Yorkshire Heritage

History and heritage around every corner

Yorkshire has far more than its fair share of historic attractions. You’ll find glimpses of history down every cobbled street. You can almost hear the chink of armour and the chanting of the monks With two world heritage sites, dozens of castles and stately homes, hundreds of historic churches, abbeys and monasteries, and thousands of ancient buildings and monuments... it’s easy to follow the great events that have unfolded in Yorkshire. It’s true to say that you will never be far from a spine tingling historic experience

Many of these are world-class attractions. You’d have to travel a long way to find a grander, more uplifting sight than stepping into the interior of York Minster. It’s the largest Gothic cathedral north of the Alps and has the UK’s largest collection of medieval stained glass.

And for one region to have two UNESCO World Heritage sites seems almost greedy. The incredible mill village of Saltaire and the stately ruins of Fountains Abbey have been selected to rank alongside the Taj Mahal and Machu Picchu as the world’s greatest historic sights. Saltaire, near the city of Bradford, is a unique and fascinating way of experiencing a part of the industrial revolution. From the windows of an imposing mill - now a huge arts and crafts gallery - see how its 19th-century workers’ village is carefully planned in a grid pattern.

Fountains Abbey to the north of Leeds, was already 700 years old when Saltaire was built by its millowner. Today it offers a very different historical experience as you wander the romantic honey-coloured stone ruins of this vast 12th-century abbey standing among Studley Royal Water Garden – a delightful 18th-century embellishment.

Yorkshire’s mighty castles recall the age when the English said: “He who holds the north holds the kingdom." Sense the power of fortresses like Richmond, built by William the Conqueror. But even more impressive than those, Yorkshire’s greatest treasure is the combined effect of the history everywhere you go. You will feel the history as you shop among the mahogany and brass of Leeds Victorian Quarter, spot it wandering through Huddersfield and its 1,660 listed buildings. From Whitby’s moody and magnificent clifftop abbey to Haworth’s parsonage, from York’s award-winning JORVIK Viking Centre to the chain of Royal castles across the region – there’s more and more history around every corner, over every hill.

And step into any of Yorkshire’s collection of stunning stately homes and gardens to explore the lives of the rich and famous of times gone by. Chat to costumed guides who help visitors picture the past at Castle Howard, one of Britain’s most celebrated houses. The grand 18th-century house is situated just 15 miles from York and has breathtaking gardens with lakes, fountains and temples. Feel the history in Harewood, another of Yorkshire’s great houses.

As you wander through the ruins of Roche Abbey in South Yorkshire and Rievaulx Abbey near Helmsley your mind becomes a blur with thoughts of the past. It's hard not to sit and imagine how these places looked in all their glory many, many years ago.

Ancient cities like York are creaking with history too. In the unspoilt town squares of dozens of historic market towns or the winding alleyways of old fishing ports, among the old stone cottages of pretty villages or in the brass and mahogany splendour of restored Victorian shopping arcades, you’ll stumble across history wherever you go in Yorkshire.

Perhaps the greatest way to experience this is to stay right among Yorkshire’s heritage. It’s easy – much of the accommodation in this guide has its own long  and  fascinating history. You can choose from ancient farmhouses, Georgian townhouses, pretty old stone cottages and grand old coaching inns. There’s even a castle to stay in. And you can’t get closer to history than that

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