Kettlewell Scarecrow Festival

Kettlewell is a quaint and cozy little village in Wharfedale. Every year the good villagers of Kettlewell hold a scarecrow festival for ten days in August. I wasn't sure what to expect when I drove across the moors, on past Grassington and up to Kettlewell (and this was me driving all by myself on these narrow roads. I even took a wrong turn and got on one of those single track roads with drystone walls on either side!) but I was not disappointed. There were scarecrows around every corner, on windowsills and in gardens, in churchyards and on telephone poles. There was even one hanging by its neck in a tree. Some of them were goofy, others sweetly traditional. Some made biting political statements. Others were bawdy. You could tell the whole town put its heart and soul into the project. At first I was amazed at how many people showed up in Kettlewell on Wednesday for the festival. After walking through the town I understood why. The festival is probably the best marketing Kettlewell could ever hope for. By following the scarecrow trail I saw much more of the village than I ever saw on a brief visit one day last spring.