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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timbarber
- Sep 23
- 2 min
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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timbarber
- Jul 12
- 4 min
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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timbarber
- Jun 28
- 4 min
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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timbarber
- Jun 16
- 3 min
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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timbarber
- Jun 11
- 2 min
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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timbarber
- May 31
- 3 min
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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timbarber
- May 18
- 3 min
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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timbarber
- Apr 13
- 3 min
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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timbarber
- Feb 20
- 2 min
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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timbarber
- Feb 3
- 3 min
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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timbarber
- Jan 25
- 3 min
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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timbarber
- Jan 19
- 3 min
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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timbarber
- Jan 11
- 3 min
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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timbarber
- Dec 25, 2021
- 12 min
The Yorkshire’s festive celebrations through the ages
Winter Solstice We have to look back much further than the nativity to start exploring the origins of winter festive celebrations. In...
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timbarber
- Dec 14, 2021
- 4 min
Sandal Castle – believed to have inspired a nursery rhyme and its link to the War of the Roses
Sitting a few miles outside Wakefield are the ruined remains of Sandal Castle. There is not much of the stonework left but the moat and...
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timbarber
- Dec 11, 2021
- 4 min
Ribblehead Viaduct - the fascinating story behind this Yorkshire icon
One of the most iconic sights in Yorkshire has to be the huge viaduct stretching 400 metres across the Ribble Valley which forms part of...
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timbarber
- Nov 23, 2021
- 2 min
Shedding some light on Beamsley Beacon
Most people head out from Ilkley up onto the Moors above White Wells or The Cow and Calf, but walking up on the Moors over the other side...
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timbarber
- Nov 18, 2021
- 2 min
Masham's Rare Anglo Saxon Cross Shaft
On my tours of the Yorkshire Dales, I often stop in Masham sitting on the River Ure to show guests around the town before heading into...
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timbarber
- Oct 17, 2021
- 2 min
Leeds Wagon Lifting Tower - remnants of Leeds railway heritage
My pal Glen has a restaurant just off Wellington Street called The Good Luck Club. The area is in a newly developed, vibrant part of...
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