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Another interesting recurring issue across the three Hull public parks (s.p.b.) in the 1880s and 1890s was that of anti-social behaviour (although, of course, that term was not used) as recorded in the minutes of the Parks Committee. Wilful damage to park property, usually pulling off of flower heads or damage to shrubs and trees, was much […]

Apparently last week was the national celebration of Public Parks Week (may not be the exact title), although the only sign I saw about it was at Central Park, Scunthorpe, and didn’t catch anything about it on the media. The issue of public parks is one close to my heart and, it seems to me

Sitting on a bench beside the Humber Estuary one evening recently noticed, on the incoming tide, two animals. One I pronounced a sea otter, having once heard from the late Miles Hopper, an eminent local naturalist, that they may sometimes be seen in the Estuary. Only its head was occasionally popping above water level so on that

Although at Wressle Castle it may have been possible to flood the surrounding land from the River Derwent in times of threat there is no evidence that this happened (s.p.b.s). However, defence was a primary consideration in determining the lay-out plan of earlier local castles. The Norman motte-and-bailey castles at Skipsea and Barrow (considered in a

The Northumberland Household Book compiled in the early 16th century provides lots of details about everyday life at Wressle and Leconfield Castles. Leconfield Castle was another of the Percy’s stately defended residences (Leconfield Castle has been discussed in an earlier blog in the context of Henry VIII’s Northern Progress). Dating from a time 100 years before

The ruined south façade of Wressle Castle is a Grade 1 ‘listed ruin’, being 10 years or so past classed as ‘at risk’ various works were done to ‘increase the shelf-life’ of this standing ruin.  Estimated to have originally been built in the late 14th century it was built to the standard lay-out plan of a