Hardraw

{{Short description|Hamlet in North Yorkshire, England}}

{{Use British English|date=January 2020}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2015}}

{{Infobox UK place

| country = England

| static_image = Hardraw(AndrewHuggett)Sep2004.jpg

| static_image_caption = Hardraw

| coordinates = {{coord|54.31632|-2.20601|display=inline,title}}

| official_name = Hardraw

| population =

| civil_parish = High Abbotside

| unitary_england = North Yorkshire

| lieutenancy_england = North Yorkshire

| region = Yorkshire and the Humber

| constituency_westminster =

| post_town =

| postcode_district =

| postcode_area =

| dial_code =

| os_grid_reference = SD866912

}}

Hardraw is a hamlet near Hawes within the Yorkshire Dales in North Yorkshire, England. It takes its name from the nearby Hardraw Force waterfall.

The name of the hamlet is first recorded in 1606 as Hardrawe, and derives from Old English Herde and raw, which means the shepherd's houses. Hardraw Force is named with an additional Old Norse word of Fors.{{cite book |last1=Smith |first1=A. H. |title=The Place Names of the North Riding of Yorkshire |date=1979|orig-date=1928|oclc= 19714705|publisher=English Place Name Society|page=259}}{{cite book|last1=Chrystal|first1=Paul|title=The Place Names of Yorkshire; Cities, Towns, Villages, Rivers and Dales, some Pubs too, in Praise of Yorkshire Ales|date=2017|publisher=Stenlake|location=Catrine| isbn=9781840337532|page=41|edition=1}}{{cite book |last1=Metcalfe |first1=Peter |last2=Gower |first2=Ted |title=Place-names of the Yorkshire Dales: origins and meanings |date=1992 |publisher=North Yorkshire Marketing |location=Harrogate |isbn=1-873214-03-0 |page=45}} The hamlet was historically in the Parish of Aysgarth, within the wapentake of Hang West.{{cite web |title=Genuki: Aysgarth Supplementary, Yorkshire (North Riding) |url=https://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/YKS/NRY/Aysgarth/more |website=genuki.org.uk |access-date=23 June 2025}} A report about Poor Law Unions from 1862, lists the hamlet as having a population of 11, and belonging to Bedale for its post town.{{cite book |title=Parliamentary Papers Poor Law Unions volume 49, part II |date=1862 |publisher=HMSO |location=London|page= 360|oclc= 145367615}} From 1974 to 2023 it was part of the district of Richmondshire, it is now administered by the unitary North Yorkshire Council.

The old school house, built in 1875, can be seen in the centre of the photograph of the village, and the Pennine Way runs past the west side this building. The village centre lies further up the road, and access to Hardraw Force is via The Green Dragon pub.{{cite web|title=Hardraw|author=Andrew Huggett|work=geograph|url=https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/44195|year=2004|accessdate=27 August 2006}}

Hardraw Church, dedicated in honour of St Mary and St John, was rebuilt by the Earl of Wharncliffe between 1879 and 1881. It is Grade II listed.{{NHLE|num=1131972|desc=Church of Saint Mary and Saint John|accessdate=14 June 2016}} It doubles as Darrowby Church in the original British television series All Creatures Great and Small.{{cite web |title=TV Locations: Original BBC Series |url=https://worldofjamesherriot.com/tv-locations/ |website=worldofjamesherriot.com |access-date=23 June 2025}} At the east end of the village is the end of the southern part of the Buttertubs Pass.{{cite book |last1=Mitchell |first1=W. R. |title=The story of the Yorkshire Dales |date=1999 |publisher=Phillimore |location=Chichester |isbn=1860770886 |page=85}}

The long distance path, the Pennine Way, passes through the hamlet.{{cite book |last1=Hopkins |first1=Tony |title=Pennine Way |date=2012 |publisher=Aurum |location=London |isbn=9781845137182 |page=96}}