Cockett's formerly an Inn run by Widow Harrison, the building was bought by the Quakers in 1754 as a rest house for friends before or after meetings at the nearby meeting house, at a time when friends travelled many miles to attend the meetings and needed somewhere to rest and eat. A condition of the occupancy at that time was that penniless travellers had to be taken in.
There is an inscription over the door shown on the left God being with us, who can be against A.T.F AD1668
The initials being of a certain Thomas Arthur Fawcett a Quaker.
Additional Information If any visitors to the Hotel, or if any of those viewing these pages have any information about Cockett's from the past we would be delighted to here of the stories and if you have any old pictures that could be used on this site to allow people to gain some of the history of this old building please get in touch. One such picture is featured below, contributed by a guest to the Hotel in August 2005. The card was spotted at a Postcard Fair in Pudsey, West Yorkshire.
Cockett's Hotel in the post war years was a restaurant which catered for passing travellers, Hawes being on one of the main routes to the resorts on the north west coast from the Yorkshire industrial areas like Leeds and Bradford.
In those post war years of the 1950's a Mrs Cockett would serve up refreshments and meals to coach loads of travellers after they disembarked from the charabanc
. [An early form of motor coach as per the image on the left]
The fayre served up to her hungry customers' was simple and no nonsense cuisine. Not like some of today's offerings, however we pride ourselves in producing both food that is simple in the sense that it is not over burdoned with sauces etc., yet take's advantage of the wider range of produce available today! But is still good wholesome cooking, just what is needed following a day walking in the splendid dales countryside.
The picture of Cockett's featured on this page is taken from a postcard produced by G. W. Hare [Photographer] of Leyburn, Yorks. Thought to be post WW2. Interestingly the sign above the entrance door is much higher than the sign today, as a window has been inserted in recent times and the wall has ivy over much of the elevation. Another window to the right and above the old 1668 entrance doorway has been added. Also worth noting is that Cockett's was a Temperance Hotel at that time! Under the Cockett's name on the sign is the word "Temperance".