A visit to Askrigg to stay in two of the best self catering cottages Yorkshire has to offer means visiting an area of Britain in which the history is visible in the towns and the landscape. The history of Yorkshire is entwined with the history of the United Kingdom, and you can visit the key sites from the self catering cottages at Askrigg.
In the Dark Ages, the North of England was a wild place, and this is a reputation that Yorkshire has retained. There is still a proud independent spirit to the people who live there, as well as a love of their county. Yorkshire was place of continual invasion and raiding, by the Scots as well as by the Danes and Norse warriors who crossed the sea in Viking long boats. Realising how beautiful and valuable the land in Yorkshire was, many began to settle. You can see evidence of this in some of the place names within easy travel of the self catering cottages. For example Beckholme, Skeldale, Kirkthorpe and Felkirk are all Yorkshire place names with Viking origins. By travelling just 90 minutes from the self catering cottages, Yorkshire’s famous Jorvik Viking museum is the best place to explore this history.
After the Norman Conquest, Yorkshire became a problem area for William the Conqueror. Many people imagine that the Battle of Hastings was the end of William’s problems, but for the next twenty years, William had to repeatedly campaign to control the north, even resorting to the Harrying of the North, where he destroyed many villages and towns in an effort to keep control. It is fascinating to look out over the countryside near the self catering cottages and imagine the Norman soldiers trying to keep control of the Saxon population.
As history continued, the North, and Yorkshire in particular, never shook off the wild reputation. To the contrary, many of the threats to the government, such as the Catholic challenge to the Tudor monarchy, had its basis in Yorkshire. Mary, Queen of Scots, Elizabeth I’s greatest rival was actually imprisoned not far from the self catering cottages, at Bolton Castle. You can visit this historic site during your stay in Yorkshire.
As the Industrial Revolution began, Yorkshire took on a new significance. Not only was the North of England the home of much of the development of the cotton industry, thanks to the perfect geographical conditions which you will experience around the self catering cottages, Yorkshire was also the source of ground breaking developments which changed British history. It was in Yorkshire that protest movements grew which demanded the vote for working class men and began the process that changed the face of British political history.
Come and see for yourself the history and wildness of the Yorkshire Dales. By staying at the Askrigg farm cottages self catering cottages, Yorkshire will be open to you. Get in touch today to make a booking and enjoy the history and sites of this beautiful part of Britain.
