High Hunsley: The historic Yorkshire beacon first used centuries ago to warn of invasion
High Hunsley Wold to the west of Hull is the loftiest point on the southern escarpment of the Yorkshire Wolds, rising to 538ft above the Humber.
It is still some way short of the range of chalk hills’ highest summit. That is Bishop Wilton Wold (807ft), also known as Garrowby Hill, seen on the Stamford Bridge to Fridaythorpe road.
A modern beacon (pictured) stands beside the B1230 running across High Hunsley between Beverley and South Cave, and is lit to mark important events, the last one being the 80th Anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day on 8th May.
It is believed a beacon was sighted on the vantage point for centuries as part of a network of signals providing early warning of invasion.
A small hamlet named High Hunsley lies to the east of beacon, and according to Baines’ History, Directory and Gazetteer of the County of York (1832) it was once “a place of some consequence”.
In recent years the remains of a medieval village have been excavated in an adjacent field, including a well-preserved ale house or inn and pottery that has been dated from the 12th to 15th centuries.
It is thought the village was eventually deserted because of a combination of factors including disease and evictions by landowners who wanted to change from arable farming to sheep rearing.
Because of its elevated position above the flat Hull and Holderness coastal plain it was an obvious choice for the location of a radio transmitter to provide the signal of BBC Radio Humberside when the station launched in February 1971.
Initially, so powerful was the transmitter that it interfered with broadcasts from BBC Radio Leeds on the save wavelength, so much so that Rugby League fans tuning in to hear match commentaries of Leeds clubs found they were listening to games involving Hull clubs.