I am going to write this now to be topical and add pictures when I get some at a later date.(I've done it. Just click on enlarger to see Minster in distance and also windmill ruins) Or just google some pictures of Beverley East Yorkshire, to get the idea. Frances(Carpet Full of Holes)is doing an autobiog and was born in Beverley which is a town very near to where I live. As she was probably very small when she was there and can't remember what it was like I thought I would fill her in on a few details.
Beverley is an old East Yorkshire market town with a large Minster. A bit like York, but on a smaller scale. We often go walking the dogs on Beverley Westwood which is a oak tree surrounded pasture with views of Beverley and the Minster nestling in the valley. It is a picture-postcard perfect English country town with many old medieval buildings, a market place (where on occasions Morris Dancers can be seen plying their trade, seem to have a good time, like their beer, I think the dancing is just an excuse) cobbled streets, medieval arches to drive through and many Olde English pubs, called things like 'The Rose and Crown' and 'The White Hart'.
There is one of the most atmospheric pubs I have ever been in here called Nellies. It is called Nellies because orginally it used to be Nelly's front room and she brewed her own beer and bustled about in her skirts as she used to pour the foaming brew out of a jug for the visiting yeomanry. The mirrors are so old they are black and the walls are nicotine stained brown, and the floors are flag stones, but no longer have straw on them. The building is so old that the outside walls are bowed and I often point them out to my kids as we go past and they marvel that the building is still standing.
I got married here at the Registry Office and had the reception in a hotel next to the Registry Office called The Lairgate. My son Jack was born in a cottage hospital overlooking the Westwood, and I once had a job cleaning some of the huge Edwardian villas surrounding it. Shockingly dirty, some of them, but the upper classes don't usually bother about that sort of thing, it is usually the lower orders who are rather cleaner.
The Westwood is hilly and has woods and an old quarry which is now overgrown. If I were to meet my maker tomorrow I want a bench here near the wood overlooking the Minster with 'Beverley' on it as a memorial. Though obviously they would need to put a few more details on it or people would think it had just been left by the Council. Jack tested his toddler legs on its inclines. There are lots of bullocks ambling about and stopping the traffic like they own the place. On Bonfire night there are fireworks here and it is super scary as, it being open countryside, it is pitch black so it is a military operation getting the kids back to the car among the crowds and heaven help you if you were to let go of one of their hands. Also a racecourse which has a kite festival and where you can buy kites which actually fly.
Beverley is an old East Yorkshire market town with a large Minster. A bit like York, but on a smaller scale. We often go walking the dogs on Beverley Westwood which is a oak tree surrounded pasture with views of Beverley and the Minster nestling in the valley. It is a picture-postcard perfect English country town with many old medieval buildings, a market place (where on occasions Morris Dancers can be seen plying their trade, seem to have a good time, like their beer, I think the dancing is just an excuse) cobbled streets, medieval arches to drive through and many Olde English pubs, called things like 'The Rose and Crown' and 'The White Hart'.
There is one of the most atmospheric pubs I have ever been in here called Nellies. It is called Nellies because orginally it used to be Nelly's front room and she brewed her own beer and bustled about in her skirts as she used to pour the foaming brew out of a jug for the visiting yeomanry. The mirrors are so old they are black and the walls are nicotine stained brown, and the floors are flag stones, but no longer have straw on them. The building is so old that the outside walls are bowed and I often point them out to my kids as we go past and they marvel that the building is still standing.
I got married here at the Registry Office and had the reception in a hotel next to the Registry Office called The Lairgate. My son Jack was born in a cottage hospital overlooking the Westwood, and I once had a job cleaning some of the huge Edwardian villas surrounding it. Shockingly dirty, some of them, but the upper classes don't usually bother about that sort of thing, it is usually the lower orders who are rather cleaner.
The Westwood is hilly and has woods and an old quarry which is now overgrown. If I were to meet my maker tomorrow I want a bench here near the wood overlooking the Minster with 'Beverley' on it as a memorial. Though obviously they would need to put a few more details on it or people would think it had just been left by the Council. Jack tested his toddler legs on its inclines. There are lots of bullocks ambling about and stopping the traffic like they own the place. On Bonfire night there are fireworks here and it is super scary as, it being open countryside, it is pitch black so it is a military operation getting the kids back to the car among the crowds and heaven help you if you were to let go of one of their hands. Also a racecourse which has a kite festival and where you can buy kites which actually fly.
13 comments:
Wow Bev
Thanks - do you know I have never been back since I was a baby? sounds lovely. I shall have to ask my Mum the details of where they lived and all the rest.
When I was younger, I always got funny looks when asked place of birth and said Beverley, people thought I'd misunderstood and was telling them my second name. hur hur.
I appreciate that and look forward to some pics later.
Where were you born?
Harrogate, North Yorkshire, but spent the first five years of my life in Knaresborough, North Yorkshire.
You're welcome. I was trying to put some pics on from google but as usual couldn't manage it. I know you will try and tell me how to do it but honestly I can't manage things like this. Great pics of the town and also artists have obviously been on the Westwood as there are pictures of knarled oaks. Very atmospheric woodlands there, bluebells in spring etc.
Actually, quite interesting. If you care to use the google facility you will see that there are lots of villages round the Harrogate area with my maiden name. I come from an old Yorkshire family with villages named after them! Also once went round a churchyard in one of the villages and became aquainted with some of my ancestors. All farmers, though a lot of money was lost and my Dad's father worked in the post office. His father was a joiner but still lived in a huge stone farm house. But my Dad was very bright and ended up on a scholarship to a public school....
On the other side, quite far back, some aristocrats, and my great great grandfather owned a mill in Leeds, so a wealthy industrialist. Quite a few dark secrets and my great grandmother completely disappeared from view and was never spoken of again and my grandad was brought up by an aunt. Dark hints as to the reasons..I once went on one of those ancestor sites but they are a bit of a con as soon as you start to find out anything remotely interesting they ask you for more money. Great reading the census's and reading the list of names like ten kids in one house and imagining your Victorian ancestors.
I have enjoyed writing this for my own amusement, sorry to go on so much. Anyway we have just got Sky and Mark is watching a lot of boring programmes about cars and fishing so this gives me something to do....lol
and Mark being occupied gives you more time online - eh?
I haven't been to Harrogate for ages, when I was living in Bradford for a few months in the 70s before I went to Cambridge tech, I worked with an American woman who lived in Harrogate.
My Dad's family were from Topcliffe / East Rounton and around there but my grandad got work in Bradford as a gardener for one of the rich people there, the Fattorinis so they moved there and stayed.
Used to sometimes visit Bradford on the bus when I used to live in Leeds. Very scenic bus ride but Bradford itself is not one of the most attractive of cities. Lots of grey stone buildings, I seem to remember.
God, this ancestor stuff is all so interesting. I'm going to write a best selling novel about Victorian ancestor's and dark secrets on my new laptop.
What a perfect sounding place. I'd love to see Beverley myself. It sounds like "England"!
I used to go to Leeds to the BierKellar
well - I did it twice and didn't really want to go again!
The centre of Bradford is okay and once they cleaned up all the black walls, some of the old Mills and so on looked quite attractive. But I do remember how black it was when we first used to go there on our holidays when I was a little girl - and the air full of smuts and grit... and the side alleys had some sort of black coaly stuff on them instead of paving - until they stopped everyone using coal! Eeh lass! Them were't days!
Yes, the stones were black, as opposed to grey, even when I was there. But I didn't put that, at it seemed highly unlikely. Certain amounts of noble Victorian architecture. I shoudn't really be critising, after all, I live in Hull....
And why not criticise? I don't think Bradford is particularly known for being picturesque! tee hee
Lovely pics of the countryside, BTW - and I can see the Minster and the windmill. Thanks for posting.
it's beautiful there. i've been to yorkshire, but it was many years ago. i don't remember it being this pretty--i must have been in a different part.
Hi Bev, don't forget to pick up your award at my place!
Laurie, the scenery is lovely, sometimes the towns are a bit grim as it is very industrial. This place was at the heart of the industrial revolution.
well, that just makes it all the more interesting, i think.
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