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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Wakefield, West Yorkshire
Wakefield, West Yorkshire
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WALTON: Wakefield Parish #6 of 30
Welcome back to Wakefield everyone and today I'm taking you away from the Pontefract area which I've been concentrating on of late to show you somewhere much closer to the City of Wakefield and where better to do that than this lovely village some three and a half miles away from the city centre? I'm going to wager there probably isn't a better spot to do so, not yet at least.
Overlooking a valley on a ridge of land that stands above Newmillerdam Country Park is this very historical settlement that was once a key player in the export of coal from the West Yorkshire mines via both the railway lines through the area and by the now disused and dried up Barnsley Canal. The pub in the village has a dining suite that is named after the eleventh lock on the canal, highlighting the importance of the canal to the village.
The village's most famous resident is arguably Squire Waterton who transformed the grounds of the Hall here into the world's first nature reserve. He is commemorated in several ways around the village ranging from the plaque on the wall at the corner of the The Balk, to having his name on both the golf club and the hotel that stands on the lake where his remains were laid after his death.
Out to the parish's East you'll find another nature reserve, this one built on the former land occupied by the colliery, known as Sharlston West, which closed in 1979 with many of its workers being transferred to fellow pits within Yorkshire, mainly to Selby. The area is overlooked by the massive Oakenshaw Viaduct that carries the main London to Leeds railway line.
The Trans Pennine Trail returns to the channel too, it runs right through this village, and if you walk it, you too can enjoy the sights and sounds of the lovely WALTON.
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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 SIXTH one – Walton.
#Walton, #Waterton, #BarnsleyCanal, #WaltonHall, #WestYorkshire, #Squire, #Colliery, #Sharlston, #Wakefield, #SandalandWaltonStation, #Parish,
Bustimes:
Walton Parish Council:
Walton Sports and Social Club:
The New Inn:
Zoopla:
Walton Manor:
Railway:
Demographics:
Waterton Park:
Viaduct:
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SOUTH ELMSALL: Wakefield Parish #23 of 30
It may surprise you to know that the land this one occupies was once coastal, but the town is most famous for its coal-mining past. It was the site of Frickley Colliery, which was one of the largest deep coal mines in the United Kingdom. A busy market town these days, it has easy access to both Doncaster and Wakefield.
The Warde-Aldams were an important local family that owned many properties both in and around this part of West Yorkshire. We’ve met the name before – they owned Hooton Pagnell Hall and Frickley Hall, both of which we met in the Doncaster series.
Frickley Athletic Football Club are currently members of the Northern Premier League Division One East – the eighth tier of football in England. Ronnie Radford, scorer of the famous long-range goal for non-League Hereford United against First-Division Newcastle United in 1972, in one of the FA Cup's greatest giant-killing acts, was born here.
Frickley Country Park officially opened in September 2009, after a long period of land reclamation, environmental cleaning and landscaping of the former Frickley Colliery site was finished. In the town centre there is a colliery memorial which states on the stone that accompanies a winding wheel - out of these depths this village grows.
Welcome to SOUTH ELMSALL.
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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-THIRD one – South Elmsall.
#SouthElmsall, #SouthKirkby, #FrickleyColliery, #FrickleyAthletic, #WestYorkshire, #ChrisWalker, #Station, #WardeAldam, #Wakefield, #Pontefract, #MarketHall, #Parish,
South Elmsall Town Council:
Demographics:
Zoopla:
GENUKI (South Kirkby):
St Mary the Virgin Church:
South Elmsall Market:
Frickley Colliery Cricket Club:
Warde-Aldam Hospital:
Frickley Colliery:
Pontefract Castle:
By Alexander Keirincx - Art UK, Public Domain,
South Elmsall Quarry:
Chris Walker:
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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UPTON: Wakefield Parish #13 of 30
Time for the second of the SESKU parishes today, and this one begins where the last one left off! You see, the previous Wakefield video covered North Elmsall, which will forever be inextricably linked to this parish, owing to the fact that part of that one is technically IN this village. It's funny how boundaries work.
There can be no disputing the extent of the former colliery though here, which is long gone, since 1966 no less, but the former site has been turned into a country park (which does get a bit of a bashing from the locals and visitors alike - it needs a good clean in places as you'll see in the video), complete with three walking trails through it to burn off a few calories.
Mining is the village's biggest thing, and has been for a long time. A lot of the village wouldn't exist now without it, and the shops and amenities this place has have dwindled ever since the closure of the pit. That said, the hotel in the centre still retains business, despite also being Wakefield's very first pub to adopt the no smoking policy. There are some interesting buildings here too, check out the Young People's Centre, which is dated 1946 and now stands abandoned on the main road through the village.
At the very far end of the walk around here you'll be introduced to something called The Beacon, and you'll also see a rugby ground...well, we are in West Yorkshire after all. Perhaps the one thing this place has that's unique though would be the lovely memorial garden, dedicated to Luke Farmer, a rifleman who was killed in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan in 2010. The community have pulled together to make a garden to remember the local hero.
This is U in SESKU. This is UPTON.
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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 THIRTEENTH one – Upton.
#NorthElmsall, #Upton, #CountryPark, #SESKU, #WestYorkshire, #SouthElmsall, #SouthKirkby, #Beacon, #Wakefield, #Wrangbrook, #Parish, #Pontefract,
Wrangbrook Playing Fields:
Bustimes:
Luke Farmer:
Upton Methodist Church:
Upton Arms:
Upton and North Elmsall Parish Council:
Welsh’s Coaches:
Zoopla:
Demographics:
The Beacon:
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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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Wakefield 1990
Short video of Wakefield city centre showing some of the xmas decorations.
MORTON: North East Derbyshire Parish #6 of 24
Here comes a village with a bold claim, one that in fact is shared by at least three other places in the UK. All four settlements claim they are the dead centre of England, and they all have things placed within their boundaries which will convince you that they are. Which one is right? Well, for 200 years, Meriden near Coventry was considered the rightful owner of that title…
That was until Fenny Drayton in Leicestershire was granted the status, but Coton in the Elms in Nottinghamshire is the furthest place from any seas. Then there’s this place in North East Derbyshire, which claims it sits exactly in the cross of two lines running North to South, and East to West, from the UK’s furthest points.
Whichever is the correct place, you have to admit, this village can make up for it even if it’s not true. There’s a village hall which used to be a malthouse, there’s a wonderful 8th century Saxon church, there’s a very popular cricket club too, not to mention a former colliery which lends it’s name to it. The colliery itself is gone, but some of the old buildings still stand.
Doe Hill Goods Line used to be the Erewash Valley Extension and it passes through this place as well, and if all that’s not enough, how about the 6th Earl of Shrewsbury who was once the church patron, who used to knock about with Mary Queen of Scots, locking people up for her!
There’s lots to see and learn about as we tackle an ALFRETON postcode village for the first time. This is the dead centre of the country.
Allegedly.
This is MORTON.
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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 North East Derbyshire. There are 24. Here's the SIXTH one - Morton.
#Morton, #Tibshelf, #DoeLea, #ErewashValley, #Colliery, #CentreofEngland, #TreeCouncil, #Alfreton, #Baths, #Derbyshire, #NorthEastDerbyshire, #MortonGrange, #Parish,
Morton Grange:
The Oak Tree at the Centre of England:
Doe Hill Goods Line:
The Corner Pin:
Woodland Trust/Morton Colliery Plantation:
Morton Manor/Village Hall:
Demographics:
Zoopla:
Fenny Drayton’s claim to be the centre:
Coins image:
Mineshaft cap:
Doe Hill Station:
The winter of 1946/47:
Morton Parish Council:
Meriden Monument:
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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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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:
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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WEST BRETTON: Wakefield Parish #22 of 30
Today in Wakefield we have a parish which contains one small village and a heck of a lot of parkland, but boy is that parkland ever used to full effect! This one’s main attraction certainly does not lie within the main settlement but that doesn’t mean we can’t have a little look around, now does it?
For me the most interesting thing here was not the huge Yorkshire Sculpture Park (which I have been to before), but rather, the church here which is very unique in how it’s been set up. Founded in 1982, it is a shared church between the Methodists and the Anglicans, in what’s known as a Local Ecumenical Partnership.
The war memorial is a nice ornate structure which goes by the name of The Jebson Memorial, named for a KRRC rifleman who‘s name is inscribed on the base of the ornate, carved obelisk’s base. Dead opposite is the Manor House which too was very interesting – this place has a lot to tell us about the way life was back in the 13th century!
To finish, we have a look at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park – 500 acres of open parkland that belonged to a Hall, which was once a college. That was until Wakefield Council took it over and decided to turn it into a luxury hotel and spa. Over 100 works of art in sculpture form are complimented by a state of the art visitors centre, a pair of beautiful lakes and a even a church which belonged to the Estate.
This is the home of Wakefield’s art. This one was painted by a former England wicket-keeper. This one is truly one of Wakefield’s finest. This is WEST BRETTON.
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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-SECOND one – West Bretton.
#WestBretton, #BrettonHall, #YSP, #YorkshireSculpturePark, #WestYorkshire, #JackRussell, #Ecumenical, #JebsonMemorial, #Wakefield, #Sculptures, #Parish, #RiverDearne,
Demographics:
Zoopla:
William Jebson:
Jebson Memorial:
Bustimes:
Village Hall:
Bretton Hall:
By Nigel Homer, CC BY-SA 2.0:
By John Fielding, CC BY-SA 2.0:
Yorkshire Sculpture Park images:
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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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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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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:
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Rogerthorpe Manor:
Fox and Hounds:
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The Move Market:
Wentbridge Viaduct:
College Lane Surgery:
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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.
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,
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West Riding Sailing Club (Wintersett Reservoir):
Wintersett Reservoir History:
The Heronry:
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STOKEHAM: Bassetlaw Parish #27 of 66
Most of Bassetlaw is covered by gorgeous green open countryside - there's not a whole lot of urban sprawl. In fact what little of that there is is confined to the towns of Retford and Worksop, and I suppose Harworth is starting to grow as a town now too. In the South East of the district though, that kind of construction work is a million miles away. Life out here is very different.
The land that surrounds todays village plays a vital role for the people that live in it. There are farms and businesses that just couldn't cope if there were too many new builds in one go. In fact, this village has shrunk in size in the past few years. In the 2001 census, the parish recorded a population of just 66 people - small enough, yes - but then ten years later it dropped to 46. But don't be fooled, there's still some human activity here.
Euro Diesels provides one form of employment for the locals. This is a company that specialises in the import and export of diesel engines and spare truck parts. You'll find that located at the far Eastern end of what is effectively a one road village. At the other end the looming sight of the imposing Rampton Secure Hospital can be seen...more on that when we hit Rampton and Woodbeck.
For today though, this is just 6 or 7 minutes in one of Bassetlaw's most rural, and thinnest strips of land, sandwiched between East Drayton to the South; Rampton, Treswell and the Levertons to the North. From here you can see Cottam power station too!
It's a parish full of rural charm, and it's doubtful you'll get lost if you come to STOKEHAM.
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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-SEVENTH one - Stokeham.
#Stokeham, #Rampton, #Laneham, #Hospital, #Prison, #Cottam, #EuroDiesels, #Estoches, #ParishoftheRivers, #Nottinghamshire, #StPeters, #Retford, #Bassetlaw, #Parish, #DemandResponsive,
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Bewildered Family Guide to Yorkshire - Saltaire
We are proud to present the first Bewildered Family Guide to Yorkshire video. In this clip we explore the beautiful village of Saltaire and take in the sites and sounds of this UNESCO World Heritage Site. Take a look.
Saltaire is a beautiful village on the outskirts of Bradford. Although it originally housed the workers from Titus Salt’s mill on the River Aire, heavy industry is a thing of the past and today it’s all about tourism, arts and community.
There is an array of independent shops to browse and a range of tempting cafes, restaurants and pubs to visit. You will also find a packed calendar of events to enjoy throughout the year. In addition, it is worth popping by just to take in the beautiful architecture of the terraced homes and other buildings such as the Victoria Hall.
You might also enjoy sniggering at the sign bearing the name Fanny Street, but that could just be me.
Titus Salt built Salts Mill in 1852 and, although he was a master businessman, his grammar left something to be desired. There’s no apostrophe in Salts Mill, even though it is the mill of Titus Salt. Still, you probably shouldn’t let that get in the way of enjoying a family day in Saltaire.
The mill no longer churns out textiles to send around the world. Instead, it is an art gallery, dining destination and shopping experience. There is a fine bookshop featuring a large selection of kids’ titles. You will also find a home shop with beautifully designed items that I could browse forever. I rarely buy from there as it’s a bit pricey and I’m tight, but I like looking.
Salts Mill is home to a host of work by the world famous artist David Hockney. The venue holds the world’s largest permanent collection of works by the Bradford-born painter and is well worth a look.
Saltaire Festival is one of the biggest family-friendly events of the year in the village. It takes place over two weekends in the middle of September and the week in-between. You will find kids’ activities, art displays, open gardens and more in the lead up to the final weekend, when the village is taken over by food festivals, live music, stalls, a vintage fair and all manner of fun events.
It’s extremely friendly and a great excuse to explore this family friendly village on the outskirts of Bradford.
You can also take in the Living Advent Calendar in the run-up to Christmas. Every day during advent, a new festive scene appears in a Saltaire resident’s window, building up towards the big day.
The Living Advent Calendar is run by arts group Saltaire Inspired, who also put on events and workshops throughout the year. The Saltaire Arts Trail in May is particularly worth visiting with the family.
The Bewildered Family Guide to Yorkshire is a weekly series of films from around Yorkshire in which we test how family friendly the county is. If you are planning a visit to Yorkshire or live here and just any a family day out, you should subscribe to the Bewildered Dad YouTube channel and keep an eye on the Bewildered Family Guide to Yorkshire page.
Thanks to Maria Glot of Salts Walks for her contribution and to the British Council Film Collection for snippets from the film We of the West Riding.
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