After saying “Tara-a-bit” to Jeeves and Michelle, we decided to visit Beverley on our way home after leaving Flamborough. It was a good choice as Beverley is a very pleasant market town, with a very impressive minster at its heart.
We parked Fufu on the School Lane long-stay car and coach park and paid £3 for two hours. I really should read the signs more carefully as I need not have paid at all, it is free on Sundays.
The town was reasonably busy with many shops open and much evidence of a pavement café culture and many people enjoying a drink and/or food outside in the large pedestrianised town centre.
To the North of the town centre, there is a gateway. This “North Bar” lies across the A164 road, which is named “North Bar Without” to the northern side and “North Bar Within” to the southern side of the bar. Apparently, the town never had walls as the marshy land provided a natural barrier to other approaches.
Apparently, when the town was built, it was named Beverley as a result of the beavers who lived in abundance at the time, across this local marshland. John, Bishop of York who died in ad 721, founded a monastery on this site and was buried here. He was later canonised in ad 1037, becoming Saint John of Beverley.
Later, King Athelstan granted many acres of land to the church, the income from which enabled two substantial churches to be built, St Mary’s and Beverley Minster, which is huge. Much of the fabric of both churches is currently undergoing renovation with much scaffolding in evidence. Although it is a pity we could not see the buildings in all their glory, it is good to know that they are being preserved for future generations. We will just have to return at a later date.
The quire is full of amazing and detailed wooden carvings, almost everywhere you look:
There are also many carved stone heads and other figures. Those with cloven hooves appear abundant:
"See-u-Later" 