A SMALL unassuming town in the UK is home to a great deal more than might initially be apparent.
Pateley Bridge in North Yorkshire is ideally located for people hoping to explore the Yorkshire Dales, while also providing plenty of attractions of its own.
Among them are historic cobbled streets, an ancient sweet shop claiming to be one of the world’s oldest and a “fantastically” shaped natural wonder.
The town’s website boasts of having “all the charms of rural life” set in the heart of Nidderdale, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
It reads: “Pateley Bridge is the perfect place to start your exploration of the Yorkshire Dales, to enjoy the stunning scenery which brings visitors back year after year, no matter what the season.”
One of the main reasons people love the town is for The Oldest Sweet Shop in England, formerly known as the Oldest Sweet Shop in the World, which it was believed to be at one stage.
It has been selling confectionery for almost 200 years, since 1827, while the building it’s in dates back to 1661, and at one stage it held the Guinness World Record.
However, since then, the award has been given to Ichimonjiya Wasuke in Kyoto, Japan, which has been selling sweets since around the year 1000.
The Yorkshire shop remains popular though, and at the end of last year it was named the best sweet shop in Britain, according to a survey by holidaycottages.co.uk.
Yorkshire Live wrote: “The shop on High Street, Pateley Bridge, North Yorkshire was ranked the country’s best proper purveyor of sugar-based confectionery.”
The confectioners add to the old feeling of the town, with its retro sweets and chocolates, including blackjacks, pear drops and Pontefract cakes among its offerings.
One TripAdvisor reviewer wrote: “What an amazing choice of sweets in this ancient shop. It brings back memories of your childhood with all the different varieties.”
Rock isn’t just found in the town’s sweet shops either, with some natural rock formations also a huge draw for tourists.
Brimham Rocks is a collection of water and weather-eroded rocks, formed hundreds of millions of years ago into “fantastic shapes” according to Wikipedia.
The rock formations are scattered across 50 acres of moorland and are open to members of the public from dawn til dusk.
Some even have whimsical nicknames like the Sphinx, the Eagle, Idol Rock, the Turtle and the Dancing Bear.
The site was even used as the backdrop in the music video for the Bee Gees’ song You Win Again.
The rocks picked up a TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Award last year, with one reviewer writing: “Spectacular rock formations and so much more to it than I expected.”
Brimham Rocks isn’t the only place where people can enjoy natural rock formations either, with the nearby How Stean Gorge a great place to have a go at climbing.
The limestone ravine has been carved out over thousands of years by water flowing through it.
Today, the gorge is close to half a mile in length and is as much as 80ft deep in some places.
Meanwhile, Stump Cross Caverns, a limestone cave system in the Yorkshire Dales is also accessible from the town.
Also within driving distance from the town is Fountains Abbey, the ruins of one of the largest and best preserved monasteries in England.
The world heritage site is also home to the Studley Royal Water Garden, which includes canals, ponds, cascades and a temple, built by more than 100 men during the 1700s.
A night for two in Pateley Bridge can be booked from around £89 with breakfast included.
Meanwhile, this cosy English staycation is perfect for winter breaks.
And this is one of the best hotels in the UK.