Thomas Chippendale - Son of Otley, Cabinet Maker and Forefather of Interior Design This enigmatic, uniquely talented man was born three hundred years ago in Otley in June 1718, the only son of John and Mary Chippendale (Nee Drake). Baptised in All Saints, Otley on 5th...

The appreciation that natural spring water could cure sickness and disease dates back to Roman times and beyond. With the conversion to Christianity 'taking the waters' developed into a religious rite until the reformation, when Henry VIII's government ordered the...

Want to meet a dinosaur called Alan? Then head to The Yorkshire Museum in York. The Museum is set to showcase it's many finds from the Jurassic period in a brand-new exhibition, Yorkshire's Jurassic World. During the Jurassic Period, approximately 150 - 200 million...

If you're out for a stroll on Ilkley Moor - a great place to head for is the Twelve Apostles Stone Circle. It's not quite to the scale of Stonehenge but it is a delightful circle which dates back to the Bronze Age (4500 - 2700 years ago) and is believed to be at least...

In mid-winter, when little else is growing, a walk through a blanket of snowdrops is a delight, and Yorkshire has some spectacular displays to enjoy. The little drops of ‘snow’ signal that spring is just around the corner. The Latin name for the snowdrop, Galanthus...

The Vikings will be on the march around York once again in February 2018! Now recognised as the largest festival dedicated to Vikings in Europe, this is a great chance to get up close and personal with our ancestors! The word Viking actually means the act of sailing...

This is the bicentenary of Emily’s birth and, to be honest, there is no finer time to visit Yorkshire and especially Brontë Country. For myself, and I may be in a minority here, the way to begin your journey with any of the Brontës is to explore the story of the...

Every year in the first week of November, firework displays take place up and down England, from city centre spectaculars to more humble fun in the back garden. This is done in commemoration of a foiled plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament and King James 1 in...

Do you enjoy a pleasant country stroll? How about one with a mystery? Then why not visit the beautiful town of Richmond in North Yorkshire and follow a circular walk from the Castle Gates in the footsteps of the famous Drummer Boy? Though hopefully you’ll get further...

Masham boasts one of the largest and finest market squares in England, famous for its sheep sales where in the past as many as 70,000 sheep were sold each year. The sheep sales were originally held weekly, attracting flocks from the nearby estates of Jervaux and...

PHOTO: The traditional Boxing Day West of Yore Hunt meet in Masham Market Place. The pretty little market town of Masham (pronounced Massem by the locals) lies in Lower Wensleydale and is probably best known for its two craft breweries – Theakstons and Black Sheep....

Photo: Kilnsey Show fell racers stream up the crag One of the great joys of any region, county or dale is when communities get together to celebrate all that they grow, their farmers, their traditions and all that makes a great day out. Here in Yorkshire we have a...

The 2014 Tour de France Grand Départ in Yorkshire showcased some of Yorkshire's finest countryside, villages and towns.  It also paved the way for the Tour de Yorkshire to continue drawing attention to our glorious county, but what of our UNESCO World Heritage sites,...

In June 2017 it is 251 years since Captain Cook made his historic landing in Marlborough Sound in New Zealand. Captain James Cook became a Captain in the British Navy, rising through the ranks after starting as a Mariner and mastering the art of navigation to become a...

In 1976 plans were afoot for the development of the Coppergate Shopping Centre in York. It was agreed that due to York's known abundance of buried treasures, archaeologists should move in prior to the build. What they quickly discovered set the building of the...

You would never expect to find any connection between a Chocolate Orange and some fine furniture, yet Noel Terry – a relative of Joseph Terry who set up a famous chocolate factory in York – spent his lifetime collecting exquisite Georgian clocks and furniture. Terry’s...

PHOTO: Ilkley, below the famous 'Cow and Calf' Rocks Besides being the home of the Yorkshire Anthem ‘On Ilkley Moor Bah Tat’, Ilkley has a long and interesting history from its Roman occupation through to becoming a thriving Victorian Spa Town. Local Blue Badge Guide,...

PHOTO:  A handsome Swaledale Tup (Ram) at the Masham Sheep Fair in the Yorkshire Dales The wealth of medieval England was built on the export of wool to continental Europe, which is why the Lord Speaker even today sits on a wool-sack in the House of Lords. However,...