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Browse the latest posts from the Yorkshire’s Best Guides Blog.
Wentworth Woodhouse – A Star is Reborn
“Darling some guests have invited themselves over to stay” “Splendid, who is it?” “Why it’s only the King and Queen of England!!!” This was probably a conversation which did not take place in 1912, the year King George V and Queen Mary decided to visit the industrial...
Alcuin of York – Lighting up the Dark Ages with a bit of brain training
In Anglo Saxon times it seems that Alcuin from York was known throughout Northern Europe. His story started at an early Minster in York where he established a school and a library with a treasure trove of manuscripts. York was soon sacked by the Vikings and then the...
A Turkish Bath in North Yorkshire
Harrogate Turkish Baths – Step back in time for some well-deserved rest and relaxation! Ever since the first spring was found in Harrogate in the 1500’s, Harrogate has been known for its water treatments eventually becoming England’s biggest Spa town. During the late...
The History of Alum Production and it’s links to the Yorkshire Coast
Alum has been mentioned throughout history from Egyptian, Indian and Chinese dynasties from Before Christ. It had many uses in chemistry, medicine, metallurgy (including removing impurities in gold production and turning iron into copper). Even dating back to 23AD...
THE SHAMBLES IN YORK – DIAGON ALLEY?
It was mentioned in Domesday Book in 1086 but the present York street we call the Shambles is clearly later. The houses were built of wide timber frames although the framing is now covered by plaster or hidden by brick frontages. Nobody comes to York without...
Walking in Yorkshire
Beautiful vistas, vast expanses of wild moorland, delightful villages, secluded dales, rugged coastline – Yorkshire, “God’s own County” really does have it all! So, if you’re a keen long-distance walker or even if you’re more of a stroll-and- teashop person, why not...
York’s Chocolate Festival & the £500 Easter Egg
York, City of Chocolate has been a centre for this delicious confectionary for over 100 years and continues to celebrate chocolate in all its forms. This Easter, York’s Chocolate Festival comes back to Parliament street, Thursday 18th to Monday 22nd April 2019 (Easter...
The Bar Convent Living Heritage Centre, York
My favourite place in York is passed by thousands of visitors and commuters every month. Just a stone’s throw from the magnificent Micklegate bar is a beautiful Georgian house on the corner which often goes unnoticed. On the wall there is a plaque dedicated to Mary...
2019: A Celebration of Patrick Brontë
As part of the Brontë 200 celebrations, the Brontë Society has announced 2019 as the year for celebrating the life and times of Patrick Brontë, the ‘Father of Genius’, to borrow a title from Dudley Green. The Brontë story is the story of England’s most famous literary...
The oldest horse race in England – The Kiplingcotes Derby
We have a saying in Yorkshire: “There’s nowt so queer as folk” and one of our more eccentric traditions certainly bears this out.Yorkshire is well-known for its love of horse racing – we have nine fantastic courses dedicated to the Sport of Kings – but the...
George Hudson – York’s Railway King
George Hudson - York's Railway King Do you ever look at the map and wonder why the main London to Newcastle and then Edinburgh rail line goes significantly east to pass through York? George Hudson was the charismatic self - made businessman who had the drive and...
Ripon Workhouse Museum – My Favourite Place
My favourite place is Ripon Workhouse Museum. This interesting … Read More
The ‘Glorious Twelfth’
The 'Glorious Twelfth' - 12th August Britain's 121-day-long grouse shooting season always begins on August 12th each year. It has been an integral part of the countryside calendar for decades, although having once been an aristocratic hobby, it's increasingly at the...
Egton Bridge Gooseberry Show
Egton Bridge Gooseberry Show - 8th August 2018 Nestled deep in the North York Moors National Park, but only eight miles from the delightful seaside town of Whitby, is the picturesque village of Egton Bridge, a small settlement alongside the tranquil River Esk and...
The Secrets of Silkstone
If I ask you to think of a picturesque area in England with rolling countryside, stately churches and mansions and an abundance of reminders of the past South Yorkshire may not be the first to spring to mind. And yet this part of the country has all those - as yet...
The Snickelways of York
No visit to the magnificent City of York would be complete without an exploration of some of the 50 medieval Snickelways (alleyways) dotted around the City. The term Snickelway was first used by the author Mark W Jones who in 1983 produced an outstanding guidebook "A...
Yorkshire Minsters
I am lucky enough to work in York Minster, arguably the most famous Minster in England and the question I get asked the most is "What is a Minster?". The simplest answer I can give is it is a centre for teaching about God and Christianity. It's an old English word -...
Denby Dale and its Giant Pies
In a quiet village by the river between Huddersfield and Barnsley an incredible history of pie making is quietly and proudly celebrated. This idyllic spot was once a thriving industrial area. During that period of prosperity, a tradition was born that has led to the...