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...
top of page
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.
​
timbarber
- Aug 7
- 4 min
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....
83 views0 comments
timbarber
- Jul 24
- 3 min
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...
46 views0 comments
timbarber
- Jul 16
- 3 min
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...
128 views0 comments
timbarber
- Jun 23
- 3 min
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...
98 views0 comments
timbarber
- Jun 18
- 4 min
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...
192 views0 comments
timbarber
- May 14
- 2 min
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...
118 views0 comments
timbarber
- Mar 31
- 3 min
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...
146 views1 comment
timbarber
- Mar 20
- 3 min
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...
201 views1 comment
timbarber
- Mar 17
- 5 min
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...
245 views0 comments
timbarber
- Jan 19
- 3 min
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...
52 views0 comments
timbarber
- Jan 4
- 3 min
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...
265 views0 comments
timbarber
- Dec 11, 2022
- 3 min
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...
569 views1 comment
timbarber
- Nov 21, 2022
- 2 min
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...
77 views1 comment
timbarber
- Oct 26, 2022
- 2 min
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...
614 views1 comment
timbarber
- Oct 25, 2022
- 3 min
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...
81 views0 comments
timbarber
- Oct 20, 2022
- 3 min
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...
290 views0 comments
timbarber
- Oct 8, 2022
- 3 min
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...
999 views0 comments
timbarber
- Oct 4, 2022
- 3 min
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...
179 views1 comment
timbarber
- Sep 23, 2022
- 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...
568 views0 comments
timbarber
- Jul 12, 2022
- 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...
448 views0 comments
timbarber
- Jun 28, 2022
- 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...
780 views0 comments
timbarber
- Jun 16, 2022
- 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...
409 views0 comments
timbarber
- Jun 11, 2022
- 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...
154 views0 comments
timbarber
- May 31, 2022
- 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...
182 views0 comments
timbarber
- May 18, 2022
- 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...
480 views0 comments
timbarber
- Apr 13, 2022
- 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...
878 views0 comments
timbarber
- Feb 20, 2022
- 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...
217 views0 comments
timbarber
- Feb 3, 2022
- 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...
264 views0 comments
timbarber
- Jan 25, 2022
- 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...
244 views0 comments
timbarber
- Jan 19, 2022
- 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,...
112 views0 comments
timbarber
- Jan 11, 2022
- 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...
217 views1 comment
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...
282 views1 comment
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...
121 views0 comments
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...
1,665 views1 comment
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...
294 views0 comments
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...
290 views0 comments
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...
485 views0 comments
timbarber
- Oct 4, 2021
- 3 min
The Mystery of Otley's Vacca Wall
I regularly walk my dog on Otley Chevin and walking up from the East Chevin Quarry Car Park to Surprise View, I often pass a long...
176 views0 comments
timbarber
- Aug 2, 2021
- 2 min
Bedale Leech House – the UK’s only surviving leech house
Whilst driving up to Bamburgh for a few days break with my wife, we decided to stop in Bedale for a bit of lunch. Looking at a tourist...
399 views0 comments
timbarber
- Jul 23, 2021
- 3 min
Toft Gate Lime Kiln - a window into Nidderdale's industrial past
On the road between Pateley Bridge and Grassington just outside Greenhow lies a curious structure with the remnants of a stack chimney...
188 views0 comments
timbarber
- Jul 8, 2021
- 2 min
The Druid’s Temple – Yorkshire’s Stonehenge or an 18th century Folly?
Nestled in the woodland close to Swinton Bivouac on the Swinton Park Estate lies a huge stone circle which looks like the sort of...
849 views0 comments
timbarber
- Jun 30, 2021
- 3 min
Barwick in Elmet’s Iron Age Hill Fort and Motte Bailey Castle
After visiting a friend in Barwick in Elmet, I remembered years ago he’d mentioned the remains of a motte bailey castle behind the local...
316 views0 comments
timbarber
- Jun 11, 2021
- 4 min
The Cragg Vale Coiners Walk from Christopher Goddard’s illustrated map
I’ve recently blogged about the infamous Cragg Vale Coiners, who in the 1760’s from the remote moorland above Mytholmroyd, embarked on a...
5,318 views0 comments
timbarber
- May 15, 2021
- 6 min
The Yorkshire 3 Peaks Challenge - 65,000 steps in a day!
One of the famous walking challenges in Yorkshire is The Yorkshire Three Peaks. It’s a walk of 24.5 miles but with 5200 feet (1585m) of...
1,158 views0 comments
timbarber
- May 2, 2021
- 2 min
Leeds Bridge House – a bit of New York in Leeds
I’ve been lucky enough to have visited New York, most recently in 2019 with Visit Britain on a trade mission to promote Yorkshire to US...
1,659 views1 comment
timbarber
- Apr 28, 2021
- 3 min
The Chapel of St. Mary Magdelan - a Medieval Hospital and Leper Chapel in Ripon
I had read about a Leper Hospital in Ripon, so last summer having dropped off some overseas visitors at The Old Deanery next to Ripon...
220 views0 comments
timbarber
- Apr 14, 2021
- 5 min
Roseberry Topping & The Captain Cook Monument – walk from Great Ayton
The distinctive hill on the edge of the North York Moors has become an iconic landmark, particularly after part of the previously flat...
771 views0 comments
timbarber
- Apr 5, 2021
- 3 min
The Multangular Tower - an insight into Roman York
With lockdown restrictions starting to ease, I have been lucky over the past week, to have completed 3 virtual tours of York for US...
169 views1 comment
timbarber
- Apr 3, 2021
- 5 min
A desolate past industrial lead mining landscape – a loop walk from Gunnerside
With the stay at home restriction being released on the previous Monday, I was desperate to get out and back up to the Yorkshire Dales....
610 views0 comments
bottom of page