HUMBERSIDE |
| Beverley Minster |
On south side of Beverley |
St John of Beverley, Bishop of York, founded Beverley
Minster in about AD 690, though what with Danish raids, a fire and a tumbling tower, the
present building is the fourth to stand on the site since then; it was completed in the
early 1400s. The interior of this Minster seems endless - actually 332ft long - and is
supported by numerous columns reaching up to a ribbed ceiling of cream and gold. There are
delightful carvings everywhere including stone medieval portrayals of knights, ladies,
musicians and demons. Outside the Minster’s grandeur can be seen miles away as it
rises above the surrounding town. |
| Burton Agnes Hall |
On A166, 6 miles south-west of Bridlington |
This Elizabethan house was completed in 1598 and has
survived with remarkably few changes. Almost everything about this house is pleasing from
the gatehouse, bearing the arms of James I, to the Great Hall, with its superb carving,
plasterwork and panelling. Next to Burton Agnes Hall are the remains of a Norman manor
house built in 1173. The under croft of the house is still in tact, with stone pillars
supporting a vaulted roof. The Hall and manor house are surrounded by 42 acres of gardens. |
| Burton Constable |
On B1238, 11 miles north-east of Hull |
With its red brickwork, castled towers, Burton
Constable is one of the best Tudor architectural buildings of Humberside. Inside, however,
the character of the house is almost entirely Georgian, the product of a number of 18th
century architects and craftsman. Amongst the finest rooms are the Hall, Long Gallery, the
Ballroom and Dining room, with its gilded ceilings and oval stucco wall relief’s. The
mansion lies in a country park that includes a 25 acre watersport lake, a motor cycle and
carriage museum and an adventure playground. |
| Fort Paull |
Off A1003, Battery Road, Paull, Hull |
Fort Paull started as a fortress of coastal
defence built by Henry VIII in the mid-sixteenth century. Its past saw
Charles I base himself at Fort Paull, which was bombarded during the Civil
War. Started on the fort's doorstep the second fort was necessitated by
Napoleon's threat to add the British Isles to the French empire. In the
third era of its life it was rebuilt pentagonally. The fort was also used
during World War I and II as a laboratory and storage area. Today it has fascinating
waxworks displays of the history of the fort and an armoury. The grounds,
spanning almost 10 acres, are surrounded be the fort's own moat. |
| Museum of Army Transport |
Flemingate, near centre of Beverley |
This museum shows how the Royal Corps of Transport, and
its predecessors dating back to 1794, have faithfully practised the art of logistics. The
Corps has its own air force, represented by a de’Havilland Beaver, a helicopter and a
figure wearing the equipment of an air despatcher inside a gigantic Blackburn Beverley,
which is set out as a museum of the army’s air supply operations. It also has a navy,
which has contributed amphibious vehicles and a hovercraft. As well as a collection of
tanks, armoured cars, there are fire engines, mobile command posts, workshops and
surgeries. A number of displays show some of the vehicles in action. |
| Normanby Hall Country Park |
On B1430, 4.5 miles north of Scunthorpe |
Normanby Hall re-creates the taste and atmosphere of a
Regency country house. The manor of Normanby is much older, dating back to 1086 and the
Sheffield family have lived there since 1589, but the house was rebuilt in 1830. The Hall
is set in 350 acres of gardens and parkland, including a deer park. |
| Patrington Church |
In centre of Patrington |
St Patrick’s Church, Patrington, is a wonderful
example of the Decorated period of English church architecture and it has survived
virtually unchanged since its completion in 1410. The perfectly proportioned spire is
ringed by a delicate octagonal corona, and the roof of the nave is surrounded by smaller
pinnacles.One of the best features of the church is the fine stone carving, there are more
than 200 carved faces of humans and animals. In the chancel stands a rare Easter
Sepulchre, with carvings of sleeping Roman soldiers. |
| Sewerby Hall Park and Zoo |
Off B1255, 2 miles north-east of Bridlington |
Sewerby Hall is Georgian, built on the site of a
medieval manor house, and has many fine rooms. It was opened to the public in 1936 by Amy
Johnson and there is a museum containing relics of the pioneering airwoman. The Oak Room
and Green Room contain fine Georgian panelling and the house has a wonderful cantilevered
oak staircase. The grounds contain a formal garden, noted for its giant monkey-puzzel
trees, and an Old English walled garden. There is also a zoo and a 6 acre paddock
containing deer, wallabies and Shetland ponies. |
| Sledmere House |
On B1251, 6 miles north-west of Great Driffield |
Shortly after the house was completed in 1751, the
Sykes family - who still live there - decided to ask Capability Brown to landscape the
surrounding 2000 acres. As part of the plan, the old village was demolished and rebuilt on
the eastern boundary of the park. The house has superb plasterwork and the library is a
magnificent room, 100ft long, with splendid views of the surrounding landscapes. The house
if filled with Chippendale, Sheraton and French period furniture. |
| Thornton Abbey |
Off A1077, 8 miles north-west of Immingham |
According to local legend, a party exploring the Abbey
ruins in the 18th century discovered the remains of a monk, seated at a table.
The ancient ruins provide a credible setting for such a discovery. The Abbey was founded
in 1139 for a community of Augustinian canons and became one of the richest houses of the
Order. The 50ft high gatehouse was built in 1382. It includes a large hall and a system of
wall passages and small chambers, some with small fireplaces. |
| Wilberforce House |
High Street, Hull |
In a Jacobean building on Hull’s High Street, the
anti-slavery campaigner William Wilberforce was born in 1759; it is now a museum. The
panelled Banqueting Room, filled with 17th century furniture, is the room that
has least changed. The main part of the museum is devoted to Wilberforce and the slave
trade. Because of the opposition of a large number of people Wilberforce’s dream of
abolishing slavery was not achieved until 1833, three days before he died at the age of
73. There are posters, paintings and prints relating to the trade, as well as shackles,
whips and branding irons. |
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