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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History & Landscape
This section of my blog will provide information and stories about Yorkshire's extensive history and heritage. From Jurassic fossils, bronze age stone circles and roman remains, through to the Normans, Tudors, Georgians & Victorians as well as more modern day industrial archaeology - there are so many tales to tell.
We also have many historic houses and gardens, towns and cities. The Queen's father George VI once said "The history of York is the history of England" - so we will also be featuring many blogs about this historic city.
As well as history I also wanted to cover Yorkshire's heritage from traditions, past industries and folklore. With Yorkshire fondly known as "God's own county" due to its heavenly landscape, we will also cover the stunning scenery and Yorkshire's many beautiful locations, exploring how the geology, geographical events and mans influence has helped shape the landscape.
There are lots of articles about Landscape & History below. I hope you find them interesting and please feel free to leave your feedback or share them on social media.
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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Sep 8, 20235 min read
The Battle of Stamford Bridge – the end of the Viking era & its impact on the Norman Conquest
When you mention Stamford Bridge to most people, they always seem to associate the name with the home of Chelsea Football Club down in...
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Aug 7, 20234 min read
A walk past Danby Castle and up and over Danby Rigg with standing stones and heather in bloom
We were looking for a shortish walk from the North York Moors National Park visitor centre as my wife was recovering from a nasty cold....
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Jul 24, 20233 min read
Cawthorn Roman Camp - remnants from the Roman Expire outside Pickering
Close to Pickering lies the historic site of Cawthorn Roman Camps. Roman Yorkshire has always fascinated me and so on a rare day off on...
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Jul 16, 20233 min read
Hubberholme Church and its rare monastic Rood Loft
In the Middle ages some important churches in England had what is now known as a Rood Loft. These structures were usually situated above...
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Jun 23, 20233 min read
The Wagoners’ Memorial near Sledmere House - a monument to the local men who lost their lives in WW1
In the heart of the Yorkshire Wolds just outside Sledmere is a distinctive Grade I listed war memorial in a squat columnar shape which...
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Jun 18, 20234 min read
Brimham Rocks – man made or natural - how this iconic rock formation came to be?
In Nidderdale not far from Pateley Bridge is the National Trust site of Brimham Rocks. This collection of dramatic, weirdly shaped rocks...
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May 14, 20232 min read
Beggars Bridge – a labour of love (literally) in the North York Moors
On the road to Egton Bridge in the Esk Valley lies the village of Glaisdale. On the edge of the village lies an old bridge known locally...
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Mar 31, 20233 min read
St.Gregory’s Minster – and its unique Anglo-Saxon Sundial
On my tours of the North York Moors, I often make a little detour to Kirkdale to show my guests a little hidden gem of a church with a...
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Mar 20, 20233 min read
Prince William of Hatfield – York Minster’s only Royal tomb
You would think that Northern Europe’s largest Gothic cathedral and England’s second most important religious building would be home to a...
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Mar 17, 20235 min read
Castle Hill near Huddersfield – a scheduled monument with over 4000 years history
Just to the South of Huddersfield on a raised area of land near Almondsbury lies Castle Hill. Perched on top of the hill is Victoria...
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Jan 19, 20233 min read
The Cutlers Hall in Sheffield & discovering the 400 year history of The Company of Cutlers
I was lucky enough to get a private tour of the Cutlers Hall in Sheffield by the Beadle. What a fascinating story not only hearing about...
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Jan 4, 20233 min read
Cartimandua - Queen of the Brigantes - a powerful Briton in Roman times
Everyone seems to have heard about Boudicea, the warrior queen who led her army against the Romans. But very few people have heard about...
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Dec 11, 20223 min read
The Rudston Monolith – did you know the tallest ancient megalith in the UK is in Yorkshire?
I’ve always had an interest in pre-history, regularly walking my dog up on Rombald’s Moor near Ilkley and exploring the cup and ring...
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Nov 21, 20222 min read
Saltaire United Reformed Church – a Cathedral of Congregationalism
A real architectural gem – Saltaire’s beautiful United Reformed Church (originally Saltaire Congregationa Church) can be found in the...
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Oct 26, 20222 min read
The Original Oak & The Skyrack pubs in Headingley and their Viking origins!
As a former Leeds student, I spent many a happy hour in the Oak and the Skyrack in Headingley. Now visits are restricted to a few pints...
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Oct 25, 20223 min read
Yockenthwaite Stone Circle – ceremonial site, burial mound or medieval sheep pen?
I regularly take visitors into Yockenthwaite on my All Creatures Great and Small tours, to show them Yockenthwaite Farm which plays...
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Oct 20, 20223 min read
York Minster's Bell Founders Window - a blatant medieval advertisement
York Minster is unique in the fact that it holds over 60% of all the medieval stained glass in England and the largest collection of...
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Oct 8, 20223 min read
Ever wondered why is there a Polar Bear sitting above Holland & Barrett near the bridge in Whitby?
Tens of thousands of people flock to Whitby every year to visit this historic fishing town on the Yorkshire Coast. Many cross the swing...
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Oct 4, 20223 min read
The Gibbet - Halifax's violent execution machine
Public torture and execution was pretty common during the medieval period. Beheadings were often carried out in public and in England...
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Sep 23, 20222 min read
York Minster's Sinister Doomstone
One of the strangest of York Minster’s many statues, monuments and carvings is that of the Doomstone. Sitting in the Crypt below the High...
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Jul 12, 20224 min read
The Treasurers House, York – Frank Green’s palace of entertainment
This historic town house with award winning garden in the centre of York has many tales to tell…. But before we start the tale of the...
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Jun 28, 20224 min read
Lastingham Church and its ancient Crypt
In the beautiful picture postcard village of Lastingham, on the edge of the North York Moors, opposite one of my favourite village pubs...
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Jun 16, 20223 min read
Sir Thomas Fairfax – an Ilkley man bringing discipline and integrity to the English Civil War
Playing a significant role in the Parliamentarian victory in the English Civil War, Sir Thomas Fairfax is still far less well known than...
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Jun 11, 20222 min read
Barker Tower – a little tower with a big history
I regularly pass the little round tower known as Barker Tower just to the edge of Lendal Bridge in York whilst taking clients out on...
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May 31, 20223 min read
Swaledale’s beautiful wildflower meadows
I’m just back from walking the Herriot Way, a 52 mile hike through Wensleydale and Swaledale. Doing the walk in late May we were blessed...
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May 18, 20223 min read
The Medieval Frescoes in St. Peter & St. Paul’s Church in Pickering
With an hour to kill before my guests were to board the North York Railway in Pickering for a trip to Whitby on the heritage railway I...
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Apr 13, 20223 min read
The Black Prince in Leeds City Square
Having lived in Leeds or close by since my student days – one landmark in the City centre has always stood out. Sitting proudly on top of...
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Feb 20, 20222 min read
What is a Minster?
As a Tour Guide, I regularly guide in York and York Minster is always part of the itinerary. I spent weeks in there training for my...
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Feb 3, 20223 min read
The Chapel of Our Lady of the Crag - a hidden gem in Knaresborough
One of the strangest and most interesting historic sites in the region is The Chapel of Our Lady of the Crag, a small chapel carved into...
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Jan 25, 20223 min read
York’s Anglian Tower – Top of Historic-UK’s most interesting historical sites in England
Hidden away behind York’s library and just outside Museum Gardens is a real historical treasure which I discovered thanks to the author...
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Jan 19, 20223 min read
Muker Literary Institute – a place of Victorian self-improvement in Swaledale
On my Yorkshire Dales tours, I often drive along the many traditional Yorkshire villages along Swaledale. Small quaint stone cottages,...
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Jan 11, 20223 min read
Buttertubs Pass & The Buttertubs - What's in a name?
One of the most famous roads in Yorkshire is Buttertubs Pass, the high road between Wensleydale and Swaledale with fantastic views over...
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