Celts, cathedrals and castles that aren’t really castles—Yorkshire’s a history buff wonderland.
Day 7 of my grand adventure brought me to the English region of Yorkshire, which is currently divided into four separate counties (North, South, West and East Riding of Yorkshire). Yorkshire has acquired the nickname “Gods Own County”; with its unspoiled national parks and incredible vistas around every turn in the road, it’s easy for me to see why they call it that!
Yorkshire, like much of England, is chock-full of history. Yorkshire’s landscape practically vibrates with influence from the Celts, Romans, Anglo-Saxons, Vikings, and Normans. The county still bears marks from the War of the Roses, the English Civil War, and even more recent events that didn’t involve so much stabbing. It’s tough not to feel the gravity of the past here.
Google Maps The route I took on Day 7 of my crazy adventure.
Having already been to the big hot spot in Yorkshire (the old city of York) I made stops at Beverley in the East Riding of Yorkshire, Castle Howard and the seaside town of Scarborough in North Yorkshire.
Stop 1: Beverley
Beverley was a quiet town that did not seem much different from most of the other English towns I had seen so far on my adventure. Founded in 700 CE by Saint John of Beverley (during the Anglo-Saxon period in the long-defunct kingdom of Northumbria), Beverley’s ancient streets are still paved with bricks, and medieval Gothic churches still grace the city’s skyline just as they do in much of England.
However, Beverley carries a quirky spark under its standard facade. Home to one of the last pubs in the world still using authentic gas lighting, the town simultaneously is known for having the UK’s oldest grammar school…and hosting a huge puppet festival every 2 years.
The Gothic masterpiece of Beverley Minster.
It was so awesome I couldn’t fit it into one picture.
Beverley Minster owes its origin and probably its overall awesomeness to its founder Saint John of Beverley, who founded a monastery here around 700 CE. His bones, which abide quietly under a plaque in the nave, brought in some major coin which funded the extravagant Gothic cathedral. If the design looks somewhat familiar to some, it’s because Westminster Abbey jacked the design for the front twin towers from Beverley Minster.
Fancy, fancy nave at Beverley Minster.
The quire (choir area). The gloominess just added to the ambiance.
One of my favorite things about Beverley Minster: the effigy in the middle of the gift shop.
Stop 2: Castle Howard
The Baroque Masterpiece that is Castle Howard.
Castle Howard is not that image that comes to mind when one thinks of a castle, but the term “castle” stuck around for those fancy country houses of the gentry after the castle age ended in Britain. Castle Howard has been the home of the Howard family for over 300 years and has been featured in the movie Brideshead Revised. (One of these days, I will actually watch that.)
Wouldn’t you like to eat something outrageously expensive in this fancy dining room?
Not sure I would want someone walking through my bedroom like this, but the Howard family probably needs the money for upkeep…
The Howard family built their castle in the early 1700s, in an over-the-top style we now call Baroque. If you visit, you’ll notice cute little cherubs, columns and frescoes dotting the property, as well as a huge dome in the middle of the house. The practitioners of Baroque style were not big believers in understatement.
The Castle Howard dome was severely damaged from a 1940 fire and had to be partially rebuilt.
There are matching staircases on both sides of the atrium, reminding you to be fancier.
Unfortunately, a large part of the house was destroyed by a fire in 1940. The house has since only been partially restored, but those parts are open to the public.
The family’s chapel.
Castle Howard sits on a vast estate, which naturally includes a formal garden right behind the house. One of the prominent features is the Atlas Fountain, along with other sculptures that line a grassy path to the Temple of the Four Winds at the end of the garden.
The Atlas Fountain.
The Temple of the Four Winds.
Castle Howard makes a great escape into 18th-century English high society, if you’re into that sort of thing.
Stop 3: Scarborough
Scarborough is a quiet town that has been a seaside resort since the 17th century when a stream of acidic water was found leading to the town’s first spa. More visitors came as the centuries passed on by. Even today Scarborough is a popular destination for long weekends or mid-week breaks during the summer.
The beach on the north side of the headlands.
However, Scarborough is more than just a spa town; there is so much history here! Supposedly Scarborough was founded by a Viking raider in the 10th century, although no proof of this exists. But we do know that the Romans were here, leaving behind a signal station on the headland that now hosts the ruins of the 12th century Scarborough Castle.
Scarborough Castle, located on the headlands that jut out into the sea in the middle of town. It’s INCREDIBLY gusty up there.
Located on the headlands on the road up to the castle is the 12th century Church of St. Mary. St. Mary’s played an important role in the English Civil War when it was used as a parliamentary base for the troops to launch attacks on the castle. During the siege parts of the church were severely damaged. Parts were rebuilt. While others were left in ruins that can now be seen in the churchyard.
St. Mary’s Church which is located along the road to the castle.
The restored nave of St. Mary’s Church. Much, much shorter than it used to be.
My favorite thing about this church is the neat plaques on the walls of the side wings.
Scarborough is probably the proudest of the fact that the writer Anne Bronte (The Tenant of Wildfell Hall) lies buried in the graveyard of St. Mary’s Church. Not only is there a plaque of the spot where she died in 1849 at the Grand Hotel, her tomb is marked with two tombstones.
Tomb of writer Anne Bronte (The Tenant of Wildfell Hall), which I randomly found in Scarborough, England.
Yorkshire is one of my most favorite areas in Great Britain, and I couldn’t even come close to fitting all the great sites into a single day. But if you happen to be in the area, Beverley, Castle Howard, Scarborough, and the medieval city of York are great places to start your own journey.
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Start at the beginning of my 30 days around Great Britain!
