Beverley Facts Interesting & Unusual

St John of Beverley built the Minster during the late 600’s as a site for pilgrims.
Further pilgrimages from Europe began after the establishment of Franciscan and Dominican religious locations.
Beverley opposed Henry VIII during the ‘Pilgrimage of Grace’ – the pro Catholic rebellion. The religious establishments were still closed but not decimated.
Beverley has stood independent of near by Hull and since the Middle Ages has had a flourishing trades guilds originally based on wool.
As the capital of the East Riding of Yorkshire, Beverley prospered in the eighteenth century and many Georgian buildings remain.

Beverley Friary YHA, shown above, is located in a restored historic friary that dates from the 1330s. The building has lots of character with a history room with an exhibition on the building’s history as well as the oldest wall paintings in Yorkshire.’
Wednesday market is a triangular square with restaurants pubs and shops plus some stalls selling fruit and veg.
Butchers row is a main shopping area
‘Toll Gavel’ leads off Butchers Row and up to Saturday Market that would be square but for the former Corn Exchange.
‘Nellies’ or the White Horse Inn is a Sam Smiths16th century hostelry.
Myth or not but it is said Lewis Carroll noticed the 18ins high carved stone figure of a rabbit that serves as a corbel at one side of a stone archway in the historic St Mary’s Church. There is a White Rabbit shop on Dyers Lane and Beverley is quite an Alice in Wonderland.
A milliners and hat shop survives due to mad hatters at the racing and good marketing. It is called the Beverley Hat Company.

Beverley is known for hosting various music festivals throughout the year including June Folk Festival and an Early music festival.
There are often food festivals and events in town or on the Westwood.
Affordable affluence voted Beverley the best place in England to live.
The Guildhall is only open on a Friday.
Beverley is located between the River Hull and the common land of Westwood about 6 miles from Hull.
Beverley Grammar school is the oldest in England.The Beverley Building Society was founded in 1866 and is one of the UK’s oldest established societies.
‘Ode to Joy Beverley’ is not by Beethoven or anything to do with Beverley but is a lampoon written by Les Barker on one of the Beverley Sisters.

Beverley probably had a permanent race track as far back as 1690.
The first grandstand was built in 1767
The mile and a half circuit located on the historic Westwood is ideal for the flat racing.
The Aunt Bessie’s Yorkshire Pudding Handicap Stakes will take place at the evening meeting on 1st July 2011

In the early 13th century the Knights Hospitallers came to Beverley
The mayor and aldermen built a hospital in 1740 endowed with money from Ann Routh and Chris Moor for the maintenance of 12 poor church going widows.
Wharton’s hospital was endowed before 1712

Ann Routh’s Hospital.

Timeline for Beverley History