The Knights Templar in Yorkshire

On Tuesday members of my WEA local history group went on their travels again. This time we went further afield and visited Foulbridge near Snainton in North Yorkshire.

This was the site of a Knights Templar preceptory and we were particularly interested as Faxfleet, much nearer home, was also a preceptory but nothing remains of it above ground.

Here at Foulbridge is a medieval Templar hall, once hidden within two separate farmhouses but now revealed and restored by the Nutt family who kindly allowed us to visit their home.

The trees from which the hall at Foulbridge were built were felled in 1288, and it is thought that the hall was built between 1288 and 1290.

There are eight timber posts supporting  the roof and by looking at the markings on these posts it is possible to see that there were probably aisles on either side. 

We had a very enjoyable visit and a welcome cup of tea afterwards at Brompton.

Here we are at Foulbridge with Mr and Mrs Nutt

The following day I went to Driffield show, the sun shone and despite the ground underfoot being a bit spongy in places we had a good time.

Yesterday my missing brown hen re-appeared with one small chick in tow. We have put them in a coop,  made by my grandfather probably  60 years ago.  Molly has been ordered to look but not touch.

Men and tractors

I write a regular article in the monthly magazine Howden Matters. This usually consists of an old picture and a long caption describing the scene or people shown. Sometimes I get feedback, particularly where I have been unsure of names and by far the most popular recently has been a picture entitled simply "Men and Tractors".

I thought I would reproduce the photo here as I now have been given more information about it including the names of the men [do let me know if you think I have got it wrong!] and where the picture was taken. If you double click on the picture you should get a larger image which you can download and print.

The event was an open ploughing match held by the Goole Young Farmers in a field on Rawcliffe Road lent by Mr N G Silvester. The event was won by R A Backhouse. Date not yet known.

 Left to right:  Roger Thompson, Geoff Tune from Hensall, John Sykes, Bob   Backhouse, Geoff Tindall, Norman  Webster, Alma Wilson, Willie  Saville,  Roland Backhouse,  Robert Chantry,  Claude Brignall, Ken Tattershall , unknown,  William Bayston.               

Wressle visit

Members and friends of my WEA local history classes visited Wressle this week. We met at the brick church, built in 1799  to replace the chapel within the castle which had been destroyed by fire in 1796.

We then went on to visit Wressle Castle which is very visible from the Howden/ Selby rail line. What remains of the Percy family's magnificent castle however is now only a fraction of the original. It is on private property and our visit was specially arranged with the owners.

What remains is the south range which contained the hall and lord's tower. The rest was demolished in the mid-seventeenth century on the orders of parliament in case the Royalists occupied it. This was despite the fact that the Percy family were then supporters of Parliament.

The south range survived and was occupied as a farm house until it was destroyed by a fire. We walked around the outside first and I had a good audience of both people and cattle as I talked about the castle.

We then looked inside the castle which is open to the elements - no floors or windows are left and the stonework is badly cracked. But it was still possible to imagine what it had been like when there were over 200 servants and Henry VII visited.

We then enjoyed tea and scones at the farmhouse and were lucky enough to avoid this week's rain.

Wressle Castle around 1905

Not much to say about the rain except that I wish it would stop. Yesterday was a deluge and my garden pond which takes the water from the house roof is over its banks and overflowing into the woodland. Molly has enjoyed jumping in and swimming in it, coming out covered with duckweed.

Aughton church

On Friday I went in the evening to Aughton church. Every year there is a service there  to remember Robert Aske, the leader of the Pilgrimage of Grace. He was born in the village and was put to death at York on 12th July 1537.

This year's event was special as Carole Readman had written a moving cantata which told the story of this Yorkshire uprising. She conducted the Weighton Waytes who sang magnificently and whose Tudor costumes were equally magnificent. The church was full of local people who are still proud of the man who worshipped in the very church where we sat and who died for his religion.

In the interval we ate [everything was free and contributed by local supporters] from groaning tables of food ranging from potted salmon and asparagus to honey cakes and jelly.

As we came out it was dusk and a little eerie -  one could imagine what it was like all those years ago when national politics and the long arm of Henry VIII affected the family who lived in this remote part of East Yorkshire.