Howden - a walk around the town's plaques and old inns

Howden, a manor of the Bishop of Durham, was a thriving town in medieval times. The imposing Minster, the fine Bishops Palace, now restored and used as a training centre by the international news agency The Press Association, and a grammar school testified to its importance. King John granted the right to hold a market and fairs.

The ecclesiastical importance of the town diminished during the Reformation and parts of the church later collapsed. Howden became a typical East Yorkshire market town, with visits from London merchants to the annual fair.

The annual fair became a specialist horse fair where, every September, buyers came from all over Europe to buy horses for their armies. In Georgian times, the fair was quoted in The Sporting Magazine in 1807 as being the "largest fair for horses in the Kingdom". It is estimated that up to 4,000 horses were displayed for sale every day of the fair and that the total worth of this kind of sale was £200,000.

A river crossing at Booth Ferry made Howden a popular stagecoach route and several of the present public houses were built as coaching inns.

Much of the charm of Howden comes from the Georgian and town houses built by professional men and tradesmen. The Victorian period also contributed to Howden’s architectural heritage. One notable piece of architecture from this period is the Catholic Church of the Sacred Heart located at the junction of Knedlington Road and Buttfield Road.

Timings & Tours

Saturday 14 September:

1400-1600

Location & directions

Howden Minster, Bridgegate, Howden, Goole, East Riding of Yorkshire, DN14 7JG

Directions:

Meet at Howden Minster at 2pm

Contact on day:

Philip Mepham

Booking information

Pre-booking requirement:

Pre-booking required

Booking conditions:

Please book via email

Booking contact name:

Philip Mepham

Booking email:

[email protected]

Booking opens:

01 Sep 2024 12:00 AM

Booking closes:

13 Sep 2024 12:00 AM

Accessibility details

The walk will be along the narrow streets of Howden and may not be suitable for those with restricted mobility.

Additional information

There will be up to three concurrent walks, each of ten people

Max no of people per tour:

30

Est. tour duration:

1 hour(s) 30 minute(s)

Check out our online channels

Back to results