Yorkshire Nostalgia

Places to visit in Yorkshire for some reight good old nostalgia!

Yorkshire. Eee by gum. Yorkshire. Renowned for its Yorkshire puddings & gravy, its delightful tea and, of course, we can’t forget its reight friendly and down t’earth inhabitants. Like me! So what else is there in Yorkshire? Where do you go if you want to revisit the past, relive memories, get t’bottom of some good old Yorkshire ‘eritige? I’ve gathered together a list of 10 nostalgic things to do in th’land of Yorkshire for those of you looking for a bit of nostalgia and history. And hopefully a day trip to one of these places will leave you with even more happy memories. Get yer cuppas ready and yer pies out. We’re off.

• 1. Leeds: Lovely Leeds. Home of the much loved Marks and Spencer, the splendid County Arcade and let’s not forget, Leeds United Football Club! Want some Leeds heritage? Well, on the theme of Marks and Spencer, today I’d recommend the Marks and Spencer’s Heritage trail. The trail takes visitors to heritage points across the city, from the Marks and Spencer’s original market stall at Kirkgate to the unique Marks in Time Exhibition at the Marks and Spencer’s archive. An amazing opportunity to see the sites of Leeds through the eyes of Marks and Spencer!

  

• 2. Halifax: Halifax is full to the brim of industrial landmarks and places to visit. The best place to visit in Halifax, in my humble Yorkshire opinion, is the Piece Hall, which is currently closed due to an incredible transformation that will be open for the world to see in 2016. The Piece Hall is a must-see heritage site and a bit of a hidden gem in the town of Halifax. It originally opened in 1779 as a market place for textile trading and has since become a lovely little cobbled area with the same delightful historical architecture, containing unique shops and cafes. The new transformation will be filled with tasteful shops, cafes and a history interpretation centre! Intrigued?  I certainly am.

  

• 3. York: With the York Dungeons, the Jorvik Viking museum and its endless array of monumental and historical buildings, York is one of those places you must visit if you are interested in heritage, British history & nostalgia. One thing you must do, is visit the York Minster, one of the most fantastic cathedrals in the world. Climb the central tower. The climb will be long but you’ll be greeted with outstanding views of York from the top. Absolutely beautiful. I very much doubt you’ll be disappointed in the York Minster expedition.

  

• 4. Wakefield: Another industrial city with many interesting historical sites, Wakefield is home of the Yorkshire Sculpture park, the fascinating Wakefield museum and various castles and old battlegrounds. What do I recommend mostly? The National Coal Mining Museum. Do you really want to experience and re-live some history? Get yer sen t’coal mining museum! Travel 140 metres underground and get a feel for mining in one of Britain’s oldest mining museums. So interesting and so much fun!

  

• 5. Barnsley: Recognised as another industrial town, well known for glass making and coal mining, Barnsley is proper Yorkshire a’ tell thee! With its 700-year-old market and its beautiful architectural town hall, (now a museum), Barnsley is a lovely place to visit with the family. For the most lovely of days out with yer’ bairns, visit Cannon Hall in Barnsley… A stunning hall with a charming farm filled with sheep and pigs and goats. Cannon Hall even has llamas. True Yorkshire style!

  

• 6. Haworth: The lovely town in Yorkshire where The Railway Children was set, and home to the Bronte sisters (writers of Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights). Such an idyllic place to visit, with its cobbled streets, dinky cafes, and shops such as Mrs Beighton’s sweet shop, which is filled with tasty nostalgic treats like sweet tobacco and pear drops. Just talking about the sweetshop makes my mouth water for the tastes of sweet nostalgia. The really unique thing to do in Haworth is to visit the Keighley and Worth Railway station, which opened in 1867. You get to ride on a train and get a true feel for how things were on the trains in days gone by. It’s one of those places that manages to transport you back to the era of the Bronte sisters without much effort. 100% nostalgia. 100% love it.

  

• 7. Hull: Hull is the 2017 city of Culture and I think this is well deserved! Hull has lots to offer, from its dock and harbour to its its old town brimming with medieval churches and fascinatingly built buildings, with pubs like The White Heart and the Old Black Boy, which are rich with history and heritage, there is always something to do in Hull which invites you to re-live history and feel nostalgic in some way. You can visit William Wilberforce’s house or take a trip on ‘The Larkin Trail’, which takes you on a journey through Hull in the eyes of the poet, Philip Larkin. Hull, another city, which is wildly underrated and deeply rich in history.

  

• 8. Sheffield: Sheffield. Land of the Steel. And a very popular northern city for many, a city that grew wonderfully in the industrial revolution, and although it is an up and coming, popular city for young people, Sheffield still keeps the memories of its past alive through various attractions that give visitors a chance to get a feel for what took place in Sheffield in yesteryear.  The Sheffield Museums Trust runs three museums, Kelham Island Museum, Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet and the Shepherd Wheel, which all produce various history workshops and exhibitions. Do Not Miss the Victorian Festive Market at the Kelham Island Museum on the 5^th 6^th December this year. I’ll see you there. 

• 9. Whitby: Ah the chuffin’ lovely Whitby with its unbelievable fish ‘n’ chips, the exquisite Whitby abbey overlooking the sea and its picturesque shops and cafes. What a town! The Whitby churchyard is the setting where the ‘Dracula’ novels were based, so it is often thought of as an old gothic town, therefore has various gothic themed activities such as a ghost walk at night-time and Dracula’s experience on the main strip. So much fun and sooooo bloomin’ gorgeous! There are even arcades in Whitby, if you are feeling truly nostalgic for some 2p gambling! If you haven’t been to Whitby – go!

  

• 10. Hebden Bridge: Another idyllic setting in the North Of England providing canal cruises, cobbled streets and a general ‘mood’ of creativity. The town was home to the poet, Sylvia Plath, who is buried in the graveyard in Heptonstall, a tiny village above Hebden Bridge, (another place you must visit if you are nearby). Another activity you might enjoy in Hebden Bridge, if you are feeling nostalgic, is a visit to the Hebden Bridge Picture House, opened in 1921. Its old architecture and its interior design still emit that strange but calming feeling of memories and past, while it remains in the now. You can even get a cup of tea before you go in! Hebden Bridge, a lovely day out in Yorkshire.