Haytime Begins in Swaledale
Out near Reeth this afternoon, I was drawn to the quiet rhythm of a familiar summer scene — the first of the hay meadows being cut. It’s a time of year that always feels significant here in the Dales. There’s a shift in the landscape as the grasses, once tall and swaying, begin to fall in neat lines behind the steady hum of tractors.
The fields, edged by centuries-old dry stone walls, are transformed with each pass. The scent of freshly cut grass fills the air, earthy and sweet, carrying the promise of the work to come: turning, baling, and eventually stacking ready for the months ahead.
I watched for a while as a tractor moved across the meadow — methodical and purposeful — leaving behind a trail of freshly mown grass, its mower attachment lifting the stems like a comb through long hair. The greens in the field deepened as the pale seed heads gave way to the moisture-rich cuts beneath. In the foreground, uncut grasses still stood tall, their textures catching the wind and the light — not long now until they, too, would be taken in.
This is one of those annual moments that feels both ancient and current. Haytime has shaped the land and lives in Swaledale for generations. It’s one of the rhythms that ties farming to the seasons, and it’s always a pleasure to photograph — not just the machinery and the action, but the landscape itself shifting into its summer work clothes.
More to come over the next few weeks, I’m sure. For now, it’s good to see the work begin.
Photographed near Reeth, June 2025
#Swaledale #Reeth #YorkshireDales #Haytime #FarmingLife #MowingSeason #CountrysideScenes #RuralYorkshire #TractorViews #WorkingLandscape #DryStoneWalls #SummerInTheDales #DocumentaryPhotography
