TOP 10. Best Tourist Attractions in Wakefield, England
TOP 10. Best Tourist Attractions and Beautiful Places in Wakefield, England:
National Coal Mining Museum, Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Newmillerdam Country Park, Nostell Priory and Parkland, The Hepworth Wakefield, Wakefield Cathedral, Wakefield Museum, Sandal Castle, Theatre Royal Wakefield, Chantry Chapel of St Mary
RYHILL: Wakefield Parish #10 of 30
Rycroft. Put that name into Google Maps and you won't find this parish, but trust me, that name is synonymous with this entire area. That's because it's a shortened version of this parish's name, amalgamated with the neighbours which you've already seen. Once known as Rihella, and known as being agricultural, the industries in this area once again centred around coal mining.
One of this parish's most iconic landmarks is something we can't actually access because you'll only find it a private field. That comes in the form of a well head which supplied water to the priory at nearby Nostell, possibly built in 1520. Even though a tourist attraction, it's only accessible with the permission of the farmer - and at the time of filming, the farmer in question had issues with Covid-19.
Regardless, there's still loads to see, like the site of the old railway station at the end of Ferry Top Lane, a magnificent church which serves the parish and three of the other villages around it - a church which I did get access to the interior of as well thanks to the kindness of the church warden too! There's also the excellent war memorial in the cemetery, technically one of two this village possesses.
The village, as a former mining area is quite varied these days despite the social struggles that have cropped up as a result of the mine closures. More new builds have sprung up, which also includes the GP surgery and health village. Amenities wise, you're not short of sporting facilities at Rycroft Leisure Centre, which stands right next door to Havercroft's parish hall - not located in Havercroft at all!
That's because Rycroft is referred to as such because you simply cannot separate these two from each other. They are, and forever will be entwined within each other as one huge community. This is Havercroft's bigger brother - RYHILL.
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My name is Andy. I am armed with a car, a GoPro and an unhealthy amount of time on my hands.
Join me as I try to visit every single parish in the City of Wakefield. There are 30. Here's the TENTH one – Ryhill.
#Ryhill, #ColdHiendley, #Collieries, #Station, #WestYorkshire, #Wintersett, #WellHead, #StJames, #Wakefield, #Havercroft, #Parish,
Bustimes:
Ryhill Station:
Listed Buildings:
St Oswald’s Well:
Demographics:
Zoopla:
War Memorial:
Ryhill 2017 Parish Brochure:
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WINTERSETT: Wakefield Parish #11 of 30
The Wakefield train keeps rolling and today it passes through one of the smallest villages in the entire district as we come to the Heronry, some 350 acres of land that plays host to some of the most amazing wildlife in West Yorkshire. Situated on former mining land, one of the three bodies of water in this video is a former opencast mine, one of the deepest in the country at that, and what it's been turned into now is something rather spectacular.
That opencast mine is now the stunning Anglers Country Park which has a central lake surrounded by a two mile woodland trail, liked to Haw Park Wood next door, and with sculptures from the popular children's picturebook Room on the Broom to find along the way. There are bird hides, plenty of wildfowl and a whole lot open space and clean fresh air to attract everyone to this wonderful corner of Wakefield.
Anglers Country Park certainly lives up to its name, The area is full of fishing lakes for the keen angler, including both reservoirs and Botany Lake, all controlled by local angling clubs and Leeds Angling Club as well in the case of the main reservoir. The pub in the village is called the Anglers Retreat, perhaps popular with fishermen and walkers in the Heronry alike, and perhaps why it was named runner up in 2013 for Best Pub.
The village itself is tiny. Less than 100 people live in it, and the majority of people that come here will be using public transport for access to the Heronry rather than anything else I would imagine, but that doesn't stop me having a little wander through the place for all about a minute, taking in the small cluster of houses and the pub and the various footpaths that link to Anglers.
This one is such a peaceful one to cover, lots to see, but not all of it to do with a village. Rather, this one is epitome of wild and rural, where there really are more animals than people. This is WINTERSETT.
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My name is Andy. I am armed with a car, a GoPro and an unhealthy amount of time on my hands.
Join me as I try to visit every single parish in the City of Wakefield. There are 30. Here's the ELEVENTH one – Wintersett.
#Wintersett, #Rerservoir, #Opencast, #AnglersCountryPark, #WestYorkshire, #Heronry, #AnglersRetreat, #BarnsleyCanal, #Wakefield, #HawParkWood, #Parish,
Bustimes:
Zoopla:
Demographics:
Angling information:
Wintersett Reservoir:
Anglers Country Park:
West Riding Sailing Club (Wintersett Reservoir):
Wintersett Reservoir History:
The Heronry:
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CROFTON: Wakefield Parish #20 of 30
Usually a place that has a population of above 5,000 people would have more than the average settlement does when it comes to amenities, but in the case of this next village, it perhaps has way more than it needs and could potentially have enough for two villages! How many place do we come across that have an Academy secondary school, and a whole host of primary schools as well? Not many.
This one has simply got the works. As well as loads of educational institutions, there's an array of pubs, plenty of shops, and a health centre. Strangely though, there's no railway stations although historically it did have not one, but two, but both have now disappeared. The old railway lines in this part of West Yorkshire were abundant after all.
One of those lines had a rather large sidings here which, after the closure of the line, was redeveloped into a huge sports complex which now the local cricket and junior football teams call their home. Sport is a big par of life in this parish, and the Sidings Complex is not the only sporty area. If you head to the Community Centre, there's a football team that play there in the English Football League System - Nostell Miners Welfare.
Nostell Mine was a big thing in this area. It was the catalyst for places like The Lump to be built - an area of colliery housing which is now demolished due to subsidence (I particularly liked learning about the Leaning Chippy as well, which was also demolished). The Slipper was a pub that has now been converted into flats, and newer housing has replaced the old.
Lots to talk about on our long walk around the parish of CROFTON.
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My name is Andy. I am armed with a car, a GoPro and an unhealthy amount of time on my hands.
Join me as I try to visit every single parish in the City of Wakefield. There are 30. Here's the TWENTIETH one – Crofton.
#Crofton, #NewCrofton, #TheSidings, #Wilsons, #WestYorkshire, #NostellMinersWelfare, #CroftonNewHall, #Railway, #Wakefield, #RugbyLeague, #Parish, #CroftonCastle,
Demographics:
Zoopla:
Crofton Station: By Nigel Thompson, CC BY-SA 2.0:
Hare Park Station: By Nigel Thompson, CC BY-SA 2.0:
Redbeck Motel:
Crofton Hall Sidings:
Skatepark:
The Lump:
Cock and Crown:
Goose and Cowslip:
Henry Daley Memorial Timepiece:
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FLEDBOROUGH: Bassetlaw Parish #33 of 66
Ever heard of Gretna Green? You likely will have, it's probably one of the most famous locations in all of Scotland, and it's just over the border from Cumbria, England. It was made famous by the ease in which runaway couples could go to the place to get married, usually in secret. You will for sure, know the place I'm talking about, but have you ever heard of Gretna Green of the Midlands?
Well, after watching this you will have. This village would appear to be nothing more than just a mere speck on the beautiful landscape of Eastern Bassetlaw if you look at the map with an untrained eye. Dig a little deeper though, and you'll find that this narrow, elongated slice of land with a population of no more than 50 people, plays host to two amazing landmarks, one of which was constructed using nine million bricks!
Gretna Green of the Midlands is the nickname for the village, thanks to the church of St Gregory which in the 1800s had a Reverend from whom it was so easy to obtain a marriage license, the similarity with Gretna Green in Scotland came about. The church is redundant, being one of the many in the area looked after by the Conservation Trust, but the history surrounding this one is amazing!
Similarly, so is the history surrounding the old abandoned railway line to the South of the village which is now a cycle route. The line still has some old abandoned station platforms and even a signal, as well as the impressive 59 arch viaduct that spans the River Trent! I had to borrow Hannah's bike to check it out, it was not to be missed!
For a small village, this one's got plenty! Welcome to FLEDBOROUGH.
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My name is Andy. I am armed with a car, a GoPro and an unhealthy amount of time on my hands.
Join me as I try to visit every single parish in the district of Bassetlaw. There are 66. Here's the THIRTY-THIRD one - Fledborough.
#DunhamonTrent, #Dunham, #Ragnall, #Darlton, #Fledborough, #DunhamandDistrict, #Viaduct, #GretnaGreen, #Railway, #Nottinghamshire, #RiverTrent, #Retford, #Bassetlaw, #Parish, #Newark,
Demographics:
Lady Godiva/Stow connection:
National Route 647:
Railway Line info:
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HUNTWICK WITH FOULBY AND NOSTELL: Wakefield Parish #26 of 30
Part of this parish is off limits to the public. It’s a farm, known as Huntwick Grange Farm, named after the farmhouse that accompanies it which you can see in today’s Picture Bit. Even so, it is a Grade II listed farmhouse from the 17th century and was the home of Sir Richard Saltonstall, a member of Massachusetts Bay Company, who emigrated to New England in 1630.
However this doesn’t mean coming here is all for nought. You may like to walk Mill Pond Meadow Commemorative Wood which is right next door, with it’s distinctive “War Horse” sculpture. Regardless, it is the massive Nostell Priory that dominates this episode.
Originally it was owned by The Winns who made their money from the London textile trade during the Tudor period. During the following century the family used their wealth to invest in property and land. This included the Nostell estate, which was bought in 1654. Nostell Priory occupies 121 hectares of parkland. Within the grounds and gardens are lakeside walks. The main facade of the house faces east towards a grass vista.
Foulby is famed for one thing more than anything else, a man who is mentioned a couple of times in this epsiode - John “Longitude” Harrison. A carpenter and clock designer, it was the latter of these which would earn him the nickname. There’s a house here which explains why by way of a blue plaque.
This is a small one in comparison to others in Wakefield but it’s definitely one of the most historic for loads of reasons. This is HUNTWICK WITH FOULBY AND NOSTELL.
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My name is Andy. I am armed with a car, a GoPro and an unhealthy amount of time on my hands.
Join me as I try to visit every single parish in the City of Wakefield. There are 30. Here's the TWENTY-SIXTH one – Huntwick with Foulby with Nostell.
#Huntwick, #Foulby, #Nostell, #NostellPriory, #WestYorkshire, #Obelisk, #Lakes, #WarHorse, #Wakefield, #JohnHarrison, #Longitude, #Parish,
Mill Pond Meadow:
Huntwick Grange Farm:
Huntwick Grange History:
Nostell Priory:
St Michael and Our Lady:
Upper Lake:
Nostell Village Hall:
Wakefield Independent School:
Nostell St Oswalds Cricket Club:
Bustimes:
Windmill Inn/Khaan’s:
Druid’s Bridge:
Some of the following music tracks may appear in this video:
Brendan Perkins - “Foxsnow” (B. Perkins)
Brendan Perkins - “Mickey's House” (B. Perkins)
The Keyhouse - Voices (H. Flunder)
The Keyhouse - Circles (H. Flunder)
Helen Flunder - Sun (H. Flunder)
Helen Flunder - “Angels” (H. Flunder)
Helen Flunder - “C Song” (H. Flunder)
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A walk around Haw Park Wood (Wakefield, West Yorkshire)
Some footage from a recent walk around Haw Park Wood, with some tidbits about Charles Waterton, pine trees and oak trees.
LAXTON: East Riding of Yorkshire Parish #10 of 172
Occasionally you'll find you come to a village that has almost no human activity going on whatsoever and you’ll wonder if you’ve accidentally stepped into an alternate reality. It becomes even more weird when you pass the village pub and there’s a banner that says on the outside – “The Saltmarshians Have Landed!” You start to doubt whether or not you’re on planet Earth any longer!
Well, the truth is that if you came to today’s parish you would still be very much within the East Riding of Yorkshire and even though I’ve made this village sound weird in that opening paragraph, this is a place I would seriously love to live in! There’s a multitude of reasons why, not least of which is the proximity this village has to the River Ouse and the lovely view you get from the riverbank on a sunny day.
I realise that might not be to everyone’s liking, but it would be fabulous to take advantage of the benches that run along the bank at Saltmarshe, one of the hamlets that fall within the parish boundaries. You’re also not short of amenities too. Whilst the village here has no shop, you can catch a bus to Howden, or even a train from Saltmarshe station to solve that problem. There is a pub though – The Bricklayers Arms.
The church here is very pretty, dating from 1625 after three sisters paid for its construction following King Henry VIII’s seizure of land that belonged to the original chapel. In fact, the village is just generally pretty, so quiet, so relaxed, and altogether very appealing.
It might be named after a species of fish, but there’s nothing fishy about this one. This one ranks highly on TVI’s all time favourites list. This is LAXTON.
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My name is Andy. I am armed with a car, a GoPro and an unhealthy amount of time on my hands.
Join me as I try to visit every single parish in the district of the East Riding. There are 172. Here's the TENTH one - Laxton.
#Laxton, #Saltmarshe, #Ouse, #SaltmarsheHall, #Station, #HenryVIII, #EastRiding, #Yorkshire, #Howdenshire, #Goole, #Parish,
Saltmarshe Hall:
Saltmarshe origins:
Flooding info:
Church/Chapel info:
Zoopla:
Laxton Parish Council:
Bricklayers Arms:
Sixpenny Wood Wind Farm:
Demographics:
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NOTTON: Wakefield Parish #7 of 30
To one of Wakefield's smaller villages we go today and it's one with a modest 982 population that seems content to sit as it is between the South Yorkshire town of Royston to the South and the much larger Wakefield city to the North, just chilling without wishing to change what it is or what it stands for any time soon, or at least that is the impression I got from the locals. They're happy with the village just the way it is.
Well, why not? This is a lovely corner of Wakefield, one of the most Southerly within both West Yorkshire and the city boundaries, separated only from South Yorkshire by around a mile of open countryside. The village is surrounded pretty much on all sides by agricultural lands, some of which is used by local farms, and the rest used as either a Nature Reserve or as apart of the many woodland trails and walking routes you'll find here.
The centre of the village boasts a huge village green with an impressive village hall and a noticeboard that's full of information about the parish, including a very good map which I take full advantage of. Perhaps the most interesting thing about this parish is just how many things historically depended on the land and the surrounding area this covers. Take for instance the many mills and the railways and the canal, all of which through time were important here.
The railway is now less important and some of it is not even a railway anymore. In fact, where it used to be is now a part of that good channel favourite, the Trans Pennine Trail. The canal as we saw in Walton is disused and dried up but it doesn't make it any less interesting to look at once again.
This is a village whose name means Wether Sheep Farm, but we know it today as NOTTON.
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My name is Andy. I am armed with a car, a GoPro and an unhealthy amount of time on my hands.
Join me as I try to visit every single parish in the City of Wakefield. There are 30. Here's the SEVENTH one – Walton.
#Notton, #OldRoyston, #BarnsleyCanal, #Royston, #WestYorkshire, #TPT, #Chevet, #Applehaigh, #Wakefield, #CricketClub, #Parish,
Bustimes:
Demographics:
Zoopla:
Notton Parish Council:
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WAKEFIELD ROUND-UP
Hello WAKEFIELD people!
It's been a while I know, but finally the WAKEFIELD ROUND-UP video is here!
Using information that's been sent to me by all you lovely people out there, this is the video that catches all those comments and anecdotes and whatever else you wanted me to talk about, that I either missed or got wrong in the thirty parishes of WAKEFIELD!
In alphabetical order, I go through the district, from Ackworth to Woolley and everything in between bringing the district to a close with all the extra information you lovely people out there have sent to me.
Wakefield now is replaced by the City of LEEDS on the channel and those videos will come out every Sunday, but as far as Wakefield goes, that's all folks! Thanks everyone for your help, this has been one of the best series I've done yet thanks to you all!
I'll see you down the road.
Andy
AKA The Village Idiot
#Ackworth, #Badsworth, #Chevet, #Crigglestone, #Crofton, #Darrington, #EastHardwick, #Featherstone, #HavercroftWIthColdHiendley, #Hemsworth, #HessleandHillTop, #HuntwickWithFoulbyandNostell, #NewlandWithWoodhouseMoor, #Normanton, #Notton, #NorthElmsall, #Ryhill, #Sharlston, #Sitlington, #SouthElmsall, #SouthHiendley, #SouthKirkbyandMoorthorpe, #ThorpeAudlin, #Upton, #Walton, #WarmfieldCumHeath, #WestBretton, #WestHardwick, #Wintersett, #Woolley, #Wakefield, #Parish, #Parishes,
Ackworth Underground Reservoir:
The Plague Stone:
Geoff Boycott Image:
Crigglestone Viaduct:
Darrington Bomber Crash:
Darrington Methodist Chapel:
Masonic Hall:
Featherstone Swimming Pool:
West Yorkshire Police:
Fever Hospital:
Crop Circle:
Hemsworth Pit Map:
HS2:
Oliver Twist:
Villa Club:
Manor Farm Spa:
Hind Deer:
HMP New Hall:
Blue Lady:
Old Heath Hall:
St John the Baptist:
Wolf:
Calder Grove Bridge:
Undergound Roadway:
Henry Daley Memorial:
The Lump:
Skatepark Image:
Green Hat Pub:
Tunnel image:
Charlie Williams:
Ryhill Shops:
Bell Pits:
SK Academy Logo:
South Kirkby Mill:
RAGNALL: Bassetlaw Parish #29 of 66
Sometimes the smallest ones are the most interesting. You don't have to have a large amount of flashy, all singing all dancing landmarks to be noticed. I think that's certainly true of today's parish as we dive once again back in Bassetlaw.
If you travel regularly on the A57 you will most likely be familiar with Dunham Bridge, a toll bridge that marks the boundary between Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire that crosses the River Trent. You'll also likely know Darlton, a small village on the Nottinghamshire side. Between the two there's a crossroads and if you turn left at it, you'll drive through this tiny place.
Not loaded with a lot to see, you'd likely have driven through it before you know it, but if you stop there's a lovely little church and an old 17th century/19th century hall nestled amongst the farm buildings and lush green Nottinghamshire countryside.
Small yes, bu charming nonetheless. This village shares a parish council with Dunham, Darlton and Fledborough as the population of 146 is too small to warrant it's own. For amenities if you live here, Dunham provides a village hall, a school and shops, otherwise the open flat farmland is your only company.
Say what you like about too much open sky, this is not far from TVI's home, and it's marvellous. Welcome to RAGNALL.
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My name is Andy. I am armed with a car, a GoPro and an unhealthy amount of time on my hands.
Join me as I try to visit every single parish in the district of Bassetlaw. There are 66. Here's the TWENTY-NINTH one - Ragnall.
#Ragnall, #Fledborough, #Dunham, #Darlton, #District, #Mellish, #RagnallHall, #A57, #StLeonard, #Nottinghamshire, #Newark, #Retford, #Bassetlaw, #Parish, #TrentValley,
Dunham and District PC:
Zoopla:
Ragnall Hall:
St Leonards:
Ragnall estate:
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HAVERCROFT WITH COLD HIENDLEY: Wakefield Parish #9 of 30
Another area of Wakefield for you today everyone, and this parish is the first of two which are like inseparable twins, joined at the hip by a central road which divides one from the other, both former mining communities that are still recovering from the closure of the local collieries.
This first one of the two arguably has less to see than it's brother, but that doesn't mean it's any less interesting. For a start, the Millennium Garden at the centre of the village is a piece of artwork which to the untrained eye would just seem like a nice monument that commemorates the turn of the century, but if you look a little closer it hides a past which involved a railway line which ran right through the village. We walk through the area that housed that line, and take a look at what remains now.
There's also a large chunk of Common Land at the Western edge of the village which is a lovely peaceful spot overlooked by a WWI memorial, decked out with lots of flowers and there's a nice pond too for the local wildlife. You might also be interested in the Manor House on Brier Lane which was frequented by Oliver Cromwell.
Then we have the small hamlet out to the North West which the controversial HS2 railway line was originally planned to run through, before it was diverted more towards Crofton. The hamlet has one of the reservoirs which forms a part something called The Heronry too, something we'll see more of in a future episode.
Coal mining, railway lines, reservoirs, and a heck of lot more besides, this is one of Wakefield's most Southerly parishes on the border with South Yorkshire - HAVERCROFT WITH COLD HIENDLEY.
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My name is Andy. I am armed with a car, a GoPro and an unhealthy amount of time on my hands.
Join me as I try to visit every single parish in the City of Wakefield. There are 30. Here's the NINTH one – Havercroft with Cold Hiendley.
#Havercroft, #ColdHiendley, #Collieries, #DearneValleyRailway, #WestYorkshire, #HavercroftGreen, #Lodges, #Cromwell, #Wakefield, #Ryhill, #Parish,
Cold Hiendley Reservoir:
Bustimes:
Zoopla:
Solid Rock:
Demographics:
Richard Berrie/Oliver Cromwell:
Havercroft Green (Common Land):
HS2:
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WEST DRAYTON: Bassetlaw Parish #31 of 66
Today we're in Bassetlaw, and in one of the smallest parishes in the district, but one of the ones with the most history and for a village of its modest size, this one had way more than I bargained for. Where else anywhere in the country are you going to find a public footpath like the one which I walk down in this video? Let me explain.
The parish consists of three main settlements. The main village is quite small and has a small church and a few interesting landmarks, but none more interesting than the road that runs through it, as it formed part of the Great North Road. Then there's two hamlets, the first of which contains an old coaching inn which stands on the Great North Road and has done for 350 years, as well as housing something called The Rebel Stone and it's also where you'll find a building with a hyperbolic paraboloid roof (take a breath, there guys!)
Without a doubt, the best bit of this video comes in the second hamlet - Rockley - which is accessed either via the main A638, or via that aforementioned footpath which runs from the main village into the hamlet over the River Maun. Without giving too much away, this has to be one of the most amazing public footpaths in the country!
You'll discover a Methodist Church, the Elizabeth and Stevens' Garden Centre, the quaint little church that reminds you of Italy and the home of one of the UK's leading suppliers of Japanese Koi Carp in this parish. I think though, regardless of all the other stuff, the best part of this will be that footpath and where it goes.
You've seen East Drayton, this is the sister village on the other side of East Markham. Welcome to WEST DRAYTON.
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My name is Andy. I am armed with a car, a GoPro and an unhealthy amount of time on my hands.
Join me as I try to visit every single parish in the district of Bassetlaw. There are 66. Here's the THIRTY-FIRST one - West Drayton.
#WestDrayton, #Rockley, #MarkhamMoor, #Services, #EastDrayton, #Markham, #A57, #RebelStone, #GreatNorthRoad, #Nottinghamshire, #RiverMaun, #Retford, #Bassetlaw, #Parish, #JacketMill,
Markham Moor Services:
Bustimes:
Elizabeth & Stevens:
Markham Moor Inn:
The Rebel Stone:
Old London Road (Geograph):
Rockley info:
Absolute Koi:
Zoopla:
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THORPE AUDLIN: Wakefield Parish #2 of 30
They don’t half like to make things confusing in West Yorkshire…or at least in this part of it anyway. May I present to you a parish which has a reasonable sized main settlement, but also contains a village that’s split between THREE civil parishes…and one of them is not even one you would reasonably expect!
For the most part this is the kind of village I love to go to. This is a lovely little village sandwiched between the A639 road that links Pontefract to the A1 to the North, and the SESKU communities to the South. It’s got a magnificent hotel that used to be a manor, a village hall that’s named after a former resident of the manor, and a gorgeous little sports field and play area.
All that is pretty standard stuff, but delve a little deeper into this village and you’ll find lots more that just confuses you. First of all, there’s a detached part that stands to the South of the main village, and even has a different postcode to the rest. Along Darning Lane, you’ll see a most peculiar sight in the form of a field of ostriches, which surely can’t be pets, can they? Then there’s the question of why one parish needs so many noticeboards! I counted at least SEVEN in this village alone.
The most interesting part of this parish comes in the form of Wentbridge – the supposed birthplace of Robin Hood – which lies on the River Went, that forms the boundary between this parish and its Northern neighbour, but then the boundary runs along the main street to the South between it, and a THIRD parish – one which really makes no sense too.
See if you can fathom it all out, but whilst you’re at it, do enjoy what you see. There’s plenty to enjoy in the parish of THORPE AUDLIN.
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My name is Andy. I am armed with a car, a GoPro and an unhealthy amount of time on my hands.
Join me as I try to visit every single parish in the City of Wakefield. There are 30. Here's the SECOND one – Thorpe Audlin.
#ThorpeAudlin, #Wentbridge, #RobinHood, #Flyover, #WestYorkshire, #Viaduct, #Ramsden, #RogerthorpeManor, #Wakefield, #Pontefract, #Parish,
Thorpe Audlin Parish Council:
Bus services:
Zoopla:
Rogerthorpe Manor:
Fox and Hounds:
The Blue Bell:
The Move Market:
Wentbridge Viaduct:
College Lane Surgery:
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HARPSWELL: West Lindsey Parish #14 of 128
West Lindsey’s council logo is an ear of corn. Did you know that? Well you do now. There’s a reason why as well, because the vast majority of the district is agricultural. There are fields of corn, wheat, barley and lots of other crops everywhere you look, and you really haven’t got to look very hard when you come to todays parish because it’s surrounded by them.
Situated on the A631 between Gainsborough and Market Rasen is this delightful little village with just 65 occupants. It shares the village hall with neighbouring Hemswell and even gave it’s name originally to the air base at Hemswell before it was renamed. There’s no major bus routes out here either, so this truly is almost in the middle of nowhere.
It's still easy to access civilisation though. The A631 provides a nice link to those two towns, and you can be assured that if this place hasn’t got it, a neighbouring village does. It’s connected to Glentworth and Springthorpe as well as Hemswell, and it’s population is generally recorded with the latter.
There are two main features in this one. First the Anglo-Saxon church tower which is arguably one of the finest that still remains in England, and if you wander inside the church you’ll come across an effigy in the South aisle. The other thing you cannot miss is the scrubland to the West of Common Lane which was the former parkland of a Hall, and was previously a medieval settlement. All that remains now is the earthworks.
It's a short one, but it was thoroughly enjoyable. Let’s see if you like it too. This is the parish of HARPSWELL.
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My name is Andy. I am armed with a car, a GoPro and an unhealthy amount of time on my hands.
Join me as I try to visit every single parish in West Lindsey. There are 128. Here's the FOURTEENTH one – Harpswell.
#Harpswell, #Medieval, #Springline, #HarpswellAerodrome, #RAF, #Lincolnshire, #StChads, #Agriculture, #WestLindsey, #Gainsborough, #Parish,
Medieval Settlement:
GENUKI article:
Bustimes:
Zoopla:
Hall Farm Gardens:
100G:
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Bewildered Family Guide to Yorkshire - Bradford
This week Elsa and I hit Bradford in our mission to explore family friendly Yorkshire. Here we visit the National Media Museum, indulge in a curry and test out City Park and Lister Park.
Although some are a bit sniffy about the city, there are fantastic theatres, excellent museums and much more to entertain the kids.
Thanks to Danny and Rosie from Pulse 1 and to the British Council too. Find out more about their film collection here:
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STOW: West Lindsey Parish #10 of 128
OK today on the channel we are looking at a village which has a very long history dating back way before the Norman Conquest. In the year 870 the Danes invaded and probably burnt down the church that once stood here but in its place was built one of the most magnificent structures in all of Lincolnshire.
Historically Lincolnshire was divided into three parts these being the parts of Lindsey, Parts of Kesteven and the Parts of Holland. During that time this village was known as being in Lindsey to distinguish it from another village of the same name in Kesteven. These days it's just known as it's first part but it does give its name to a load of other settlements around it including Sturton, Willingham and Normanby.
The village pub here is one of the most popular in the area attracting people from all over this part of Lincolnshire. Its good food and general good country atmosphere coupled with the takeaway and delivery service it does means it's onto a winner.
Overlooked by the Minster, the centre of the village is quintessentially British. The parish boundaries also cover a few other hamlets including Coates which has a little bit of history all by itself in fact and the beautiful little church of St Ediths is well worth a visit. In times gone by this places population would have been much higher but for the intervention of the Black Death in the 14th century.
Welcome to the gem of Western Lincolnshire known as STOW.
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My name is Andy. I am armed with a car, a GoPro and an unhealthy amount of time on my hands.
Join me as I try to visit every single parish in West Lindsey. There are 128. Here's the TENTH one – Stow.
#Stow, #Coates, #Willingham, #Normanby, #Lincoln, #Lincolnshire, #StowPark, #SturtonbyStiw, #WestLindsey, #Minster, #Parish,
Zoopla:
Demographics:
The Cross Keys:
Wesleyan Chapel:
Bustimes:
Parish Council:
Stow Minster:
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Fox Well Haw Park Woods Autumn
A short video about the Fox Well in Haw Park Wood, near Walton, Wakefield close to the world's first nature reserve establish by naturalist and explorer Charles Waterton.
FILLINGHAM: West Lindsey Parish #16 of 128
Today we come to a parish that covers a wide area, much wider than the small village at the centre of the parish does on its own. We begin there, but a lot of the landmarks to see in this one actually fall away from the village, which means there’s a bit of driving around to be done!
We start at the church which once had John Wycliffe as it’s rector. He was the first man to translate The Bible into English, and was a renowned philosopher at Oxford University. The churchyard has a rather large memorial to Major Thomas Dalton as well, something which I initially missed whilst filming (thank heavens for The Picture Bit!)
The Picture Bit also comes to my rescue when it comes to the castle here, which is not open to the public. It is known as Summer Castle at times, and was the site of a former Roman camp. It’s actually more of a castellated mansion, but one things for sure, the entrance gates make it look like a castle alright! They are to be found on the A15, Ermine Street, a Roman Road.
Then there’s a lake, which is the source of the River Till, and Ancholme Head which is the source of the River Ancholme. That’s before we’ve even begun to discuss the RAF Ingham Heritage Centre which also lies in this parish on The Cliff.
Another “springline” parish for you then today, this is FILLINGHAM.
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My name is Andy. I am armed with a car, a GoPro and an unhealthy amount of time on my hands.
Join me as I try to visit every single parish in West Lindsey. There are 128. Here's the SIXTEENTH one – Fillingham.
#Fillingham, #Castle, #Springline, #Wray, #Wycliffe, #Lincolnshire, #Lake, #ErmineStreet, #WestLindsey, #Gainsborough, #Lincoln, #Parish,
Village Hall:
Zoopla:
Demographics:
Fillingham Parish Council:
Bustimes:
Castle Gates:
Heritage Centre:
Fillingham Castle:
Ancholme Head:
Dalton Memorial:
GENUKI Entry:
Fillingham Trees:
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SKEFFLING: East Riding of Yorkshire Parish #13 of 172
The second of the two villages I recently visited on the Holderness Coast is what’s on offer today everyone. This is much smaller than the first one, perhaps one of the smallest villages on the Holderness Coast in fact, having a population of just 149 and the vast majority of that small population is made up of farms or farmhouses.
That said, there are some much more interesting things to be had at here. First pff, the village hall with its 6kW, 15 metre high wind turbine which powers the building but also acts as a self-maintaining power source, as the excess energy it produces is sold back to the National Grid, with the proceeds used to maintain and eventually replace it!
There’s a lovely church in this village, but it’s another one of those which has now had to be preserved by the Friends of Friendless Churches, the same organisation that we saw in Barmby on the Marsh. It’s built partly from stones that originated at Bursall Priory (Burstall Abbey) which was located on the riverbank between this parish and Weeton.
That Priory no longer exists, and in the 1900s the remaining parts of it were swept out into the River Humber during flooding. The older generation here may still tell you though they can remember the last bits of the ruins standing on the mudflats before they were lost. The village has also lost a heck of a lot more too over time, including the pub, the shop, the post office and even a petrol station – all closed down now.
What it hasn’t lost though, is that tight knit community spirit. You can’t buy that, or replace it. Come and join this lovely community, resplendent with lots of wild animals (and some not so!) as I take you on a 13 minute trip around SKEFFLING.
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My name is Andy. I am armed with a car, a GoPro and an unhealthy amount of time on my hands.
Join me as I try to visit every single parish in the district of the East Riding. There are 172. Here's the THIRTEENTH one - Skeffling.
#Skeffling, #Priory, #Humber, #Burstall, #StarlightHideaway, #Abbey, #EastRiding, #Yorkshire, #Hull, #Withernsea, #Holderness, #Parish,
St Helens:
Friends of Friendless Churches:
Old Chapel:
Skeffling Post Office:
Skeffling History:
Starlight Hideaway:
Demographics:
Zoopla:
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