British History
Yorkshire

Find out more about Yorkshire history. Easy, interesting guide, with suggestions of historical attractions to visit for great days out in the UK ...

Yorkshire has always been a pivotal area in British history.

This means that there are plenty of historical and cultural attractions in the Yorkshire area - and especially in the area of the Yorkshire east coast...

Don't worry - this guide to history and Yorkshire is not at all heavy, or hard-going. We'll keep it all light and brief...

This British history and Yorkshire guide will just give you a very brief and informal overview of the history and pre-history of the area.

I'll concentrate on some of the historical and cultural attractions in the Yorkshire coast area, that you can visit on your holidays, short break or family days out in the UK...

It's not a history lesson, and it's not a comprehensive list of all the historical attractions in the area.

This is actually quite a small sample - but in my opinion, some of the most important and popular places to go.

You will find plenty of olde-worlde and historic attractions all around you in Yorkshire...

So, we'll begin at the beginning - or at least as far back as we seem to be able to find evidence for, around here...

The Jurassic Period

• The Yorkshire coast is proud home to a stretch of coast usually known as 'The Jurassic Coast' or 'The Dinosaur Coast'.
• This is a stretch of coastline, from Staithes to Flamborough, where all kinds of fossils have been discovered. Find out more about the Yorkshire coast's fossil coast
• Visit the Rotunda Museum in Scarborough for more about the geology and fossils of the Yorkshire coast

Pre-History

• In Celtic times Yorkshire was the home of the powerful 'Brigantes' tribe.
• To visit:
  • The Rudston Monolith - near Burton Agnes

The Roman Period in British History

• The Romans were very active in the Yorkshire area. The centre of the Roman occupation of Yorkshire was York - which they called 'Eboracum'.






Constantine the Great was proclaimed Roman Emperor in York in AD306. This statue outside York Minster commemorates the event.
• In the 3rd Century, when Britain was divided into 2 main 'provinces', Eboracum was the capital of 'Britannia Inferior'
• In the 4th Century, when Britain was divided into 4 main 'provinces', Eboracum was the capital of 'Britannia Secunda'
• Roman attractions to visit in the area:
  • Wheeldale Roman Road (English Heritage)
  • Local Museums

The Dark Ages and Vikings in British History

• Yorkshire was a very important area in Viking times, Yorkshire was an independent kingdom, with York at the centre. The Vikings called York 'Jorvik'.
• After around 100yrs, Jorvik came back under 'English' rule - but was an area subject to lots of Viking raids for a couple of centuries to come.
• Viking attractions to visit in the area:
  • Jorvik Viking Centre - York

    About 1-1.5 hrs drive from the coast - this is a fantastic day out for all the family. When I first moved to York I went for an interview here as an interpretitive 'Viking' - sadly I didn't get the job!

    Click here for more details about the Jorvik Viking Centre

  • Local Museums

The Normans in British History

• 1066 is a very important date - both in British history as a whole, and in the history of Yorkshire...
• In 1066, King Harold Hardrada of Norway tried to take over the Yorkshire area, at the Battle of Fulford (now an area of York)...

  ...and the Battle of Stamford Bridge (now a small town about 10 miles east of York).

• The English king, also called Harold, did defeat the Norwegian King...

  ...but then had to march immediately down to Hastings in the south of England, where he was killed in battle against the Norman (French) invaders.

  The Normans were led by William 'The Conqueror', who then became ruler of England.

  This is the famous incident with the arrow in the eye, depicted on the historic Bayeux tapestry.

• In 1069, the people of Yorkshire and the north of England rebelled against William the Conqueror.

  With the help of King Sweyn II of Norway, they made a brave attempt to bring York back under English (and Viking) rule. This enraged the Normans, who burned York.

• William the Conqueror ordered 'The Harrying of the North'.

  Normans burnt whole villages, farmlands, crops and animals. Innocent people were murdered and starved to death (because there were no crops or food).

• To visit:
  • Scarborough Castle
  • Skipsea Castle
  • Cliffords Tower, York
  • York Minster
  • Whitby Abbey
  • Local Museums

Middle Ages in British History

• 14th Century:
  • 'The Great Famine'
  • 'The Black Death' - This killed off a third of the population in the Yorkshire area
• 15th Century:
  • Yorkshire was involved in the 'Wars of the Roses'. This was a civil war between the Royal houses of 'York' and 'Lancaster'.

    Yorkshire and the Yorkists took on the symbol of the white rose, while Lancaster took the red rose.

  • The Wars of the Roses ended when Henry Tudor killed Richard III of York in battle, and the reign of the Tudors began.

    The red rose of Lancaster and the white rose of York combined to become the 'Tudor rose'.

    The white rose is still the symbol of Yorkshire, though, and the symbol of famous Yorkshire football club, Leeds Utd.

  • To visit:
    • Scarborough Castle
    • Burton Agnes (medieval) Hall
    • Wharram Percy deserted Medieval Village
    • Gainsthorpe Medieval Village
    • Merchant Adventurer's Hall, York
    • Barley Hall, York
    • York Minster
    • Moorland Crosses on the North York Moors
    • Local Museums

Tudors to Cromwell in British History

• Many priories and abbeys had been built in Yorkshire since Norman times...






Whitby Abbey



• 1536
  • Henry VIII ordered the 'Dissolution of the Monasteries', and Britain became an officially protestant country.

    Religious buildings, including all the abbeys, were stripped of their treasures and broken up. In Yorkshire, many people were still (secretly) Catholics - so they were hounded and executed.

• 1642:
  • The 'English Civil War' began, between the Royalists (on the side of the King) and the Parliamentarians (lead by Oliver Cromwell).

    York became the base for the Royalists (also called 'Cavaliers') and Hull became the base for the Parliamentarians (also called 'Roundheads').

  • The Roundheads fought hard and 're-captured' Yorkshire gradually - a town at a time.

    The big 'Battle of Marston Moor' (at Long Marston, just to the west of York) meant that the Roundheads won control of the whole of Yorkshire and the north of England.

• To visit:
  • Whitby Abbey
  • Gisborough Priory
  • Thornton Abbey and Gatehouse
  • Kirkham Abbey
  • Rievaulx Abbey
  • Mount Grace Priory
  • Bridlington Priory
  • Bayle Gate and Museum, Bridlington
  • Burton Agnes Hall
  • Local Museums

Late Middle Ages, through Victorian and Industrial Ages to Modern British History

• The Yorkshire coast area was not a hot-bed of industrial activity, but shipping became very important - increasingly so as a rail network developed.

  Shipping was big business for towns on the coast, especially Whitby. Captain Cook is Whitby's most famous sea-faring son.

  Find out about the Captain Cook Museum in Whitby

  Find out about the Captain Cook and Staithes Heritage Centre

• The development of the railways meant more people were able to visit the area for tourist purposes.
• Scarborough became the first seaside spa resort in England (in the middle of the 17th Century), and this added to the popularity of nearby seaside towns Filey, Whitby and Bridlington. The tourism industry was able to grow from this.
• To visit:
  • Scarborough
  • Whitby
  • Bridlington - Click here for British history in and around Bridlington
  • Captain Cook Museum, Whitby
  • Captain Cook and Staithes Heritage Centre in Staithes
  • Whitby Museum
  • St Mary's Church, Whitby
  • The Sutcliffe Gallery, Whitby
  • The Rotunda Museum and Scarborough Art Gallery
  • Castle Howard
  • National Railway Museum, York
  • Eden Camp (WWII camp)
  • Elvington Aircraft Museum
  • Sewerby Hall
  • York Cold War Bunker
  • Local Museums

This really is just a brief history of Yorkshire, and a very small sample of some of the main historical and cultural attractions from British history, that are also interesting and good fun to visit for family days out in the UK.

Some more ideas for places to visit:

York Castle Museum
Yorkshire Museum (history, archaeology and natural history - regular exhibitions)
DIG York (archaeological experience, from pre-history to Victorian times)

The North York Moors also has much evidence of prehistoric occupation, plus later industrial use.

Many of the places on my list are run by English Heritage. Get more information about English Heritage places to visit

I hope this page has given you a brief overview of how British history has influenced Yorkshire and the Yorkshire coast...

Perhaps more importantly, I hope it has given you some good ideas for things to see and do for your British holidays or fun days out in the UK...

More about the History of Whitby

More about Bridlington's history

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...from Whitby to Scarborough, Filey, Bridlington, Hornsea, Withernsea, North York Moors and beyond…

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