"Veni Aberford, ubi notum
Quod aciculis emunt potum,
Pauperes sunt et indigentes
Multum tamen sitientes;
Parum habent, nec habentur
Ulla, quae non tenet venter" Drunken Barnaby
"Aberforth, a small market town famous for pin making." Defoe
"Aberford had once a good trade for pins, but has long since fallen to decay." from Langdale's Topographical Dictionary of Yorkshire 1822.
"Aberford...contains the ruins of an ancient castle that is said to have been built soon after the conquest. Market day is Monday." Patterson
The M1 extension from Leeds meets the A1(M) just south of Aberford (this junction is probably Britains widest piece of tarmac) and there is no way off the A1 between the A63 junction at Peckfield, south of Micklefield and the A64 junction north of Aberford. So get off the motorway and on to the old Great North Road to explore the this area.
Aberford is a linear village, stretched along the old Great North Road where the Cock Beck crosses it. The old road rejoined the line of Roman Ermine Street, coming straight due north from its Aire crossing at Castleford, half a mile south of the village about where the M1 extension now meets the A1(M). This section of the Roman road is described by Margary thus:"Immediately after crossing the Rivers Calder and Aire the road becomes finely apparent, and it is still in use for practically the whole distance to Aberford and beyond, being raised upon such a high agger, often 4 to 6 feet high, and up to 60 feet wide, that it must be one of the highest still in use." Defoe also uses this stretch as an example to road menders.
West of Aberford, along the north bank of the Cock Beck, runs a series of embankments, known as Becca Banks. They are marked by a long thin strip of woodland. To the east of the village the embankment continues, un-wooded, south-eastwards to Lotherton Hall. Their origin is uncertain, fortifications of the Dark Age Kingdom of Elmet or perhaps much older bronze age earthworks. Results from the archaeological studies carried out in association with the motorway construction may shed light soon.
This from the School of the Built Environment, Leeds Metropolitan University:
"Sites dating to the Bronze Age, Iron Age, Roman and Dark Age periods have been under investigation, as well as industrial sites of more recent origin. The work has brought to light significant new evidence for both East Leeds area and West Yorkshire as a whole. For the first time in the modern archaeological era, Bronze Age cremation burials have been found whilst on another site early Saxon houses known as grubenhauser have made their debut in the county's archaeological record. Other sites investigated include Iron Age and Romano-British enclosure sites representing both farming and a settlement; dark Age earthworks and a post-mediaeval brick kiln site.
Perhaps of greatest importance are the investigations of the enigmatic linear earthworks known as Grim's Ditch and Becca Banks, near Colton and Aberford respectively. The monuments have in the past been linked with the post-Roman British Kingdom of Elmet, although previous work has so far failed to provide adequate dating evidence to confirm this notion. It is hoped that samples obtained from below the earthwork bank and the bottoms of ditches will on this occasion be able to provide reliable dating and environmental information for that period. Detailed post-excavation analysis is expected to take up to two years to complete." And there's more archaeology from the Highways Agency.
An Iron Age/Romano-British field system is described here by the West Yorkshire Archaeology Service.
|
|
This ring, ploughed up in 1870 at Aberford, has a circular bezel with a beaded frame and contains a cruciform design filled with leaf motifs. Within a central circle is a four-legged animal with a halo and the letters A and D which stand for 'Agnus Dei' (Lamb of God). This ring has the name of King Ęthelwulf's daughter, 'Ęthelswith Regina', scratched into the back of the bezel. The hoop is plain and terminates in flattened shoulders decorated with further animals. The ring is now at the British Museum. Ęthelwulf was king of Wessex and father of Alfred the Great so if the ring belonged to Alfred's sister it dates from the mid 9th century. |
|
Aberford Almshouses, built by the Gascoignes in 1844, at south end of village. More Gascoignes stuff here.
Thanks to David Byars for this photo. He is a landscape artist. See his paintings at his Gallery.
|
|
|
|
There are three pubs in Aberford, the 15th century Swan, The Royal Oak and the Arabian Horse (photo thanks to John Davey). The Swan was the posting house but only the Royal Mail changed horses here, most coaches making one stage of the 17 miles from Ferrybridge to Wetherby. |
The church at Aberford has the unusual name of St Ricarius The only church with name in England, and probably of Norman origin.
Here's a photo of the old bridge (with a see-saw)
|
Lotherton Hall, a late 19th century building, once the home of the Gascoignes but acquired by Leeds City Council in 1968, has a rich collection of Edwardian furnishings and costumes, paintings, ceramics and silverware. Outside in the Edwardian gardens, is the Bird Garden, with an international reputation in the breeding and keeping of many species. There is also a deer park. Charges for the car park announced on their website seem somewhat idiosyncratic: "Car Parking £5.00 valid for one year, one of party also gains free admission for the year from date of issue." but you can stop for just £2. |
|
Lotherton Hall is about a mile east of Aberford and the A1 on the B1217 but remember there is no way off the A1 between the A63 junction at Peckfield, south of Micklefield and the A64 junction north of Aberford.
The disused railway line from Garforth to Aberford, known as the Fly Line, forms a pleasant walk according to Graham Hudson and the Ramblers' Association.
About half a mile north from Aberford, is a farm house, formerly a public house and known by the name of the Black Horse. It is now separated from the old Great North Road by the new motorway.
A little science:
Animal Mortality on Three Miles of Yorkshire
Roads
|
Chris's British Road Directory has an excellent description of recent changes to the road layout with the M1 extension joining the A1.
B & B Lincolnshire B&B
©Biff Vernon 2001, 2002, 2003
