Yorkshire

Fish and Chips with Chip Hop Ale
When it comes to bragging rights, it’s typical for a Yorkshireman to claim the county surpasses any other in England. They can’t help themselves, particularly when their quaffing favourites, fish and chips, washed down with a ‘reet’ good pint – are the hot topic.
And, as features editor, John Newton, discovered, the reet (also meaning right or proper) amber beer isn’t the only one named after the local dialect/twang. There’s also a best bitter called ‘ey up’ (a greeting thought to be of Nordic origin) and a rich, dark, amber named ‘flippin’ heck’ (defined as polite Yorkshire swearing, or term of surprise).
Yorkshire Brewhouse was founded just two years ago by John Constable and Simon Cooke. Both passionate about beer and full of Yorkshire pride, they joined forces to create a unique and quality brewery based in Hull.
To lift pride further, a Yorkshire fish and chip shop – which also sells its own crafted beer called ‘chip hop ale’ – has taken out major awards, including Britain’s fish and chip shop of the year in 2018 and was runner-up in the ‘Taste of England’ event run by Visit England for all restaurants, including Michelin-star outlets.
Miller’s Fish and Chips is run by dad (David), mum (Lesley) and son (Nick) in a former Wesleyan Methodist Chapel at Haxby near York. Fish and chips have been a way of life of the Miller family for more than 75 years. Nick Miller’s great grandfather got the ball rolling by opening the first family fish and chip shop during WW2.
“We take our product extremely seriously,” said David Miller, as he hauled another batch of his fish specialties – cod and haddock cooked in dripping - from the fryer. “If we are not proud of it, we don’t serve it”.
According to David, Friday is fish day in England and on a good day his restaurant and take-away can rack up 500 orders. “Fish and chips are still the staple diet of a lot of older people in Yorkshire. And mushy peas”
But there’s much more than award-winning food and drink to lure visitors to Yorkshire – even though they come close to topping the list.
Not far down the road from Halton is the county’s biggest attraction – the National Railway Museum, home of the renowned Flying Scotsman – and what’s regarded as the world’s greatest collection of iconic locomotives.
The museum has more than one million objects spanning 300 years of railway history, with giant halls full of railway legends such as the world’s fastest steam locomotive - Mallard - which in 1928 reached 126mph on a run from London to Grantham. And visitors can climb aboard the only bullet train outside Japan – Shinkansen, the pioneer of high-speed rail technology.
And, not forgetting the ladies, there’s also Station Hall where they can view the finest collection of royal carriages, including Queen Victoria’s lavish ‘palace on wheels’.
Museum director, Judith McNicol, says a “bold vision” is planned for the museum during the regeneration of central York, with exciting ambitions over the next decade that will bring huge benefits to all rail buffs. “We want to open up our fantastic collections to many thousands more people and enable them to discover the vital impact that railways have had upon our lives, as well as inspiring the next generation of engineers and scientists – working on the railways and beyond”.
North of York, you can step back in time on a journey full of vintage charm and stunning scenery for what’s hailed as one of the world’s greatest railway experiences.
It’s the North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR), which has a fleet of steam and heritage diesel trains that you can jump aboard at the market town of Pickering and hop off at stations along the 38 kilometres (24 miles) of Yorkshire countryside on the way to the coastal town of Whitby – and vice versa.
Once a horse-drawn railway, the NYMR trundles along at 40-65kph (25-40mph) past babbling brooks, rivers and stream with fields fluttering with birdlife like grouse and partridge.
Whitby is a fishing port with a fascinating history and inspiration for Bram Stoker, who penned Dracula. The striking ruins of Whitby Abbey - one of England's most important archaeological sites – overlook the harbour, which has a new drawcard, the Endeavour Experience - the only life-size replica of Captain James Cook's HM Bark Endeavour in the northern hemisphere.
You can climb aboard on the two decks of interactive displays and imagine what life was like for the 95 crew members during Cook's three-year voyage. Nearby is the 17th century harbourside house where Cook served his apprenticeship. It's now a museum housing a fine collection of original exhibits about Yorkshire's most famous son (although retired cricketer Sir Geoffrey Boycott might not agree with that!)
Yorkshire also has no shortage of magnificent castles and stately homes like Castle Howard – rated ‘one of the top 10 buildings you must visit in your lifetime’. In the late 1970s, Granada Television in the UK began searching for a location to film Evelyn Waugh’s famous 1945 novel – Brideshead Revisited. In their search for a grand country house that was also a fine example of English Baroque architecture, they chose Castle Howard which had similarities to the fictional Brideshead.
Apart from discovering the treasures of Castle Howard’s 300-year history with its grand entrances, lavish bedrooms and sumptuous staterooms, you can also view renowned works of art and displays such as ‘The Filming of Brideshead Revisited’.
And when you’ve finished exploring inside one of Britain’s finest historic houses – still home today to the Howard family since the day it was built – you can wander outside to marvel at the 405 hectares (1000 acres) of sweeping parkland dotted with lakes, statues, temples and a rare botanical collection.
In West Yorkshire, a multi-million-pound refurbishment aimed at preserving the heritage of the Piece Hall in Halifax, has transformed the building into a world-class cultural, retail and leisure destination. The Piece Hall is the sole Georgian cloth hall to survive intact.
Opened on 1 January, 1779, the building has 315 rooms and is built in an ornate colonnade style which is inspired by the Roman period. It was used as a backdrop for the film, Brassed Off.
Not far away is Sibden Hall, circa 1420, which recently featured in the BBC series, Gentleman Jack. It was the home of the Lister family for more than 300 years, including the noted 19th century diarist, Anne Lister.
And not to be missed are the majestic Yorkshire Dales, known by local folk as ‘God’s Own Country’ - where you can stretch your legs on an eight-kilometre hike along the Malham Landscape Trail which meanders by the Malham Cove, a huge rock amphitheatre that was once a waterfall considered to rival Niagara.
There are several picturesque longer – and shorter - walking trails in the countryside like The Three Peaks Whernside.
But for those whose boots are not made for walking, there’s something of interest in most villages and towns like Bolton Abbey, the Settle-Carlisle railway across the spectacular Ribblehead Viaduct and the market town of Skipton and its 900-year-old castle – one of the best-preserved medieval castles in England – to name just a few of the many beauty and historic spots in idyllic Yorkshire.
For more information on the county go to:
Email: www.yorkshire.com
Instagram: @welcometoyorkshire
Twitter: @welcome2yorks
Facebook: @welcometoyorkshire
Places to stay:
LEEDS: Dakota Deluxe
A classy hotel in the city centre, which claims a stay here is one of ‘truly elevated luxury’.
In 1936, the Dakota aircraft made its maiden flight from New York to Chicago and went on to revolutionise air travel, offering elegant style and impeccable service at affordable prices. These prices inspire the spirit of Dakota Hotels today, which says the Leeds hotel offers contemporary elegance and impeccable service, with a lifestyle of designer luxury accommodation and social dining experiences for all.
It also has the best concierge you’ll find anywhere.
(0)7834 839460
https://www.dakotahotels.co.uk/leeds/

MALTON, NORTH YORKSHIRE: The Talbot
Set in an award-winning foodie town close to the North York Moors, the property is a 17th century coaching inn with 26 cosy bedrooms. Here, you can expect a warm Yorkshire welcome with lots of cosy corners in a relaxed and rustic atmosphere.
Malton is known as the ‘Food Capital of Yorkshire’ and the Talbot add to that reputation with its much-lauded dishes like a double-bone-in rib of Yorkshire shorthorn beef with hand-cut chips and rich bone marrow and an unctuous twice-baked Dale End cheddar souffle.
(0)1653 639096
https://www.talbotmalton.co.uk/
PICKERING: 17 Burgate
An upmarket boutique B&B with spacious ensuite rooms in an elegant Georgian townhouse, it’s won a major award for its high-quality breakfast and service. Nestled in the heart of this quiet market town, the B&B is walking distance of local restaurants, shops and attractions with the North Yorkshire Moors Railway only three minutes away.
(0)1751 473461
https://www.17burgate.co.uk/
SETTLE: The Golden Lion
In the centre of this lively market town, this traditional coaching inn that has maintained its original character, has been welcoming travellers since 1671 – and you can still see the date proudly commemorated above the hotel fireplace. And more photos taken over the years are on display throughout the pub.
A perfect base to explore the Yorkshire Dales, it offers home-cooked dishes (big in flavour), award-winning cask ales and cosy ensuite rooms.
(0)7384 830784
https://www.goldenlionsettle.co.uk/
Restaurants:
Ox Club, LEEDS
In the Michelin Good Food Guide, it describes itself as a contemporary solid fuel grill restaurant with cooking on local wood and charcoal. From the wood grill are barbecued dishes of monkfish, lamb rump and guinea fowl.
(0)7519683782
https://www.oxclub.co.uk/
The Black Swan, PICKERING
Located in the heart of town, the pub boasts a restaurant which serves locally sourced ingredients cooked to order, as well as having an on-site brewhouse and a large beer garden.
https://www.blackswan-pickering.co.uk/

The city of Leeds is arguably best-known for its soccer and rugby league clubs, but this vibrant city has a royal duty. It’s the guardian of the UK’s national collection of arms – including the national artillery and national firearms collections.
The Royal Armouries, which has a long history, dating from the Middle Ages, holds one of the world’s largest collections of historic arms and armour with more than 75,000 objects, ranging from elephant armour to guns and swords.
There are five galleries – Self Defence Gallery, the Swords of the Middle East, Oriental Gallery, Hunting Gallery and Tournament Gallery, which includes Henry V111’s incredible foot combat armours made for the ‘Field of Cloth of Gold’ and his ‘Horned Helmet’.
You can check out the weapons and armours of warriors through the ages from medieval knights to modern-day soldiers.
And you can test your skills at the Crossbow Range. It costs three pounds for eight bolts. And, occasionally, there are historic gun firing demonstrations in its outdoor dockside amphitheatre using blank ammunition.
Entrance to the Royal Armouries is free.
https://royalarmouries.org/venue/royal-armouries-museum/
Images: From the top
1. Mallard – world’s fastest.
2. Best haddock
3. Chip hop ale
4. Duchess of Hamilton
5. Castle Howard
6. North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR)
7. Endeavour Replica
8. 9, 10, Royal Armouries (As supplied)
11. Whitby Abbey
12. Sibden Hall