At the time of Domesday Book there was only one East Riding settlement that could be considered a town, and that was Beverley. Its foundations were not Roman, and it had no obvious geographical advantages such as a river crossing or harbour. It began and prospered some 1300 years ago because of the shrine of an important saint, St John of Beverley, that determined the shape of the town, and still does, as the Historical Map of Beverley demonstrates. Its later fortunes were affected by changes in religion, ownership and local government, ultimately losing status to the ‘new town’ of Kingston on Hull, which had significantly better trading conditions. Beverley continues to grow as a very good place to live, with the historic core almost intact, surrounded by the green spaces of its vast common lands. 

Barbara English is a graduate of St Andrews MA, PhD, FSA, FRHistS, and Professor Emerita of History of the University of Hull, having previously worked for the National Register of Archives, Thomas Nelson’s as an editor (their Medieval Texts), and the Open University. She was awarded an MBE in 2015 for services to heritage and the community in Beverley.