Westwood ho!
EAST RIDING: From spectacular architecture to great local produce, Chris Berry takes a tour around Beverley and Driffield.
UNDAY afternoons on Beverley Westwood in the 1970s were perfect family occasions. Burgess Ice Cream, the creamiest of all at the time, sold plentifully and cattle grazed nonchalantly alongside where mums, dads and children played cricket, rounders and football. I remember it well, packing all necessary sports equipment into dad’s first company car – a green Mini, registration OAT123F.
In a world where much has changed since then it is reassuring to see that this pastoral scene remains.
Beverley Westwood is an open expanse of gently lilting grassland that has beckoned the people of Hull, Beverley and the rest of the East Riding for centuries. It is alluded to in the excellent epic family sagas Hardacre and Hardacre’s Luck written by CL Skelton, who also mentions another of Beverley’s jewels – Beverley Racecourse, situated just across the road from where the cattle take centre stage.
Racing has taken place here for over 300 years and the first grandstand was erected in 1767. Squire Watts, who was a major player in racing in these parts, owned four horses that all went on to win the St Leger. The best remembered of these is Altisidora and just a few miles out of Beverley, in the beautiful countryside village of Bishop Burton there is a pub that bears its name – the horse was bred by Richard Watt who lived here.
The Beverley track is renowned for its tough last few furlongs on the rise where many a horse and jockey come a cropper if they are new to the course. If you have not been before I would heartily recommend a visit.
The town is well loved by those who live within easy reach and is an extremely pleasant surprise for those who have chanced upon it first the first time. Beverley Minster, an impressive landmark when looking from the Westwood, is a major attraction, but it is the town centre itself that most fall in love with.
Independent retailers mix with several high street names and provide Beverley with a feel reminiscent of York or Chester. The large covered market on a Saturday has long been a major pull for the town and the man who taught me how to play guitar at night class at Malet Lambert High School in Hull, Sam Ellis, wrote a great song Beverley Market that conjures up life as a trader.
Beverley Folk Festival that took place recently is now one of the major festivals of its kind in the country and brings in millions of pounds to the town each year.
Just 12 miles up the road from Beverley is the market town of Driffield. Its one-day agricultural show held at Kelleythorpe took place just over a week ago bringing in over 25,000 visitors.
Driffield Town Council has launched a new initiative to bring even more people into the town over the coming months with its new Saturday Maker Markets.
Town clerk, Claire Binnington, explained what they are all about: “We already have our Thursday street market, which is great, but we needed to provide something special, to encourage people who may not