About Beverley
A virtual tour of Beverley
The Beverley we see now grew from a monastic base in circa 720. The famous present Minster was constructed from 1220 - 1420 and incorporates elements from all periods of the English Gothic style. The splendid smaller parish church of St Mary predates the minster by a century and is now famous for a carving of a rabbit which is said to have inspired Lewis Carroll to create the White Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland.

The town grew into being the foremost market town of the region - creating the wealth that generated the Georgian and Victorian Buildings that characterise the urban landscape today. This tour around the streets layed out in the middle ages will show you various views of the town. Clicking on arrows shown on the map will enlarge the images. More........
The historic buildings of Beverley

Beverley is rich in architectural heritage. Within a square mile are compressed a cornucopia of buildings dating from the middle ages, when Beverley was listed the 11th most populous town in England, through the Georgian and Victorian construction booms up to the present day.

Apart from the nationally important churches, you will discover vestiges of how historic Beverley functioned including the remains of the town gates, a medieval friary, the Guildhall, coaching inns, hospitals, alms houses, a gentlemen's club and the houses of rich merchants. Clicking on pictures shown on the map will enlarge the images. More........
A short history of Beverley
Founded as a monastic settlement at the foot of the Wolds during the Saxon period, Beverley has had a long history. It has been a site of pilgrimage, it has seen passing armies, but above all it has prospered to varying degrees as a market town. More history........
A slice of building heritage

                                                                click for the bigger image
Here's a typical Beverley street frontage. In this case it's nos. 1-24 Lairgate. What's fascinating about looking at this array of facades is their sheer variety and scale. Historically the buildings range from the 17th century (the building on the far right) through to the 19th century. After that there are tweakings such as the shop fronts and a few of the windows (look at the building in the centre of the picture with the white render - its windows are steel and were probably installed in redefined openings after the last war). Quite often, one way of determining the age of a building in the centre of an old town is through its size. The newer the building, the bigger it tends to be. Street development is traditionally ongoing. Old buildings get torn down and are replaced by new ones. As time progresses there is often pressure on the land in the town centre which forces land values up. Only rich people can buy the land and if they put a house on it, they want to build a big imposing house, preferably designed by an architect. If someone buys the land for investment, they will tend to try and make as much money as they can by building the biggest building they can get away with. Have a closer look at these buildings, what do their sizes and styles tell you about them?
Beverley's villages

Around Beverley, the villages have individual histories. Bishop Burton belonged to the bishop, later archbishop of York, and still has his fishponds and deer park boundary. It has two ponds, a feature of many East Yorkshire villages. Cherry Burton was mapped by Saxton for the earls of Northumberland, whose principal house was once at Leconfield. Etton (which once belonged to the Templars), Watton (a famous monastic site), Eske (an excellent example of a deserted village), Walkington which was administered from Durham until the mid 19th century, South Dalton with its beautiful Victorian spire, Scorborough with its many Iron Age burial mounds, all Beverley’s neighbouring villages have something distinctive about them. Clicking on the village names shown on the map will enlarge the images. More........
Country Houses
The East Riding has its share of country houses, each within easy reach of Beverley. The earliest houses are the Elizabethan Burton Agnes and Burton Constable, both stunning examples of the use of brick at a monumental scale. In 1720 Sewerby Hall was built by John Greame and then in 1751 came Sledmere House, seat of Sykes family high on the Wolds. Further affield close to the town of Malton can be found one of the architect John Vanbrugh greatest works, Castle Howard. Clicking on the house names shown on the map will enlarge the images. More........
The Lost Shops of Beverley
Beverley-based historian John Major reminisces about shops that have come and gone. He reflects on the transient nature of the local retail economy and how small local businesses such as grocers and butchers have disappeared in recent years. Read John Major's article