Located in the East Riding of Yorkshire, and around seven miles northwest of Hull, is the town of Beverley.

The town's name was originally 'Inderawuda', meaning 'in the wood of the men of Deira', but was later changed to 'Bevreli' or 'Beverlac', meaning 'beaverclearing or beaverlake', and ultimately, Beverley. The first structure in the settlement was a monastery founded in the early 8th century by the Bishop of York. After being canonised in 1037, he became known as Saint John of Beverley.

During the Medieval era Beverley was a prosperous town whose early industries included wool and brickmaking. It also became popular as a destination for pilgrims who came to venerate Saint John of Beverley. Around this time Beverley was one of the largest and richest towns in England.

Beverley Minster is a testament to the town's status in the Middle Ages. An earlier minster was destroyed in a fire in 1188. The replacement took until the early 15th century to be structurally completed, and the building we see today is deemed by many as a gothic masterpiece. It is larger than a third of all English cathedrals, despite itself being only a parish church.

Another structure from the 15th century is the North Bar. Although never a walled town, Beverley did have bars, i.e. gates to collect tolls. Built in 1409, the North Bar is the only surviving gate of four, and is an example of very early brickwork.

During the Tudor era Beverley's fortunes declined somewhat due to the Reformation, when Henry VIII broke away from Rome and dissolved the monasteries. This led to a significant drop in pilgrimages to Beverley, as well as a decline in the cloth industry.

Beverley would play a role during the Civil War. The town was royalist, whilst neighbouring Hull was parliamentarian. The people of Hull refused to open their gates to Charles I. The king went on to Beverley where he spent three weeks as a guest in North Bar House along with his two sons, both future kings. From here, Charles tried to persuade the governor of Hull to surrender his town. Various skirmishes followed between the two, and the parliamentarians were ultimately victorious.

The 18th century brought about a revival for Beverley. Much of the town centre was rebuilt with Georgian architecture, whilst still maintaining its Medieval layout. Around this time Beverley became the county town of the East Riding of Yorkshire, as well as the main market town in the area. The market cross dates from 1714. Industry around this time included iron, leather and shipbuilding. Beverley received its first railway connection in 1846.

Just west of the town centre is Beverley Racecourse. It first opened in 1690, and has been hosting flat racing meetings ever since.

In 1668 European settlers who had moved to America incorporated the settlement of Beverly, Massachusetts, naming it after Beverley, East Riding of Yorkshire (minus the final 'e'). In turn, Beverly Hills in California was named after the Massachusetts settlement.

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Filmed: 13th August 2021

Link to the walk on Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/keDhacUHPtPbr4m7A

Filmed on a Sony FDRAX700 with a Zhiyun Crane 2 and a Sony ECMXYST1M Stereo Microphone.

TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 Flemingate
0:31 Beverley Minster
0:38 Flemingate
0:58 Minster Yard South
1:27 Beverley Minster
1:35 Minster Yard South
1:58 Eastgate
2:21 Minster Yard North
3:34 Highgate
5:53 Wednesday Market
6:39 Butcher Row
7:56 Toll Gavel
11:06 Ladygate
13:32 Sow Hill Road
14:02 Saturday Market
15:59 Old Waste
16:14 Lairgate
16:46 North Bar Within
18:14 St Mary's Church
18:20 North Bar Within
20:02 North Bar (Built 1409)
20:38 North Bar Without
21:00 York Road