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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.
A Brief history of Clifford's Tower in York
We are talking about Clifford’s Tower, which has played a major part in the history of York for nearly a thousand years.
timbarber
Feb 73 min read
173 views
4 comments
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,
timbarber
Dec 2, 20245 min read
175 views
1 comment
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.
timbarber
Nov 29, 20242 min read
191 views
0 comments
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.
timbarber
Nov 19, 20243 min read
121 views
0 comments
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
timbarber
Nov 12, 20243 min read
390 views
136 comments
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.
timbarber
Nov 4, 20244 min read
103 views
0 comments
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...
timbarber
Oct 6, 20243 min read
347 views
0 comments
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
timbarber
Aug 2, 20243 min read
322 views
0 comments
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"
timbarber
Jun 17, 20244 min read
552 views
0 comments
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.
timbarber
May 27, 20243 min read
380 views
1 comment
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...
timbarber
Apr 23, 20244 min read
860 views
2 comments
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...
timbarber
Apr 12, 20244 min read
734 views
0 comments
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...
timbarber
Mar 25, 20243 min read
705 views
0 comments
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...
timbarber
Feb 22, 20243 min read
538 views
1 comment
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...
timbarber
Feb 19, 20244 min read
1,325 views
2 comments
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...
timbarber
Jan 22, 20243 min read
591 views
0 comments
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...
timbarber
Jan 17, 20244 min read
1,363 views
0 comments
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...
timbarber
Jan 13, 20243 min read
1,537 views
1 comment
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...
timbarber
Nov 18, 20233 min read
242 views
0 comments
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...
timbarber
Nov 1, 20233 min read
348 views
0 comments
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...
timbarber
Oct 22, 20232 min read
1,251 views
1 comment
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...
timbarber
Sep 8, 20235 min read
2,822 views
0 comments
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....
timbarber
Aug 7, 20234 min read
762 views
0 comments
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...
timbarber
Jul 24, 20233 min read
665 views
0 comments
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...
timbarber
Jul 16, 20233 min read
1,030 views
0 comments
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...
timbarber
Jun 23, 20233 min read
355 views
0 comments
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...
timbarber
Jun 18, 20234 min read
1,695 views
0 comments
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...
timbarber
May 14, 20232 min read
505 views
0 comments
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...
timbarber
Mar 31, 20233 min read
618 views
1 comment
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...
timbarber
Mar 20, 20233 min read
899 views
1 comment
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...
timbarber
Mar 17, 20235 min read
1,823 views
0 comments
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...
timbarber
Jan 19, 20233 min read
420 views
0 comments
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...
timbarber
Jan 4, 20233 min read
701 views
0 comments
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...
timbarber
Dec 11, 20223 min read
2,716 views
1 comment
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...
timbarber
Nov 21, 20222 min read
209 views
1 comment
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...
timbarber
Oct 26, 20222 min read
1,443 views
1 comment
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...
timbarber
Oct 25, 20223 min read
510 views
0 comments
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...
timbarber
Oct 20, 20223 min read
968 views
0 comments
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...
timbarber
Oct 8, 20223 min read
6,596 views
0 comments
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...
timbarber
Oct 4, 20223 min read
611 views
1 comment
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...
timbarber
Sep 23, 20222 min read
3,603 views
0 comments
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...
timbarber
Jul 12, 20224 min read
826 views
0 comments
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...
timbarber
Jun 28, 20224 min read
2,939 views
0 comments
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...
timbarber
Jun 16, 20223 min read
794 views
0 comments
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...
timbarber
Jun 11, 20222 min read
368 views
0 comments
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...
timbarber
May 31, 20223 min read
652 views
0 comments
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...
timbarber
May 18, 20223 min read
2,070 views
0 comments
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...
timbarber
Apr 13, 20223 min read
4,176 views
1 comment
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...
timbarber
Feb 20, 20222 min read
812 views
0 comments
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...
timbarber
Feb 3, 20223 min read
707 views
0 comments
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