Why Beverley is one of Yorkshire’s most unusual towns

It is one of the oldest towns in Yorkshire and also among the most photogenic. Beverley, home to one of the great medieval churches of England, has long been a magnet for visitors to the East Riding, as this selection from the archive bears witness.
The marketplace in Beverley, Yorkshire, with the Market Cross on the left, 1869. (Photo by Otto Herschan Collection/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)The marketplace in Beverley, Yorkshire, with the Market Cross on the left, 1869. (Photo by Otto Herschan Collection/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
The marketplace in Beverley, Yorkshire, with the Market Cross on the left, 1869. (Photo by Otto Herschan Collection/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

It is also among the most traditional communities in the county, maintaining the practice of bestowing the freedom of the town on the sons of elders. Until as recently as 10 years ago, daughters were excluded.

Freemen also administer the three areas of common pasture land that set Beverley apart from almost every other town in England. Pasture freemen are allowed to stock the green spaces of Westwood, Swinemoor and Figham with cows and horses, and the custom is not purely ceremonial; some 1,000 can be seen grazing on most days.

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St Mary's Church, BeverleySt Mary's Church, Beverley
St Mary's Church, Beverley
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James Mitchinson

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