Beverley

Beverley

22 Miles from Bridlington

By far one of the most popular towns in this part of Yorkshire is Beverley, a medieval town which is surrounded on three sides by ancient common lands, known as Beverley Pastures. The town is only six miles from Hull.

The main landmark of the town is the Minster. It was founded early in the 8th century, although damage caused during the Viking invasions and the Norman Conquest means that the present building only dates back to 1220. Today, it's one of the finest examples of a Gothic church of cathedral size in Europe.

Also founded in this era is St. Mary's Church, which was initially a chapel of ease for the town's residents. Inside the church is a carving of the 'Jolly rabbit', which is said to have been the inspiration for the white rabbit in Lewis Carol's 'Alice in Wonderland'.

Like York, Beverley saw the building of Medieval Bars to protect the town. North Bar is the sole survivor of four or possibly five gateways constructed in the 15th century. With shops famed for its merchandise and fine Medieval and Georgian architecture, Beverley is perhaps one of the most beautiful towns in Britain, and certainly worth a visit.

Beverley holds markets on a Wednesday and Saturday, the Saturday market is larger than the Wednesday one, lots of stalls from tasty fantastic local produce to clothes and gifts, the market is surrounded by lots of quaint cafes and restaurants making a trip to Beverley a great way to spend a morning.

Another place to visit is Beverley Racecourse, which has a crowd capacity of 12,000. It hosts flat race meetings between April and September, with July and August being the busiest months as this is when evening racing takes place.

Beverley holds various annual music festivals in the town, catering for different kinds of music. The Early Music Festival in May; the Folk Music Festival in June which also includes comedy and workshops; there is also a Jazz Festival in August, and a Chamber Music Festival in September. Beverley also hosts an annual literature festival, kite festival and a biannual puppet festival.

Every year the town holds a Festival of Christmas with market stalls, entertainment and festivities bringing Christmas cheer to the town.

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