GATEWAY TO THE DALES: Above, look for your Heathclif on the wild moors.
The minute I left the car a tangy whiff of cheese hit me. Cheese wasn’t the only reason The Courtyard near Settle had been on my trip wish list for some time. This cluster of Yorkshire retailers housed in a converted farmstead is a little bit of independent Yorkshire style right on the A65. It is the location of Abraham Moon & Sons’ only shop, for one thing. Moon, Yorkshire upholder of England’s wool heritage, was founded when Queen Victoria took the throne and its mill, in Guiseley, is now the last in England to produce finished cloth from raw wool. Before I could plunge my hands into the tactile depths of blankets, cushions and tailored sports jackets, though, I was waylaid by the aroma from the Dairy next door.
The Courtyard Dairy was crammed with so many cheeses the only sensible option was to allow the cheery crew behind the counter to pare off samples.