Thwaite is a small village in the Yorkshire Dales, North Yorkshire, England. It was the home and birthplace of Richard and Cherry Kearton, who were pioneers in wildlife photography at the end of the 19th century. The Kearton name lives on in the Kearton tea rooms and guesthouse in the centre of the village. The name "Thwaite" comes from the Old Scandinavian word thveit, meaning 'clearing, meadow or paddock'.