Tadcaster
Encyclopedia
Tadcaster is a market town
and civil parish in the Selby
district of North Yorkshire
, England
. Lying on the Great North Road approximately 15 miles (24.1 km) east of Leeds
and 10 miles (16.1 km) west of York
. It is the last town on the River Wharfe
before it joins the River Ouse
about 10 miles (16.1 km) downstream. It is part of the shire county
of North Yorkshire
, despite being further south than York, the traditional centre of Yorkshire
and thus historically in the West Riding
.
The town is twinned
with Saint Chély d'Apcher
in France
.
For local government purposes, the River Wharfe divides the town into eastern and western electoral wards. The combined population of Tadcaster East and Tadcaster West in 2004 was 7,280, 3,800 in Tadcaster East and 3,480 in Tadcaster West (source: Office of National Statistics). The local authority is Selby District Council
.
Tadcaster gave its name to a much larger rural district council, Tadcaster Rural District
and other administrative areas. This may lead to confusion when comparing the size and extent of the current town with information for earlier periods. For example the population in 1911 of the Tadcaster sub-district was 6831 compared with that of the Tadcaster Registration District, 32052 (source: A Vision of Britain through time).
Tadcaster was founded by the Romans
, who named it Calcaria
from the Latin
word for lime, reflecting the importance of the area's limestone
geology
as a natural resource for quarry
ing, an industry which continues today and has contributed to many notable buildings including York Minster
. Calcaria was an important staging post on the road to Eboracum
(York
), which grew up at the river crossing.
name Tadcaster is derived from the borrowed Latin
word castra meaning 'fort', although the Angles and Saxons
used it for any walled Roman settlement. Tadcaster is mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
as the place were King Harold assembled his army and fleet prior to entry into York and subsequently on to the Battle of Stamford Bridge
in 1066.
The town is mentioned in the 1086 Domesday Book
as Tatecastre. The record reads: Two Manors. In Tatecastre, Dunstan and Turchil had eight carucates of land for geld, where four ploughs may be. Now, William de Parci has three ploughs and 19 villanes and 11 bordars having four ploughs, and two mills of ten shillings (annual value). Sixteen acres of meadow are there. The whole manors, five quaranteens in length, and five in breadth. In King Edward's time they were worth forty shillings; now one hundred shillings.
In the 11th century William de Percy
established Tadcaster Castle, a motte-and-bailey
fortress, near the present town centre using stone reclaimed from Roman rubble. The castle was abandoned in the early 12th century, and though briefly re-fortified with cannon emplacements during the Civil War
, all that remains is the castle motte. The outline of the long demolished southern bailey still impacts the geography of surrounding streets.
The original river crossing was probably a simple ford near the present site of St Mary's Church, soon followed by a wooden bridge. Around 1240, the first stone bridge was constructed close by, possibly from stone once again reclaimed from the castle.
, took place on and around Tadcaster Bridge between Sir Thomas Fairfax's Parliamentarian
forces and the Sir Thomans Glemham Royalist
army. The present day Wharfe bridge was constructed on the foundations of the stone original in around 1700, though it has been substantially modified at least twice since then. Historically, the bridge marks the boundary between the West Riding
and the Ainsty of York; important people would have been formally met here on their journey to York.
obtained a royal charter from Henry III
to hold 'a market and fair at his manor of Tadcaster', to be held each Tuesday. This ancient market place can be seen at the junction of Kirkgate and Bridge Street.
A stone base, believed to have been part of the original market cross, used to stand on Westgate, though this position is now held by the Tadcaster War Memorial. The present-day market is held on Thursdays on the carpark of Tadcaster Social Club on St. Josephs Street.
Tadcaster has long been associated with the brewing
industry due to the quality and accessibility of the local water. Rich in lime sulphate after filtering through the Yorkshire limestone, in the right conditions freshwater springs - known locally as popple-wells - can still be seen bubbling up near St Mary's church. Tax registers from 1341 record the presence of two thriving breweries or brewhouses in the town, one paying 8d in tax and the other 4d. Today it is second in importance only to Burton-upon-Trent as an English brewing centre.
Only three breweries have survived into the present day, The Tower Brewery
(Coors, formerly Bass), John Smith's and Samuel Smith's Old Brewery
, which is also the oldest brewery in Yorkshire and the only remaining independent brewery in Tadcaster. A fourth stood by the river on the site of the present central carpark. Sam Smith's dray horses are a common sight on the streets of the town. Tadcaster is one of the very few Yorkshire
towns which still has the industry it grew up around. This helps it to maintain a community spirit not often seen in other towns. Having three breweries in the town employing a large number of the locals the breweries have seen fit to subsidise several of the public house
s in the town. These establishments offer the locally brewed drinks at approximately half the price you would expect to pay in a city.
and his wife, hence the name. Throughout its life, the Ark has been a meeting place, a post office, an inn, a butcher's, a private house and a museum; it is currently the Town Council offices.
In the 17th century it was known as Morley Hall, and was licensed for Presbyterian meetings. The Pilgrim Fathers met here and are reputed to have planned their voyage to America; an exact replica exists in Ohio
.
, St Mary's was rebuilt between about 1380 and 1480 but constant problems with flooding led to the structure being taken down stone by stone and rebuilt between 1875 and 1877 with the foundations raised by 5 feet (1.5 m); only the tower was left untouched. The money for this renovation - £8,426 4s 6½d - was raised by public subscription. In 1897 a new north aisle was added.
through the York and North Midland Railway
. The construction of the line was authorised in 1846. It was to run from Copmanthorpe to Cross Gates, joining the Church Fenton to Harrogate railway line between Tadcaster and Stutton. The collapse of railway investment in 1849 lead to the line being abandoned after the viaduct had been constructed. The need for the line evaporated with the opening of the Micklethorpe to Church Fenton line in 1869. Between 1883 and 1959 the viaduct carried a siding that serviced a mill on the East side of the River Wharfe. The last time the viaduct was used to fetch and carry goods was in 1955. The structure is now a grade II listed building owned by Tadcaster Town Council for the use and pleasure of the local people.
or SSSI in 1987, the Mere
is in fact the central part of a former lake basin which extended over an area of about 3 km². It was formed during the most recent or Devensian ice age
(which ended 10,000 years ago, when present-day Tadcaster would have been situated at the southernmost limit of glaciation) by the long, low embankment of debris known as the Escrick
Moraine
, which is composed of debris left behind by the Vale of York
Glacier. The Mere is a site of current archaeological interest, as it is currently believed to be the site of the earliest discovery of the plesiosaur (while unproven, the skeletal fragments found in Tadcaster at the least match the age of those found elsewhere).
Scientific analysis of the mere, in particular sediment
ary pollen
studies, provides insight into the geological history and makeup of the local environment and allows accurate dating of events before, during and after the Devensian ice age.
(ages 11–18). In the Summer 1999 League Tables, Tadcaster Grammar School
students obtained the best A Level results in the country for a state comprehensive school. There is also an adult education centre, co-located with the Grammar School.
In the past, Tadcaster served the Wetherby/Tadcaster area with a grammar school, while the Secondary Modern was at Wetherby
(what is now Wetherby High School
). Since Wetherby
is now part of the City of Leeds
and Tadcaster is part of the District of Selby
, it has become difficult to arrange for pupils to be educated on the opposite side of the border line from the one on which they live.
and The Wetherby News
. The major regional newspaper in the area is the Yorkshire Post
.
The local BBC
radio
station is Radio York, and commercial stations include Minster FM
and Galaxy 105
.
and Tadcaster Magnets. Tadcaster Magnets also have a significant rivalry with the other major local team Ulleskelf
.
Another popular group in the area is the Tadcaster Harriers running club which has been going for over 25 years.
Tadcaster Tornadoes Basketball Team play in the Leeds Basketball League (Mens) and are based at the Tadcaster Leisure Centre.
.
The swimming pool has a fitness suite. There are further swimming pools in Wetherby and York, whist the nearest Olympic pool is at the John Charles Centre for Sport
in Beeston
, Leeds
.
. The town is a main stop on the Yorkshire Coastliner
service, which provides easy access to the Yorkshire Coast.
The nearest railway stations are in the villages of Ulleskelf
and Church Fenton
, but the most convenient station is York
as it has a much wider range of services and is connected to Tadcaster by a fairly frequent Yorkshire Coastliner bus service running from outside the railway station.
There are also several mini bus companies within Tadcaster.
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
and civil parish in the Selby
Selby (district)
Selby is a local government district of North Yorkshire, England. The local authority, Selby District Council, is based in the town of Selby and provides services to an area which includes Tadcaster and a host of villages....
district of North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Lying on the Great North Road approximately 15 miles (24.1 km) east of Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
and 10 miles (16.1 km) west of York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
. It is the last town on the River Wharfe
River Wharfe
The River Wharfe is a river in Yorkshire, England. For much of its length it is the county boundary between West Yorkshire and North Yorkshire. The name Wharfe is Celtic and means "twisting, winding".The valley of the River Wharfe is known as Wharfedale...
before it joins the River Ouse
River Ouse, Yorkshire
The River Ouse is a river in North Yorkshire, England. The river is formed from the River Ure at Cuddy Shaw Reach near Linton-on-Ouse, about 6 miles downstream of the confluence of the River Swale with the River Ure...
about 10 miles (16.1 km) downstream. It is part of the shire county
Shire county
A non-metropolitan county, or shire county, is a county-level entity in England that is not a metropolitan county. The counties typically have populations of 300,000 to 1.4 million. The term shire county is, however, an unofficial usage. Many of the non-metropolitan counties bear historic names...
of North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
, despite being further south than York, the traditional centre of Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
and thus historically in the West Riding
West Riding of Yorkshire
The West Riding of Yorkshire is one of the three historic subdivisions of Yorkshire, England. From 1889 to 1974 the administrative county, County of York, West Riding , was based closely on the historic boundaries...
.
The town is twinned
Town twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with Saint Chély d'Apcher
Saint Chély d'Apcher
Saint-Chély-d'Apcher is a commune in the Lozère department in southern France.Its inhabitants are called Barabans. This name was allotted to the inhabitants of Saint Chély d'Apcher during the Hundred Years' War. In 1363, the town was attacked by the English...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Government
Selby (district)
Selby is a local government district of North Yorkshire, England. The local authority, Selby District Council, is based in the town of Selby and provides services to an area which includes Tadcaster and a host of villages....
.
Tadcaster gave its name to a much larger rural district council, Tadcaster Rural District
Tadcaster Rural District
Tadcaster was a rural district in the West Riding of Yorkshire from 1894 to 1974. It was named after Tadcaster.It was created by the Local Government Act 1894 from the Tadcaster rural sanitary district. It was enlarged in 1937 by the abolition of Bishopthorpe Rural District.It was abolished in...
and other administrative areas. This may lead to confusion when comparing the size and extent of the current town with information for earlier periods. For example the population in 1911 of the Tadcaster sub-district was 6831 compared with that of the Tadcaster Registration District, 32052 (source: A Vision of Britain through time).
Roman times
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
, who named it Calcaria
Calcaria
Calcaria was a small town in the Roman province of Britannia. Today, it is known as Tadcaster, located in the English county of North Yorkshire....
from the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
word for lime, reflecting the importance of the area's limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
geology
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
as a natural resource for quarry
Quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
ing, an industry which continues today and has contributed to many notable buildings including York Minster
York Minster
York Minster is a Gothic cathedral in York, England and is one of the largest of its kind in Northern Europe alongside Cologne Cathedral. The minster is the seat of the Archbishop of York, the second-highest office of the Church of England, and is the cathedral for the Diocese of York; it is run by...
. Calcaria was an important staging post on the road to Eboracum
Eboracum
Eboracum was a fort and city in Roman Britain. The settlement evolved into York, located in North Yorkshire, England.-Etymology:The first known recorded mention of Eboracum by name is dated circa 95-104 AD and is an address containing the Latin form of the settlement's name, "Eburaci", on a wooden...
(York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
), which grew up at the river crossing.
Anglo-Saxon and medieval times
The suffix of the Anglo-SaxonOld English language
Old English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...
name Tadcaster is derived from the borrowed Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
word castra meaning 'fort', although the Angles and Saxons
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
used it for any walled Roman settlement. Tadcaster is mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is a collection of annals in Old English chronicling the history of the Anglo-Saxons. The original manuscript of the Chronicle was created late in the 9th century, probably in Wessex, during the reign of Alfred the Great...
as the place were King Harold assembled his army and fleet prior to entry into York and subsequently on to the Battle of Stamford Bridge
Battle of Stamford Bridge
The Battle of Stamford Bridge took place at the village of Stamford Bridge, East Riding of Yorkshire in England on 25 September 1066, between an English army under King Harold Godwinson and an invading Norwegian force led by King Harald Hardrada of Norway and the English king's brother Tostig...
in 1066.
The town is mentioned in the 1086 Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
as Tatecastre. The record reads: Two Manors. In Tatecastre, Dunstan and Turchil had eight carucates of land for geld, where four ploughs may be. Now, William de Parci has three ploughs and 19 villanes and 11 bordars having four ploughs, and two mills of ten shillings (annual value). Sixteen acres of meadow are there. The whole manors, five quaranteens in length, and five in breadth. In King Edward's time they were worth forty shillings; now one hundred shillings.
In the 11th century William de Percy
Baron Percy
The title Baron Percy has been created several times in the Peerage of England. The first, in 1066 a Feudal Barony rather than a peerage, became extinct in 1299. The second, in 1299, became extinct in 1517. The third, in 1557, became extinct in 1670. The present creation was in 1722, by writ of...
established Tadcaster Castle, a motte-and-bailey
Motte-and-bailey
A motte-and-bailey is a form of castle, with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised earthwork called a motte, accompanied by an enclosed courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade...
fortress, near the present town centre using stone reclaimed from Roman rubble. The castle was abandoned in the early 12th century, and though briefly re-fortified with cannon emplacements during the Civil War
First English Civil War
The First English Civil War began the series of three wars known as the English Civil War . "The English Civil War" was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations that took place between Parliamentarians and Royalists from 1642 until 1651, and includes the Second English Civil War and...
, all that remains is the castle motte. The outline of the long demolished southern bailey still impacts the geography of surrounding streets.
The original river crossing was probably a simple ford near the present site of St Mary's Church, soon followed by a wooden bridge. Around 1240, the first stone bridge was constructed close by, possibly from stone once again reclaimed from the castle.
Civil War
At 11am on Tuesday 7 December 1642 the Battle of Tadcaster, an incident during the English Civil WarEnglish Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
, took place on and around Tadcaster Bridge between Sir Thomas Fairfax's Parliamentarian
Roundhead
"Roundhead" was the nickname given to the supporters of the Parliament during the English Civil War. Also known as Parliamentarians, they fought against King Charles I and his supporters, the Cavaliers , who claimed absolute power and the divine right of kings...
forces and the Sir Thomans Glemham Royalist
Cavalier
Cavalier was the name used by Parliamentarians for a Royalist supporter of King Charles I and son Charles II during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration...
army. The present day Wharfe bridge was constructed on the foundations of the stone original in around 1700, though it has been substantially modified at least twice since then. Historically, the bridge marks the boundary between the West Riding
West Riding of Yorkshire
The West Riding of Yorkshire is one of the three historic subdivisions of Yorkshire, England. From 1889 to 1974 the administrative county, County of York, West Riding , was based closely on the historic boundaries...
and the Ainsty of York; important people would have been formally met here on their journey to York.
Market
A market has been held at Tadcaster since 1270, when Henry de PercyBaron Percy
The title Baron Percy has been created several times in the Peerage of England. The first, in 1066 a Feudal Barony rather than a peerage, became extinct in 1299. The second, in 1299, became extinct in 1517. The third, in 1557, became extinct in 1670. The present creation was in 1722, by writ of...
obtained a royal charter from Henry III
Henry III of England
Henry III was the son and successor of John as King of England, reigning for 56 years from 1216 until his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester. He was the first child king in England since the reign of Æthelred the Unready...
to hold 'a market and fair at his manor of Tadcaster', to be held each Tuesday. This ancient market place can be seen at the junction of Kirkgate and Bridge Street.
A stone base, believed to have been part of the original market cross, used to stand on Westgate, though this position is now held by the Tadcaster War Memorial. The present-day market is held on Thursdays on the carpark of Tadcaster Social Club on St. Josephs Street.
Industry
Brewing
Brewing is the production of beer through steeping a starch source in water and then fermenting with yeast. Brewing has taken place since around the 6th millennium BCE, and archeological evidence suggests that this technique was used in ancient Egypt...
industry due to the quality and accessibility of the local water. Rich in lime sulphate after filtering through the Yorkshire limestone, in the right conditions freshwater springs - known locally as popple-wells - can still be seen bubbling up near St Mary's church. Tax registers from 1341 record the presence of two thriving breweries or brewhouses in the town, one paying 8d in tax and the other 4d. Today it is second in importance only to Burton-upon-Trent as an English brewing centre.
Only three breweries have survived into the present day, The Tower Brewery
Coors Brewing Company
The Coors Brewing Company is a regional division of the world's fifth-largest brewing company, the Canadian Molson Coors Brewing Company and is the third-largest brewer in the United States...
(Coors, formerly Bass), John Smith's and Samuel Smith's Old Brewery
Samuel Smith Brewery
Samuel Smith's Old Brewery, popularly known as Samuel Smith's or Sam Smith's, is an independent brewery in Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, England. It is Yorkshire's oldest brewery, founded in 1758.-History:...
, which is also the oldest brewery in Yorkshire and the only remaining independent brewery in Tadcaster. A fourth stood by the river on the site of the present central carpark. Sam Smith's dray horses are a common sight on the streets of the town. Tadcaster is one of the very few Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
towns which still has the industry it grew up around. This helps it to maintain a community spirit not often seen in other towns. Having three breweries in the town employing a large number of the locals the breweries have seen fit to subsidise several of the public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
s in the town. These establishments offer the locally brewed drinks at approximately half the price you would expect to pay in a city.
The Ark
The oldest building still in active use in Tadcaster is The Ark, built in the late 15th century, though it has been enlarged and altered many times since. Two carved heads on the front of the building are thought to represent the heads of NoahNoah
Noah was, according to the Hebrew Bible, the tenth and last of the antediluvian Patriarchs. The biblical story of Noah is contained in chapters 6–9 of the book of Genesis, where he saves his family and representatives of all animals from the flood by constructing an ark...
and his wife, hence the name. Throughout its life, the Ark has been a meeting place, a post office, an inn, a butcher's, a private house and a museum; it is currently the Town Council offices.
In the 17th century it was known as Morley Hall, and was licensed for Presbyterian meetings. The Pilgrim Fathers met here and are reputed to have planned their voyage to America; an exact replica exists in Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
.
St Mary's Church
St Mary's Church was first built around 1150, though a wooden structure did exist prior to this. Destroyed by the Scots in 1318 in one of many incursions subsequent to the Battle of BannockburnBattle of Bannockburn
The Battle of Bannockburn was a significant Scottish victory in the Wars of Scottish Independence...
, St Mary's was rebuilt between about 1380 and 1480 but constant problems with flooding led to the structure being taken down stone by stone and rebuilt between 1875 and 1877 with the foundations raised by 5 feet (1.5 m); only the tower was left untouched. The money for this renovation - £8,426 4s 6½d - was raised by public subscription. In 1897 a new north aisle was added.
The Viaduct
A quarter of a mile above the Wharfe bridge an imposing viaduct of eleven arches spans the River Wharfe. This was built as part of the projected Leeds to York railway promoted by the industrialist George HudsonGeorge Hudson
George Hudson , English railway financier, known as "The Railway King", was born, the fifth son of a farmer, in Howsham, in the parish of Scrayingham in the East Riding of Yorkshire, north of Stamford Bridge, east of York. He is buried in Scrayingham...
through the York and North Midland Railway
North Midland Railway
The North Midland Railway was a British railway company, which opened its line from Derby to Rotherham and Leeds in 1840.At Derby it connected with the Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway and the Midland Counties Railway at what became known as the Tri Junct Station...
. The construction of the line was authorised in 1846. It was to run from Copmanthorpe to Cross Gates, joining the Church Fenton to Harrogate railway line between Tadcaster and Stutton. The collapse of railway investment in 1849 lead to the line being abandoned after the viaduct had been constructed. The need for the line evaporated with the opening of the Micklethorpe to Church Fenton line in 1869. Between 1883 and 1959 the viaduct carried a siding that serviced a mill on the East side of the River Wharfe. The last time the viaduct was used to fetch and carry goods was in 1955. The structure is now a grade II listed building owned by Tadcaster Town Council for the use and pleasure of the local people.
Conservation
To the south east of the town centre, towards the village of Oxton, lies Tadcaster Mere. Designated as a Site of Special Scientific InterestSite of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
or SSSI in 1987, the Mere
Mere (lake)
Mere in English refers to a lake that is broad in relation to its depth, e.g. Martin Mere. A significant effect of its shallow depth is that for all or most of the time, it has no thermocline.- Etymology :...
is in fact the central part of a former lake basin which extended over an area of about 3 km². It was formed during the most recent or Devensian ice age
Ice age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
(which ended 10,000 years ago, when present-day Tadcaster would have been situated at the southernmost limit of glaciation) by the long, low embankment of debris known as the Escrick
Escrick
Escrick is a village and civil parish in the Selby district of North Yorkshire, England. It is equidistant between Selby and York on what is now the A19 road....
Moraine
Moraine
A moraine is any glacially formed accumulation of unconsolidated glacial debris which can occur in currently glaciated and formerly glaciated regions, such as those areas acted upon by a past glacial maximum. This debris may have been plucked off a valley floor as a glacier advanced or it may have...
, which is composed of debris left behind by the Vale of York
Vale of York
The Vale of York is an area of flat land in the north-east of England. The vale is a major agricultural area and serves as the main north-south transport corridor for northern England....
Glacier. The Mere is a site of current archaeological interest, as it is currently believed to be the site of the earliest discovery of the plesiosaur (while unproven, the skeletal fragments found in Tadcaster at the least match the age of those found elsewhere).
Scientific analysis of the mere, in particular sediment
Sediment
Sediment is naturally occurring material that is broken down by processes of weathering and erosion, and is subsequently transported by the action of fluids such as wind, water, or ice, and/or by the force of gravity acting on the particle itself....
ary pollen
Pollen
Pollen is a fine to coarse powder containing the microgametophytes of seed plants, which produce the male gametes . Pollen grains have a hard coat that protects the sperm cells during the process of their movement from the stamens to the pistil of flowering plants or from the male cone to the...
studies, provides insight into the geological history and makeup of the local environment and allows accurate dating of events before, during and after the Devensian ice age.
Education
Tadcaster has three Primary Schools (serving ages 5–11) and one Secondary SchoolSecondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
(ages 11–18). In the Summer 1999 League Tables, Tadcaster Grammar School
Tadcaster Grammar School
Tadcaster Grammar School is a secondary school near Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, England founded in 1557 by Owen Oglethorpe as an all boys school. The school is no longer situated in the brewery town of Tadcaster, rather in the hamlet of Toulston just outside the town...
students obtained the best A Level results in the country for a state comprehensive school. There is also an adult education centre, co-located with the Grammar School.
In the past, Tadcaster served the Wetherby/Tadcaster area with a grammar school, while the Secondary Modern was at Wetherby
Wetherby
Wetherby is a market town and civil parish within the metropolitan borough of the City of Leeds, in West Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Wharfe, and has been for centuries a crossing place and staging post on the Great North Road, being mid-way between London and Edinburgh...
(what is now Wetherby High School
Wetherby High School
Wetherby High School is a secondary school in the Hallfield area of Wetherby, West Yorkshire. It is run by the City of Leeds Local Education Authority. The school is situated on Hallfield Lane, on the Hallfields Estate in Wetherby...
). Since Wetherby
Wetherby
Wetherby is a market town and civil parish within the metropolitan borough of the City of Leeds, in West Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Wharfe, and has been for centuries a crossing place and staging post on the Great North Road, being mid-way between London and Edinburgh...
is now part of the City of Leeds
City of Leeds
The City of Leeds is a local government district of West Yorkshire, England, governed by Leeds City Council, with the status of a city and metropolitan borough. The metropolitan district includes Leeds and the towns of Farsley, Garforth, Guiseley, Horsforth, Morley, Otley, Pudsey, Rothwell,...
and Tadcaster is part of the District of Selby
Selby (district)
Selby is a local government district of North Yorkshire, England. The local authority, Selby District Council, is based in the town of Selby and provides services to an area which includes Tadcaster and a host of villages....
, it has become difficult to arrange for pupils to be educated on the opposite side of the border line from the one on which they live.
Media
Local newspapers covering Tadcaster include The PressThe Press (York)
The Press is the local daily paper for a substantial area of North and East Yorkshire, based on the city of York. It is printed by the Newsquest Ltd, a subsidiary of the Newsquest Media Group....
and The Wetherby News
The Wetherby News
The Wetherby News is a local weekly broadsheet newspaper published on a Friday and based in Wetherby, West Yorkshire, England.The paper is news edited by Tom Cullimore, with Jean MacQuarrie as group editor of the parent Ackrill Media Group. Amy Craven is sports editor...
. The major regional newspaper in the area is the Yorkshire Post
Yorkshire Post
The Yorkshire Post is a daily broadsheet newspaper, published in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England by Yorkshire Post Newspapers, a company owned by Johnston Press...
.
The local BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
station is Radio York, and commercial stations include Minster FM
Minster FM
Minster FM is an independent commercial local radio station based in Dunnington near York, Yorkshire, England and covering the city of York and surrounding areas...
and Galaxy 105
Galaxy Yorkshire
Capital Yorkshire is an Independent Local Radio station owned by Global Radio as part of the nine-station Capital radio network which specialises in mainstream music...
.
Sport
Tadcaster has two main sports rivals within the town; Tadcaster AlbionTadcaster Albion A.F.C.
Tadcaster Albion A.F.C. are an English football club based in Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, formed in 1892. Their ground is situated behind the John Smith's brewery in Tadcaster, thus the reason for their nickname "The Brewers". Currently, they are members of the Northern Counties East Football...
and Tadcaster Magnets. Tadcaster Magnets also have a significant rivalry with the other major local team Ulleskelf
Ulleskelf
Ulleskelf is a small village and civil parish in the Selby district of North Yorkshire, England. It is located four miles from Tadcaster on the River Wharfe.Its name comes from the Scandinavian personal name Úlfr. It is pronounced locally as 'Ul-la-skelf'....
.
Another popular group in the area is the Tadcaster Harriers running club which has been going for over 25 years.
Tadcaster Tornadoes Basketball Team play in the Leeds Basketball League (Mens) and are based at the Tadcaster Leisure Centre.
Leisure Centre
The Leisure Centre on Station Road can be hired throughout the day for a variety of activities that including Badminton, Roller Skating, Basketball, Volleyball, Indoor Cricket, Tennis, Short Tennis. Bookings can be made up to 7 days in advance. Various private sports clubs are run from Tadcaster Leisure Centre (including Tadcaster Tornadoes Basketball Team), and there is a physiotherapy clinic available on-site.Swimming Pool
The Tadcaster community swimming pool opened in December 1994 and is run as a charity. At the end of 2007 the pool closed temporarily for repairs to the tiles on the pool floor, reopening on 31 May 2008. The townspeople came together to raise the £130,000 needed to repair the tiles and organised many different events including a celebrity football match against the cast of EmmerdaleEmmerdale
Emmerdale, is a long-running British soap opera set in Emmerdale , a fictional village in the Yorkshire Dales. Created by Kevin Laffan, Emmerdale was first broadcast on 16 October 1972...
.
The swimming pool has a fitness suite. There are further swimming pools in Wetherby and York, whist the nearest Olympic pool is at the John Charles Centre for Sport
John Charles Centre for Sport
The John Charles Centre for Sport is a sports facility in South Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It was previously named the South Leeds Stadium and was renamed to honour John Charles , the former Leeds United, Juventus F.C. and Wales footballer...
in Beeston
Beeston, Leeds
Beeston is a suburb Leeds, West Yorkshire, England located about 2 miles south of the city centre. The area is separated from surrounding areas to the north, east and west by the M621 motorway....
, Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
.
Public transport
Tadcaster is well served by local bus services operating from Leeds City bus stationLeeds City bus station
Leeds City bus station serves the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The bus station is owned and managed by Metro. It is situated between the Quarry Hill and Leeds City Markets areas of Leeds city centre...
. The town is a main stop on the Yorkshire Coastliner
Yorkshire Coastliner
Yorkshire Coastliner is a bus operator based in Malton in North Yorkshire, England. It is owned by the Blazefield Group who also own, amongst others, Harrogate & District and Keighley & District in Yorkshire....
service, which provides easy access to the Yorkshire Coast.
The nearest railway stations are in the villages of Ulleskelf
Ulleskelf railway station
Ulleskelf railway station serves Ulleskelf in North Yorkshire, England. The station is south of York.The station opened in 1839 on the York and North Midland Railway near where it crossed the River Wharfe...
and Church Fenton
Church Fenton railway station
Church Fenton railway station serves Church Fenton in North Yorkshire, England. It is situated on the former York and North Midland Railway main line from York to Normanton, just under from York.- History :...
, but the most convenient station is York
York railway station
York railway station is a main-line railway station in the city of York, England. It lies on the East Coast Main Line north of London's King's Cross station towards Edinburgh's Waverley Station...
as it has a much wider range of services and is connected to Tadcaster by a fairly frequent Yorkshire Coastliner bus service running from outside the railway station.
There are also several mini bus companies within Tadcaster.