Reeth is a village west of Richmond in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England, in the civil parish of Reeth, Fremington and Healaugh. Historically part of the North Riding of Yorkshire, it is the principal settlement of upper Swaledale. Etymology The origin of the name Reeth is unclear. It is possibly derived from the Germanic for 'place by the stream', although this claim can neither be confirmed nor refuted. Reeth could also have been derived from the Cumbric rith (cf. ryd in Modern Welsh, rys in Cornish ), meaning 'Ford'. Either 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. Built in 1783, The Burgoyne (named after Mrs Burgoyne Johnson) stands majestically on Reeth's idyllic green, the late Georgian county house hotel is full of history and elegant charm with many of its original features. The hotel previously known as Hill House, was made into guest accommodation and then a hotel after WW2. May Sinclair features Hill House in her novel, The Three Sisters, as the home of Miss Kendal. The "Swaledale Walk 5 May Sinclair's Reeth", is a short walk that takes you around and above Reeth to discover pivotal places featured in two of her novels. On 5 July 2014, the Tour de France Stage 1 from Leeds to Harrogate passed through the village. Governance The village lies within the Richmond (Yorks) parliamentary constituency, which has been represented since 2015 by Conservative Rishi Sunak, who took over from retiring fellow Conservative William Hague. It also lies within the Upper Dales electoral division of North Yorkshire County Council and the Reeth and Arkengarthdale ward of Richmondshire District Council. Geography 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