I’ve written often about the Battle of Wakefield, fought on 30 December 1460, but the days leading up to it over Christmas are just as revealing. Information from Wakefield’s Castles and Museums paints a picture far removed from festive cheer. When Richard, Duke of York reached

The third day of Christmas is the feast of St John the Evangelist. St John’s, New Briggate, is a redundant Anglican church and is the oldest in Leeds city centre. It was built between 1632 and 1634 and in its own way tells the story of one of the country's most turbulent periods. Its

Born on tomorrow's date 27 December in 1773 at Scarborough near the family estate at Brompton-by-Sawdon, Sir George Cayley is credited with inventing the first practical, manned glider. He successfully flew a passenger (allegedly his coachman) in 1853 and established the

It is a lovely morning for a good but sadly that is in the past. In the couple of days following Boxing Day we would often have a walk from Ilkley across to Dick Hudsons

A personal Boxing Day thread As a child Boxing Day at Grandma’s was like a second Christmas Day, an annual festival of noise, laughter, and all the family members. Present-swapping was conducted with military precision. Lunch came in two sittings: the kids and the women who didn’t fancy the 1/7

As well as being Boxing Day, the second day of Christmas is also the feast day of St Stephen, the first Christian Martyr. The area around Robin Hood's Bay is home to not one but two churches dedicated to him. The historic Old St Stephen's Church (built in 1822) and the active one (built in

The Parish Church of All Saints, Slingsby, stands on the western side of the village. Its restoration and partial rebuilding of 1867–69 is notable as an early and unusually conservative example of Victorian church restoration, deliberately respecting the historic character of the medieval building

The late Georgian Diary (1826) of Robert Sharp, a schoolmaster in South Cave, East Yorkshire features in a really entertaining piece by the Georgian Society for East Yorkshire. He recorded a "Scrooge-like" view of December 25, 1826 complaining about "Waits" gsey.org.uk/christmas-in... 1/2

York Minster at Christmas. A place of worship has existed here since 627, but the current Gothic structure was largely built between 1220 and 1472. The Minster blends Early English, Decorated, and Perpendicular Gothic styles and is famous for its stunning medieval stained

Royalists held Pontefract Castle at the outbreak of the English Civil Wars. According to diarist and gentleman volunteer Nathan Drake the first of the three sieges of the castle began at Christmas 1644 and dragged on into the following March, when Marmaduke Langdale, 1st Baron Langdale of

Arthur Rackham is synonymous with Christmas in the same way that firesides, storybooks, and long winter evenings belong to it. His illustrations—full of gnarled trees, deep shadows, and quiet enchantment—feel made for the darker half of the year, when imagination sharpens

"I am light as a feather. I am happy as an angel, I am merry as a school-boy, I am giddy as a drunken man." I wish that if only for tomorrow, everyone could feel like Scrooge did that Christmas morning. A very Merry Christmas to you all and thank you for being so supportive over the last year.

The colliery may have gone but there are still over three thousand terraced houses in the post-industrial town of Castleford. Image Adobe Images.

Middleham Castle, a favourite of many, was originally a wooden Motte and Bailey built by Alan Rufus around 1086. The current stone castle is a 12th/13th century fortress famous as the childhood home and 15th-century stronghold of King Richard III. Built originally by the

South aisle east window in the Church of All Saints, North Street, York The glass dates from c.1330 and originally stood behind the High Altar. Some panels are modern replacements. Scenes include the Annunciation, Nativity and, Adoration of the Magi. The tracery is mostly later. Click to enlarge.

I know I have posted this before but it wouldn't be Christmas without it. Winter 1947. A single-deck bus marooned in deep snow on Ashes Lane below Castle Hill, Huddersfield. It was one of three Huddersfield Corporation buses stranded here for weeks during the brutal winter; the

Founded in 1147, Kirkstall Abbey began when twelve monks from Fountains Abbey, led by Prior Alexander, settled first at Barnoldswick before moving to the present site in 1152. The community remained here until the Dissolution in 1539. Unlike many monasteries, Kirkstall escaped large-scale

An elaborate knitted nativity scene has been unveiled at a Yorkshire Dales church. Buckden Knit and Natter, which has 16 members, spent about a year crafting the display. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Each door of the History & Heritage Yorkshire Advent Calendar reveals a festive nugget of history, folklore and traditions, curious snippets and the events that shaped the region. Please enlarge the image to read. #AdventCalendar #Heritage

aken during a sanitary inspection in Leeds in 1899 the photograph captures a group of children in an urban alley surrounded by slums. The challenging living conditions and poverty were prevalent in late 19th-century Victorian society. The inspection though was part of early

Richmond settles into snow like a held breath, castle and rooftops softened, not erased. Stone endures, while winter quiets everything around it. Image Adobe Images

Sad to hear that Middlesbrough born musician Chris Rea has died and especially so at this time of year given his his much-loved festive hit, "Driving Home for Christmas." www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Saltaire in the snow. The tower on the right was designed in an Italianate style, inspired by the campanile of the church of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari in Venice. . It stands 68 meters (220 feet) high and was an integral part of the New Mill's function, serving as a ventilation shaft.

Looking for a last minute Christmas gift? Stroll Along the Prom, Prom, Prom with me by obtaining a copy of my e-book of the same name, available on a pay what you want basis with no minimum charge. Shop at payhip.com/b/pDkFM 110 fully illustrated pages. #Yorkshire #coast #seaside #History

A week tomorrow, the 30th of December marks the anniversary of the Battle of Wakefield in 1460, part of the Wars of the Roses. Whilst many people will be familiar with Sandal Castle and its role in that battle fewer people will be aware of Wakefield's other 12th century fortress. Wakefield or

Each door of the History & Heritage Yorkshire Advent Calendar reveals a festive nugget of history, folklore and traditions, curious snippets and the events that shaped the region. Please enlarge the image to read. #AdventCalendar #Heritage #Yorkshire #TwelfthNight #FoodHistory #Baking #Cake

The earliest known written account of a daring bid to rescue King Charles I from imprisonment in Leeds has gone on display in the city. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Winter Market John Kenneth Long (1924–2006) The Cooper Gallery, Barnsley © the artist's estate. Long was a painter, sculptor and teacher. born in Liverpool he studied at Manchester School of Art. He lived in Darton, Barnsley.

Seen through the lens of violence in Ukraine, Gaza and elsewhere, von Uhde’s The Difficult Journey. (Transition to Bethlehem). feels especially heavy with meaning. The quiet vulnerability of the figure on the road echoes the experiences of countless people today, forced to keep moving through fear,

St Mary’s Church, South Cowton, stands alone in a Yorkshire meadow, the village it once served long since vanished. Faint earthworks between the church and nearby South Cowton Castle mark where homes once stood. Built between 1450 and 1470 during the Wars of the Roses, the church and castle were

Each door of the History & Heritage Yorkshire Advent Calendar reveals a festive nugget of history, folklore and traditions, curious snippets and the events that shaped the region. Please enlarge the image to read. #AdventCalendar #Heritage #Yorkshire #folkdance #longsworddance

'A winter sunset over Bolton Priory to mark today's winter solstice' The priory church and ruins of the Augustinian priory lie at the heart of the Bolton Abbey estate on land gifted to the Augustinian canons by Alice de Rumilly in 1154. The canons lived and worshipped here until 1539

'A mysterious organisation has been brought into existence which baffles every ordinary effort to resist it.' The Leeds Mercury 21 December 1811. The Luddite movement began in Nottinghamshire resulting in a region-wide rebellion that lasted until 1816.

"A forest of chimneys, pots packed tight, Santa Claus sees them and lets out a sigh There are too many flues and too little time." York 2005. I love the array of chimneys and even the aerials are varied. Image courtesy of Chris (Flickr) CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 #Christmas #York

If you are not from Yorkshire and of a certain age this will not mean a lot to you. OTD 20 December in 1928, Harry Ramsden, below opened his first fish and chip shop in a small wooden hut near the tram stop at White Cross, Guiseley,. He paid £150 for the hut

Saturnalia (1783) by Antoine-François Callet showing his interpretation of what the festival may have looked like. Saturnalia in Roman York would also have been a raucous, week-long midwinter festival starting around 17th December with feasting, role-reversal turning social hierarchies

With a little luck, a taxi and a train that is running I am aiming to visit Hebden Bridge today. These days it feels like I am preparing to climb Everest 😂Image Tim Green

Each door of the History & Heritage Yorkshire Advent Calendar reveals a festive nugget of history, folklore and traditions, curious snippets and the events that shaped the region. Please enlarge the image to read. #AdventCalendar #Heritage #Yorkshire #Scarborough #StainedGlass

There have always been those only too willing to interfere in your Christmas preparations as in this 1950s pamphlet from Stork margarine. (Click on image to enlarge)

St Hilda's Terrace Whitby in Snow, Frank Meadow Sutcliffe. The terrace has long been one of the premier addresses in the town ever since the Georgian buildings were constructed on former meadows in the late 18th century. They were the homes of shipowners and other wealthy

The 1644 Siege of Knaresborough was a pivotal English Civil Wars action where Parliamentarian forces under Lord Fairfax besieged the Royalist-held Knaresborough Castle for several months following the Battle of Marston Moor. The castle, a key North Yorkshire

Bradford closes its year as UK City of #Culture this weekend with a large-scale finale involving hundreds of local people, bringing to an end a programme that has drawn more than 3 million visits. Over twelve months, events have ranged from major national moments including the Turner Prize and 1/3

The image is a Christmas cartoon by Tom Merry, published on 25 December 1886, titled Queen Victoria’s Christmas obviously based on A Christmas Carol. It shows Gladstone, asleep in a chair next to a fire, having a nightmare vision of Disraeli showing Queen Victoria celebrating Christmas 1/3

Now part of the University of York campus, Heslington Hall is a Grade II listed manor house dating from 1565–8, It was largely rebuilt between 1852-4. It was constructed for Sir Thomas Eynns, the Secretary and Keeper of the Seal to the Council of the North; and his wife Elizabeth.

Each door of the History & Heritage Yorkshire Advent Calendar reveals a festive nugget of history, folklore and traditions, curious snippets and the events that shaped the region. Please enlarge the image to read. #AdventCalendar #Heritage #Yorkshire #History #SocialHistory #Christmas

Snow in Queensbury. Bradford. Tim Green CC BY 2.0

In the Winter's Twilight Glow, John Atkinson Grimshaw. The title is most appropriate on several levels as the scene can probably be dated to the last winter of Grimshaw's life, when he painted a series of similar subjects around Knostrop Hall.

J.M.W. Turner who died on 19 December in 1851 was deeply inspired by Yorkshire, visiting the region to sketch its coastlines and dales, He would often stay at Farnley Hall, home of his friend Walter Fawkes.

Bird's Christmas contest : the most thrilling competition invented : 1,500 big prizes and a mystery gift for every entrant : easy to enter- you're bound to win / Alfred Bird & Sons Ltd. 1937

Each door of the History & Heritage Yorkshire Advent Calendar reveals a festive nugget of history, folklore and traditions, curious snippets and the events that shaped the region. Please enlarge the image to read. #AdventCalendar #Heritage #Yorkshire #foodanddrink #Christmas