The photo above, which seems to have been taken from the top of St Mary's Church, shows the wonderful hustle and bustle of Masham Fair 100 years ago. 

The image forms part of a larger collection of 50 vintage photocards that local collector, Clive Torrens, has loaned to Tennants Auctioneers for an exhibition depicting Masham and Swinton. 

The photographs date back to the Edwardian era, and the majority were taken by Masham photographer G Metcalfe and Leyburn journalist and photographer J.B Smithson.

The postcards, which will be reproduced in a larger size for the exhibition, offer an insight into daily life in Masham and Swinton 100 years ago, and provide an interesting comparison to the towns today.

A hundred years on, much of Masham market square has been transformed into a car park and the surroundings are full of shops, cafes and pubs. 

The exhibition offers locals and tourists alike the opportunity to see Masham and Swinton in a time long gone, before mass tourism and The Dales evolved into what they are today. 

The exhibition, titled Postcards from Swaledale, will be open from January 27 to February 15 between 9am and 5pm in Tennants' Garden Rooms in Leyburn.

The Garden Rooms venue is associated with Tennants Auctioneers, and often the private collections that are displayed in their exhibitions come up for sale in Tennants’ Stamps, Postcards and Postal History Sales.

Whilst it is unknown whether or not Clive Torrens' collection will one day be available for auction, it can be guaranteed that other interesting fragments of history will be up for grabs.

Tennants' next auction is on May 1.