History

Kilnsey Crag - an iconic Yorkshire landmark popular with climbers, fell runners and tourists

timbarber

Dec 25 min read

Kilnsey Crag - an iconic Yorkshire landmark popular with climbers, fell runners and tourists

One of the most iconic landmarks in the Yorkshire Dales is Kilnsey Crag. Located in Wharfedale between Grassington and Kettlewell,

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The ancient tradition of Whitby’s Penny Hedge

timbarber

Nov 292 min read

The ancient tradition of Whitby’s Penny Hedge

But perhaps the strangest tradition from Whitby’s history is that of the Penny Hedge which legend has it dates back to 1159.

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York’s Ingram Hospital – a 17th century almshouse with a Norman doorway

timbarber

Nov 193 min read

York’s Ingram Hospital – a 17th century almshouse with a Norman doorway

It turns out it was called Ingram Hospital and is one of York’s most important mid-seventeenth century buildings.

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When the Golf’s Ryder Cup came to Leeds…(the first ever tournament on British soil held in 1929!)

timbarber

Nov 123 min read

When the Golf’s Ryder Cup came to Leeds…(the first ever tournament on British soil held in 1929!)

The 2nd Ryder Cup came to Yorkshire and was held at Moortown Golf Club in Leeds. This legacy has meant that Moortown Golf Club still has a t

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Fossil Footprints found at Hardraw Force turned out to be the oldest tracks from an amphibian ever found in the UK

timbarber

Nov 44 min read

Fossil Footprints found at Hardraw Force turned out to be the oldest tracks from an amphibian ever found in the UK

What makes these fossil tacks so important is that previously there were no footprints of these animals of that age in the UK.

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Adam Sedgwick Memorial Dent – a fitting tribute to the “founder of modern geology”

timbarber

Oct 63 min read

Adam Sedgwick Memorial Dent – a fitting tribute to the “founder of modern geology”

Having studied Geography and Geology at The University of Leeds many moons ago, I always doff my cap when passing the Sedgwick Memorial...

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Hard to believe that Hippo’s once roamed around Leeds…

timbarber

Aug 23 min read

Hard to believe that Hippo’s once roamed around Leeds…

In the 1850’s workmen in Wortley near Armley Gyratory found some strange bones whilst digging clay for the local brickworks. The bones were

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St. James Church in Nunburnholme with its ancient stone cross carved by Anglo Saxon and Viking sculptors

timbarber

Jun 174 min read

St. James Church in Nunburnholme with its ancient stone cross carved by Anglo Saxon and Viking sculptors

Nurnburnholme church cross “the finest Anglo Saxon-Viking example of its type in East Yorkshire"

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Selby Abbey’s - its Links to George Washington and the Stars & Stripes Flag

timbarber

May 273 min read

Selby Abbey’s - its Links to George Washington and the Stars & Stripes Flag

It looks like the historic town of Selby can also lay claim to its Abbey being the inspiration for the iconic American flag.

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Aysgarth’s Edwardian Rock Garden – a hidden gem in the Dales

timbarber

Apr 234 min read

Aysgarth’s Edwardian Rock Garden – a hidden gem in the Dales

Not a stop I make on every tour in Wensleydale I do, but last week I had a couple who loved gardens so I thought I would treat them to a...

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The Lilla Cross – the oldest Christian memorial in the North

timbarber

Apr 124 min read

The Lilla Cross – the oldest Christian memorial in the North

High above Fylingdales Moor at a place called Lilla Howe is one of the most important crosses on the North York Moors if not the whole of...

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Wakefield’s Chantry Chapel - one of only 5 surviving bridge chantries in England

timbarber

Mar 253 min read

Wakefield’s Chantry Chapel - one of only 5 surviving bridge chantries in England

With my tour guiding business, I often have cause to take visitors to the Hepworth Sculpture Gallery in Wakefield. From the outside car...

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The Yorkshire Medieval Priory and its part in the WW2 D-Day Landings…

timbarber

Feb 223 min read

The Yorkshire Medieval Priory and its part in the WW2 D-Day Landings…

Either coming back from tours of Whitby or on my way to Castle Howard, I often visit the ruins of Kirkham Priory. Once home to a...

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Goodmanham – a sacred religious site in Pagan times and a turning point in Yorkshire’s spiritual & political history

timbarber

Feb 194 min read

Goodmanham – a sacred religious site in Pagan times and a turning point in Yorkshire’s spiritual & political history

I first came across Goodmanham during lockdown when my wife and I decided to explore the Yorkshire Wolds a bit more. This less well known...

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5 Rise Locks - one of the wonders of the waterways on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal in Bingley

timbarber

Jan 223 min read

5 Rise Locks - one of the wonders of the waterways on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal in Bingley

When it was first opened in the 1700’s, the Leeds & Liverpool Canal helped open up the West of England and the great Port of Liverpool to...

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The Great Survivor! - Ripon Cathedral’s Ancient Saxon Crypt founded in 672

timbarber

Jan 174 min read

The Great Survivor! - Ripon Cathedral’s Ancient Saxon Crypt founded in 672

Whilst York Minster is always seen as the most important church in the North of England, little old Ripon Cathedral can say that it’s...

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Janet’s Foss – one of the prettiest waterfalls in Yorkshire & often used as a screen location

timbarber

Jan 133 min read

Janet’s Foss – one of the prettiest waterfalls in Yorkshire & often used as a screen location

The Malham loop walk in the Yorkshire Dales which takes in the stunning limestone amphitheatre of Malham Cove, the glacial meltwater...

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Wakefield Cathedral’s unique Choir Stalls & Misericords

timbarber

Nov 18, 20233 min read

Wakefield Cathedral’s unique Choir Stalls & Misericords

On a recent tour my corporate guests had a three hour meeting in Wakefield, so after dropping them off I had time to kill. As well as...

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timbarber

Nov 1, 20233 min read

The Marmion Tower in West Tanfield

When you travel on the road between Ripon and Masham, you come to the town of West Tanfield. After crossing the bridge over the River Ure...

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The mystery surrounding the wreck of The Admiral Van Tromp at Saltwick Bay

timbarber

Oct 22, 20232 min read

The mystery surrounding the wreck of The Admiral Van Tromp at Saltwick Bay

One of my favourite places to go fossil hunting, if I get a few days off by the coast is Saltwick Bay. After the walk down the cliffside...

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