Scarborough on the North Sea Coast of North Yorkshire is a very popular tourist destination during the summer months. With two main beaches, limestone cliffs and a harbour protected by a rocky headland, this is the largest holiday resort on the Yorkshire coast.
The original settlement of Scarborough would have been in medieval times on the South Bay side of the town. This forms the old district and is the main area for tourists. There is a lively atmosphere, a busy beach and a host of fish and chip shops, cafes, bars and restaurants. The 11th century Scarborough Castle looks down on the town from the cliff tops and there is also a more modern shopping precinct behind the main beach area.
The North Bay side of town with its long sandy beach and plenty of parking is much quieter but with fewer amenities. The North side however is home to Peasholm Park which is reputed to be one of the top 5 parks in Europe. North and South Bay are joined together by Marine Drive with its extensive Victorian Promenade.
Anyone walking along the sea front in Scarborough will have noticed the huge building up on the cliffs. The Grand Hotel which was completed in 1867 was one of the largest hotels in the world. It is still very impressive by todays standards. Ann Bronte died here in 1849. She is buried in the graveyard of St Mary's Church near the castle.
Whilst Scarborough still has an active fishing industry it is relatively small and the working harbour now provides fishing and boat trips for the thousands of visitors. The Scarborough fish market sells locally caught seafood.
Scarborough is diverse enough to offer something for everyone. It has museums, cultural heritage and historic buildings. It also has a wealth of entertainment venues and nearby places to visit. Any trip to North Yorkshire would be incomplete without a visit to Scarborough.
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Whitby is a coastal town in North Yorkshire which is situated on the mouth of the River Esk. Any first time visitor to Whitby will instantly recognise that this seaside town has a maritime history. With its impressive harbour walls and inland harbour the town has been an important fishing port for centuries. It is also famous for the fact that Captain Cook learned his seamanship here.
A large swing bridge divides the town and the old town is situated on the Abbey side of the harbour. With its quaint houses of brick and stone and narrow roads, the visitor gets a glimpse of what it might have been like in past years. Whitby today is a tourist destination. The town changed from a fishing village to a popular tourist destination during the Georgian period and tourism increased further with the arrival of the ralway in 1839.
There has been a settlement at Whitby since 656 and several earlier monastries which were either destroyed or rebuilt. Whitby is known for its Jet Jewellery. Whitby at its peak in 1790 was the third largest shipbuilder in England. The ship HMS Endeavour that took Captain Cook to Australia and New Zealand was built in Whitby in 1764.
On the Old Town side of Whitby there are 199 steps that lead up to the Church of St. Mary which is famous for giving Bram Stoker the inspiration for his famous book - Dracula. The ruins of St Hilda's Abbey dominates the skyline are cared for by English Heritage for which there is an entrance fee. Interestingly the Abbey also claims to be the inspiration for Dracula.
The town of Whitby with its lobster or crab baskets on the quayside is a typically English seaside town. The main harbour area and old town are a delight to explore and there are plenty of cafes, pubs and restaurants available as well as many small independent shops. A definite 'must visit' location if you find yourself in this part of the world.
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Meanwood used to be a village on the outskirts of Leeds but it is now a suburb on the North West side of the city. The name Meanwood dates back to the 12th century
The 1841 census lists 144 houses in Meanwood of which many were stone cottages which have since been demolished. However there are some interesting older buildings on Monkbridge Road and some back to backs housing in Monkbridge Avenue. This short avenue used to have cobbled streets and outside toilets up until 1970.
In fact, take a walk around this area and you will still see the old cobbled streets and back alleys that have all but gone in most places.
Leeds is an old established and historic English city. It dates back to the 5th century when the area was covered by the Forest of Loidis from which the city gets its name. Leeds is the third largest city in the UK with a population of over 750,000.
From humble beginnings as Manorial Borough in the 13th century, Leeds became an important centre for the Wool trade during the Industrial Revolution. This led to the birth of other industries such as engineering, iron foundries and printing. The population exploded and by the mid 20th century it had experienced phenomenal growth.
By 1801 most of the population of Leeds lived on the outskirts of the city or township as it then was. With shortages of water, poor housing conditions and outbreaks of Cholera the authorities built three new reservoirs and encouraged the development of better housing for the workers who were often housed in damp and crowded back-to-backs.
Leeds today is a vibrant city ranked as a gamma world city and home to three universities, a large legal and financial economy and home to over 30 national and international banks. Call centres have also done well here and provide employment for thousands of workers. Leeds has attracted inward investment and the city centre has been renewed with many large development projects and luxury housing in the city centre.
The retail trade is buoyant here and there are several impressive arcades in the city centre and a host of independent and branded names. There is a busy market and some fine buildings to be admired as well as several museums. You can easily spend more than a day in Leeds. This fine city has a lot to offer. Whilst it does not benefit from the picturesque medieval backdrop that York has to offer it holds its own in terms of a clean modern city with lots to offer the visitor.
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The village of Muston in North Yorkshire is situated just 1.5 miles from the town of Filey. The village is listed as Mustone in the Domesday Book where it was recorded as seven households with just 21 villagers, six small holders and ten plough lands. It was still mainly a farming village in the 1860's when farming went through some particularly hard times and many farmers were poor and some unfortunate souls made destitute.
By 1823 the village population had increaed to some 350 citizens of which fourteen were farmers. The Parish Church was completely rebuilt in 1863 although a church would have been situated here since the 12th century. The current All Saints Church is a Grade II listed building.
