Walk is three miles long and follows a gentle circular route along footpaths and across fields around the town. Along the route are oak-leaf sculptures made from stone slabs that once formed Masham railway station’s platform. In these sculptures, subject and material go together: the oak leaves reflect a natural motif, while the slabs come from the station’s former use.

The Swinton Estate also offers a circular walking route: it is six kilometres long and circles the market town of Masham in North Yorkshire. This gives you two different distance figures for circular walks: three miles for the Masham Leaves Walk and six kilometres for the Swinton Estate. The Swinton Estate also includes 200 acres of historic parkland, influenced by Capability Brown and laid out by the Danby family in the 1760s. A day ticket for Swinton Estate Parkland and Gardens provides access to the parkland and gardens. It is available from the Estate Shop at the entrance to the Swinton Country Club.

On the outskirts of Masham lies Marfield Wetlands, a former sand and gravel extraction site. Today it encompasses lakes, ponds, wet meadows, wet grassland and woodland; walking trails and bird hides are also part of the site. Marfield Wetlands is designated a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC) and adjoins Marfield Fen SSSI and the River Ure corridor. Unlike the circular walks, with their routes and sculptures, this destination focuses on wetland landscapes and their varied habitats.

Art and History Walks

The Masham Swift Trail is a short, easy and accessible walk featuring sculptures celebrating swifts, created by ten artists from Yorkshire. Together, Masham’s sculpture trails create a themed art walk through the town and surrounding countryside. The subjects differ: the Swift Trail focuses on swifts, while the Leaves Walk features oak leaves.

For a different theme, there is Masham's Peculier History Walk, which can also be done as a self-guided walk. The related guided Masham's Peculier History Tour typically lasts between one and one and a half hours. This lets you choose between exploring at your own pace and taking a guided tour with a stated typical duration.

Discover more destinations: Ganton, Stainsacre, Huby, Wigglesworth, Boroughbridge, Tollerton, Rillington, Settrington

For the regional travel overview: North Yorkshire.