Risby Homes

Beverley: the jewel of East Yorkshire

It’s said to be one of Yorkshire’s best kept secrets. But after being voted as one of the best places to live in the UK, the secret about bustling Beverley is now out.

Considered the jewel of East Yorkshire, the picturesque cobbled streets and charming courtyards are certainly easy on the eye – but why is Beverley so popular? With our latest 73-home development just a short walk from the town centre, we look at the reasons why this market town is on everyone’s ‘love to live’ list.

 A rich history

If there’s one thing that Beverley is well-known for, it’s the market town’s rich history. With documented historical events dating back to the 700s, Beverley was founded during the Anglo-Saxon era, and is full of listed buildings and historic sights to discover that give an insight into the town’s interesting past.

Perhaps most prominent amongst Beverley’s history is Beverley Minster, which sits tall amongst the town’s picturesque streets. Whilst prayers have been offered to God on the site of the Minster for over 1,300 years, building of the Minster at present began in 1190. Renowned for its Gothic style, it is considered one of the finest Gothic minsters in Europe.

Today, visitors can still see the Minster’s medieval stained-glass windows and 13th Century stone carvings, as well as the tomb of St John of Beverley – who died in 721 and was made a saint in 1037 for his gift of healing the sick.

Minutes away from Beverley Minster is North Bar. The only surviving brick-built town gate in the country, Beverley North Bar was part of the defences that surrounded the town and was built in 1409. If you’re taking the walk from the Minster to the Bar, look out for other listed buildings along the way, there’s a handy list here, including Georgian grade two listed building Rowley Manor, located just 15 minutes away from the centre.

A selection of schools

For a relatively small area, Beverley offers a broad choice of schools with a selection of no less than seven primary schools and three secondary schools.

Secondary schools in the area include Beverley High School – an 11-18 girls’ comprehensive that ‘inspires a love of learning’ and Beverley Grammar School – a boys’ comprehensive state secondary academy, which is the oldest state school in the country. These schools also merge to create a joint sixth form. Community secondary school Longcroft is located just outside of the town centre and is the town’s only mixed gender secondary.

Primary school students have the choice of Beverley Saint Nicholas Primary School, Beverley Minster Primary, Keldmarsh Primary School, St John of Beverley RC Primary School, St Mary’s Church of England Primary School, Swinemoor Primary School and Horton School Beverley.

The shopping scene

Beverley’s shopping scene have everything, whether you’re looking for high street chains, designer stores or independent boutiques, shops of all shapes and sizes are dotted around the town.

The main shopping street is Toll Gavel, but don’t miss the many gates, yards and lanes where there is lots to be discovered too. Alongside household names such as Paperchase, New Look, Joules, Jack Wills and Bodyshop are local businesses selling everything from chocolate to antiques and shoes to second-hand books.

Looking to treat yourself of someone special? There is a selection of high-end stores such as Barbour while Browns department store, based in the former Corn Exchange building, stocks brands including Hobbs, Whistles, Ted Baker and Ralph Lauren.

Flemingate Shopping Centre is also home to a host of big names including Debenhams, Superdrug and H&M, and there’s a cinema, restaurants and play area to keep the whole family entertained.

It’s also a good idea to combine a shopping trip to Beverley with a visit to the weekly Saturday and Wednesday markets, where there is food, clothing, gifts and more.

The Tour de Yorkshire

The famous road cycling race has made a regular appearance in the market town from the very start. Since first beginning in 2015, Beverley has been a key fixture on the Tour de Yorkshire route, and is featured in this year’s first stage of the race, before heading through Molescroft and onto Pocklington. Taking place from 2-5 May, the men’s race will travel across Yorkshire and visit 150 villages, towns and cities along the way.Join in with the excitement by lining the streets to cheer on this year’s competitors and feel a real sense of community spirit. It’s a real celebration, and definitely not to be missed!

Time to get social

It’s safe to say there’s plenty to do in Beverley. No matter your interest, it’s easy to find something to do with your spare time.

There’s an excellent choice of places to eat and drink, from much-loved locals with great pub grub to gastronomic treats for special occasions.

Restaurants include classic chains like Pizza Express and Ask, but also a variety of appealing local independents like Lucia, where there’s a distinctly Mediterranean vibe that will make you feel like you’re on holiday, Ogino which is authentically Japanese, and the Beverley Arms, which was recently refurbished and now boasts a new spacious and light dining area.

However, if you prefer to spend your spare time exploring the great outdoors, there are a range of walks nearby to enjoy. Whether you’d like to take in the local scenery with a stroll across the Westwood, or want to try something a little lengthier, there are a whole selection of trails of various difficulties to try out. Find a list of routes here.

For those who like to dabble on the horses, Beverley Racecourse is also located just outside of the centre. With race days for all ages you can enjoy a day with the family or get dressed up for the popular annual Ladies’ Day. Special acts also perform regularly at the venue.

Other places to visit in Beverley include East Riding Theatre, which offers a range of touring and inhouse shows and productions, inflatable obstacle funhouse ‘Inflatanation’ and the leisure centre, which has a skatepark, swimming pool and gym.

Interested in living in Beverley? Register your interest here.