"Eyup" (Hello) Yorkshire

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Part XI

…………… The White family of Wentworth. Knowing the White family came from Wentworth, some months ago Linda decided to see if there were any left in the village and found one family on the Electoral Roll so wrote to them. She found a new branch of the family that had been missing for many generations. What a thrill it was to meet them and in the village where George and Mary White started a dynasty in 1809 when they married in the village.

Peter had managed, after a great deal of searching, to find George and Mary’s gravestone in the old churchyard. He also located the house whee Mary lived for many years after George’s death………………anyway on with the story.

We arrived in Wentworth around 15:30 and had to ring peter and Hilary as there weren’t any house numbers that we could see. Fortunately they lived right next to the red telephone box so we fond that easily and went up the lane to the back of the house where there was a lovely walled garden completely separate from the house and where we had a BBQ cooked by Peter later.

After a short rest we went for a walk to Wentworth Woodhouse one of the largest and most important country houses of the 18th century and has the longest frontage of any country house in Britain at 600 feet (183m). This can be seen from the public right of way through Wentworth Park. This is all that can be seen, as the house is now privately owned. From here we went round the village and passed the windmill on Clayfields lane, which was built of 158,000 hand-made red bricks in English bond around 1751. It was made into a cottage in 1792 - Saxon Tower and today one of Hilary’s family (sorry - can’t recall who) lives there.

Wentworth village was and still is an estate village and remains unspoilt surrounded by pit villages although the mines have long since been closed and the slag heaps removed. Whilst waling through the village it is easy to see how in earlier times it was made up of small farmlets with a cottage and outhouses and would most likely have been self-sufficient. We enjoyed the walk and Peter telling all about the village. We even saw 22 Wentworth where Mary White, widow lived in the 1861 census.
Now it was time to return to 35 Wentworth as sons Nick and Jonathan and their families were due to arrive.

After the BBQ we went off to see the Old Church and the gavestone and also the New Church where Peter and Hilary were married, the school and West Hall where Peter grew up. Then to the George and Dragon for a pint and to see photos of old Wentworth.

Peter and Hilary were due to fly to New York the following morning so they had kindly arranged for us to stay at the Rockingham Arms for the night. The accommodation is actually over the road at 1 Wentworth where Peter’s godfather once lived.

A big “thank you” to Jonathan and Kate for coming over to meet us and to little Freya who was not a well girl. Also to Nick, Kristie and Henry who were staying in Wentworth that night as they too were off to the States. Most of all “Thank You” Peter and Hilary for making us so welcome and organizing our bed for the night and for the Wentworth beer and all the family things you showed us. Apologies to Peter if any Wentworth facts are wrong.

Total travelled was 184 miles (294.4 kms)
We were in the North York Moors National Park, North Yorkshire and South Yorkshire.

6th June - Tuesday

After a leisurely breakfast we walked up to the Estate Farm and bought a tray of eggs and had a look round the Wentworth Garden Centre and a stop to take a phtograph of allotments, that facinate Howard, just before we got to the M1 and then the turnoff for York.

York is a compact walled city on the River Ouse with a 2000-year-old history from the time of the Romans and one of Linda’s favourite places to visit.

Eventually we found a parking spot not too far from the Minster. We were quite happy to pay the entrance fee to the Minster as it is such a beautiful place and they let you take photos of one of Europe’s finest cathedrals. There were lots of 'men of the cloth' walking round who were only too happy to point us in the right direction for photo taking and to answer questions. At one point we were shown a mirror paced in such a way that Howard could take photos of the newly restore ceiling and Rose window.

York Minster was originally a Roman Catholic church, but it has been part of the Church of England since the break break from Rome initiated by Henry VIII in 1534.

In 1972 the Minster celebrated the completion of restoration work during the five hundredth anniversary of the original completion of the building that had taken over two hundred and fifty years to build.

On 9 July 1984 a fire, probably caused by lightning, destroyed the roof of the South Transept. It was agreed that the roof should be repaired using, as far as possible, the traditional structure and materials of the medieval builders. Fortunately, the sixteenth century Rose window had been re-leaded 12 years before the fire and the glass stayed in place despite being fragmented into 40,000 pieces by the intense heat. The opportunity was taken to carve the 62 new bosses needed with figures and scenes instead of the uniform foliage designs that were on those that were burnt.

In 1998 work was completed on the restoration of the great West door with new tracery carved by the Minster's staff of permanent craftsmen. Then could begin the 10-year programme for the restoration of the worn stonework on the west front. Two major decisions were made: first, to replace entirely the tracery of the Great West window to ensure the survival of the original medieval glass and second, to create an entirely new Great West door, so worn and illegible had the original designs become. The former is an exact copy of the original stonework made by the Minster's carvers, and the latter is a new interpretation of the early chapters of Genesis, which was a co-operation between theologian, designer and carvers, more true to the medieval spirit than trying to reproduce an original scheme would have been.

From the Minster we walked through the medieval streets and to the Shambles.

The Shambles is often called Europe's best-preserved medieval street, although the name is also used to collectively refer to the surrounding maze of narrow, twisting lanes and alleys as well. The street itself is mentioned in the Domesday Book, so we know that it has been in continuous existence for over 900 years.

The Shambles has the effect of a time machine, transporting you back to the Elizabethan period. The houses that jostle for space along The Shambles project out over the lane in their upper stories, as if trying to meet their neighbours opposite. In some places the street is so narrow that if you stand with arms outstretched you can touch the houses on both sides.

The name "Shambles" comes from the Saxon "Fleshammels", which means, "the street of the butchers", for it was here that the city's butcher's market was located, the meat for sale was displayed on the wide windowsills of the houses. The butcher's shops have now been replaced with shops catering to visitors, including jewellery and antiques; indeed, the Shambles is now one of the premier shopping areas in the city of York.

One building of note in The Shambles is the home of Margaret Clitherow. She was arrested in 1586 on the charge of harbouring Catholic priests. To make matters worse, she had regular Masses said in her house, and hid clergy vestments there. The authorities condemned her to death by pressing (crushing beneath a heavy weight). Margaret Clitherow was canonized in 1970, and her home is now a shrine.

Sadly there was no time to visit the National Railway Museum or Yorkshire Life Museum or walk the walls but we did enjoy or brief visit even managing to have lunch in one of the oldest pubs.

Next it was a drive on major roads to Adel, a mainly residential area on the edge of Leeds, to stay with Sandra and Paul for the night. We had already seen them in Gainford and they had been to Australia and stayed with us in Paraburdoo in 2005. On the way there, at Tadcaster Brewery we saw several tankers parked up carrying Foster's lager in bulk!!!!!!!

We had to be in Adel by 15:00 so Paul and Howard cold have a round of golf at Paul’s club Headingley. Founded in 1892 near the ruins of Kirkstall Abbey and moving to Adel in 1906, where a demanding course was laid out on undulating land, which once formed part of a Roman settlement. Sandra and Linda were able to sit out in the garden and enjoy the sunshine. Sandra did us proud with a beautiful meal and we had a lovely evening.

Total travelled today was 81 miles (129.6 kms)

We were in South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, North Yorkshire and the Vale of York.

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Photos

York Minster
From a different angle

The Great East Window, 1405- -1408
Contains the world's largest area of medieval stained glass in a single window

The Screen - 15th century
Decorated with statues of fifteen kings of England from William I to Henry VI. The organ console is above the arch leading to the quire