View source for Beverley

{{Short description|Market town in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England}}
{{Other uses|Beverly (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2014}}
{{Infobox UK place
| official_name            = Beverley
| type                     = Town and civil parish
| static_image_name        = {{multiple image
| border                   = infobox
| total_width              = 250
| image_style              = border:1;
| perrow                   = 2/1/2
| image1                   = 1346321 County Hall, Cross Street Beverley 20240520 0046.jpg
| caption1                 = [[County Hall, Beverley|County Hall]]
| image2                   = Inn on the Bar and North Bar, Beverley - geograph.org.uk - 5889723.jpg
| caption2                     = [[Beverley Bar]]
| image3                  = Beverley IMG 8292 - panoramio.jpg
| caption3                     = [[Beverley Minster]]
| image4                 = 1083969 The former corn exchange, Saturday Market Beverley 20240520 0040.jpg
| caption4                 = [[Corn Exchange, Beverley|Old Corn Exchange]]
| image5                   = Beverley Beck - geograph.org.uk - 4349947.jpg
| caption5                 = [[Beverley Beck]]
}}
| static_image_caption     = 
| static_image_2_name      = BeverleyTownShield.png
| static_image_2_width     = 100px
| static_image_2_caption   = Coat of arms of Beverley Town Council
| coordinates              = {{coord|53.845|-0.427|display=inline,title}}
| population               = 30,587
| population_ref           = ([[2011 United Kingdom census|2011 census]])
{{efn|name=Population|Population of Beverley Built-up Area}}
| civil_parish             = Beverley
| constituency_westminster = [[Beverley and Holderness (UK Parliament constituency)|Beverley and Holderness]]
| unitary_england          = [[East Riding of Yorkshire]]
| lieutenancy_england      = [[East Riding of Yorkshire]]
| region                   = Yorkshire and the Humber
| country                  = England
| post_town                = BEVERLEY
| postcode_area            = HU
| postcode_district        = HU17
| dial_code                = 01482
| os_grid_reference        = TA035399
| website                  = [http://www.beverley.gov.uk www.beverley.gov.uk]
}}

'''Beverley''' is a [[market town]] and [[civil parishes in England|civil parish]] in the [[East Riding of Yorkshire]], England. It is located {{convert|8|mi}} north-west of [[Kingston upon Hull|Hull]] city centre.<ref>{{cite web |title=Distance from Beverley to Hull |url=https://www.distancecalculator.net/from-beverley-to-hull |access-date=4 June 2022}}</ref> At the [[2021 United Kingdom census|2021 census]] the built-up area of the town had a population of 30,930, and the smaller civil parish had a population of 18,014.<ref>{{cite web |title=Towns and cities, characteristics of built-up areas, England and Wales |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/housing/articles/townsandcitiescharacteristicsofbuiltupareasenglandandwales/census2021 |access-date=2 January 2024 |website=[[Office for National Statistics]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Dataset: PP002 – Sex |url=https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/datasets/c2021pp002 |access-date=2 January 2024 |website=[[Office for National Statistics]]}}</ref> It is the [[county town]] of the East Riding of Yorkshire. 

The town was founded in the seventh century by [[John of Beverley]], who established a church in the area. It was originally named ''Inderawuda'', and was part of the [[Angles (tribe)|Anglian]] kingdom of [[Northumbria]]. The town came under [[Viking]] control in the 850s, then became part of the [[Kingdom of England]]. John of Beverley was made a saint in 1037, and the town was a place of pilgrimage for the remainder of the [[Middle Ages]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Pevsner |first1=Nikolaus |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bcp5soQZ0OwC&pg=PA11 |title=Yorkshire: York and the East Riding |last2=Neave |first2=David |date=11 March 1995 |publisher=Yale University Press |isbn=978-0-300-09593-7 }}</ref> It continued to grow under the [[Normans]], when its trading industry was first established, and eventually became a significant wool-trading town and the eleventh-largest settlement in England. After the [[English Reformation|Reformation]], the stature of Beverley was much reduced. 
[[File:Beverley Minster IMG 7786 - panoramio.jpg|thumb|[[Beverley Minster]]]]
The town contains several landmarks, including [[Beverley Minster]], Westwood [[Common land|common]], [[Beverley Bar|North Bar]] gatehouse, [[St Mary's Church, Beverley|St Mary's Church]], and [[Beverley Racecourse]]. It inspired the naming of the city of [[Beverly, Massachusetts]],<ref>Rev. E. M. Stone ''History of Beverley (Mass.), from its settlement in 1630 to 1842''. 12mo. Boston, 1843</ref><ref>Genealogical and Personal Memoirs – Page 1460 [[William Richard Cutter]] "Mr. Balch was born in Beverley, Massachusetts, September 30, 1704, and died in Bradford (Grove- land) January 12, 1791–2."</ref><ref>Los Angeles Magazine – December 1996 – Page 99 Vol. 41, No. 12 "Beverly Farms appears to have been named after the nearby town of Beverly, which was in turn named after Beverley, England. That Yorkshire cathedral town was named in the 8th century or so for an earlier settlement called Beverlac – a ...</ref> which in turn was the indirect source of the name for [[Beverly Hills, California]], which was named after its [[Beverly Farms]] neighbourhood.<ref name="Garvin2002">{{cite book |last=Garvin |first=Alexander |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-0h134NR1s0C&pg=PA383 |title=The American City |date=19 June 2002 |publisher=McGraw-Hill Professional |isbn=978-0-07-137367-8 |page=383 |access-date=18 August 2012}}</ref><ref name="wanamaker">Marc Wanamaker, ''Early Beverly Hills'', Mount Pleasant, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing, 2005, pp. 17–18 [https://books.google.com/books?id=gwMyg0wEdDEC&pg=PA17]</ref>

==History==
{{See also|History of Yorkshire}}

===Northumbrian and Viking period===
[[File:Beverley Minster interior.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Inside [[Beverley Minster]], foundation place of Beverley]]
The origins of Beverley can be traced back to the time of the [[Angles (tribe)|Anglian]] kingdom of [[Northumbria]] in the 7th&nbsp;century. The first structure built in the area, which at the time was known as '''''Inderawuda''''' (meaning ''"in the wood of the men of [[Deira]]"''), was a [[Christian church]] dedicated to [[St John the Evangelist]].<ref name="beverleyhistory">{{cite book | last =Hopkins | first = Pamela| title =The History of Beverley, East Yorkshire| publisher = Blackthorn Press | isbn = 0-9540535-9-1| year = 2003}}{{Page needed|date=September 2011}}</ref> This was founded by the [[Bishop of York]] who later became known as [[John of Beverley]], who was believed to have performed [[miracle]]s during his lifetime, and was later venerated as a [[saint]].<ref name="beverleyhistory"/> Around the 850s, the now developed monastery was abandoned in a hurry; historians presume this was because of the invasion of the so-called [[Great Heathen Army]] of Vikings who had invaded England, and established the [[Jórvík|Kingdom of Jórvík]] in the [[Yorkshire]] area.<ref name="beverleyhistory"/> However, the population was increased during the 10th&nbsp;century, by people who came to venerate Saint John of Beverley.<ref name="beverleyhistory"/>

Before the [[Battle of Brunanburh]], possibly located further north than Beverley, the [[King of England]] at the time [[Athelstan of England|Athelstan]] visited Inderawuda, he prayed all night and saw a vision saying he would be victorious: in return he helped the town to grow greatly.<ref name="beverleyhistory"/> The name of the town was changed to '''''Bevreli''''' or ''Beverlac'', meaning [[beaver]]-clearing or beaver-lake, in the 10th&nbsp;century; a reference to the colonies of beavers in the [[River Hull]] at the time.<ref name="beverleyhistory"/> The last three [[Anglo-Saxon]] archbishops of York helped Beverley to develop, via the rise in prominence of [[Beverley Minster]] and the town in general; along with [[York]] itself, [[Ripon]] and [[Southwell, Nottinghamshire|Southwell]], Beverley became one of the most important Christian centres of [[Northern England]]. [[Ealdred (archbishop of York)|Ealdred]] was declared by king [[Edward the Confessor]] as "sole [[Lord of the Manor]] of Beverley". Beverley developed as a trade centre, producing [[textiles]], [[leather]] and objects made out of [[antler]].<ref name="beverleyhistory"/>
Beverley Minster was constructed in 1220 and there were 3 phases to its construction. 1220–1260, 1320–1348 Stopped during the black death and again in 1420–1440 but Beverley Minster is not complete. The chapter house was demolished in 1660 and only the doors remain in the church.

===Normans and the Middle Ages===
[[File:The Guildhall, Register Square, Beverley.jpg|thumb|[[Beverley Guildhall]]]]
After the [[Norman conquest of England|Norman conquest]], many [[pilgrim]]s flocked to Beverley upon hearing reports of miracles wrought by the town's founder, John. However, much of the [[Northern England|North of England]] rejected Norman rule, and sought to reinstate Viking rule.<ref name="beverleyhistory"/> Towns in Yorkshire were obliterated by the Normans in response, with the [[Harrying of the North]]; but Beverley itself was spared, upon the Normans hearing about the town's saintly history.<ref name="beverleyhistory"/> In 1086, Beverley was recorded in the [[Domesday Book]] as comprising around 19 households and lying within the Hundred of Sneculfcros.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://opendomesday.org/place/TA0339/beverley/|title = Beverley &#124; Domesday Book}}</ref> In the 12th&nbsp;century, Beverley developed from a settlement of several thousand, to an extensive town, stretching from around the North Bar area to the Beck in an elongated pattern, it was granted [[Borough status in the United Kingdom|borough status]] in 1122 by [[Thurstan]]. Industry grew further, Beverley especially traded wool with the cloth making towns of the [[Low Countries]].<ref name="beverleyhistory"/>

[[File:Beverley Westwood showing The Black Mill.jpg|thumb|left|Westwood and the Black Mill]]
The town suffered a large fire in 1188 which destroyed numerous houses, and damaged Beverley Minster. Lady Sybil de Valines gave the Manor of the Holy Trinity on the east side of Beverley to the [[Knights Hospitaller]]s in 1201, where they established a [[preceptory]];<ref>
{{cite web|url =http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=36282|title =Houses of Knights Hospitaller|access-date = 4 March 2008|publisher = British-History.ac.uk}}</ref> also to be found in Beverley during the 13th&nbsp;century were [[Dominican Order|Dominican]] [[friar]]s who were given some land by [[Henry III of England|Henry III]] upon which they erected buildings. [[Franciscans]] were present.<ref name="beverleyhistory"/> A dispute arose between local farmers and the archbishop during the 13th&nbsp;century, about land rights; after the locals demanded a royal inquiry, the archbishop granted the townspeople [[pasture]] and [[pannage]] in the Westwood and other places.

During the 14th&nbsp;century, England experienced periods of famine caused by poor weather conditions which destroyed crops. There were other nationwide issues to contend with at the time, such as the [[Black Death]], the [[Hundred Years' War]] and the [[Peasants' Revolt|Great Rising]]. However, Beverley continued to grow: and by 1377, had become the 10th&nbsp;largest town in England.<ref name="beverleyhistory"/>

The earliest surviving [[Secularity|secular]] [[drama]] in English, ''[[The Interlude of the Student and the Girl]]'' ({{circa|1300}}), may have originated from Beverley.

===Reformation decline in Tudor times===
[[File:John Fisher (painting).jpg|thumb|right|upright|Local man Saint [[John Fisher]] was martyred in 1535]]
Beverley was reliant on pilgrimage, but changes brought about by the [[English Reformation|Reformation]] impacted upon this tradition, resulting in a decline in its status.<ref name="beverleyhistory"/> Local Beverley man [[Cardinal (Catholicism)|Cardinal]] [[John Fisher]] was [[martyr]]ed along with [[Thomas More]] for refusing to accept the [[Tudor dynasty|Tudor]] King [[Henry VIII of England|Henry VIII]] as Head of the [[Church of England]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.wf-f.org/StJohnFisher.html|publisher=wf-f.org|title=Saint John Fisher, Bishop & Martyr|date=24 October 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080510105239/http://www.wf-f.org/StJohnFisher.html|archive-date=10 May 2008|access-date=5 May 2008}}</ref> In October 1536, there was a [[Popular revolt in late medieval Europe|popular rising]] in Beverley where 500 men in the town gathered at the Westwood under the leadership of a local lawyer named William Stapleton, later becoming part of the larger [[Pilgrimage of Grace]] in York and, in turn, part of the 30,000 rebels opposing Henry's new religious laws.<ref name="beverleyhistory"/> Henry followed through with the break from [[Roman Catholic Church|Rome]] and the [[Dissolution of the Monasteries]], dissolving the Dominican Friary in Beverley and taking their land for himself, the Knights Templars in Beverley suffered the same fate in 1540.<ref name="beverleyhistory"/>

As a result of the tensions across the [[Northern England|North of England]], governance duties were handed over to the [[Council of the North]] so the Tudors could control the area at arm's length.<ref name="POG">{{cite news|url=http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/TUDpilgrimgrace.htm |publisher=Spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk |title=Pilgrimage of Grace |date=24 October 2007 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080424105551/http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/TUDpilgrimgrace.htm |archive-date=24 April 2008 |access-date=5 May 2008}}</ref> Beverley was visited by [[John Leland (antiquary)|John Leland]], the man known as the "father of [[English local history]]", he wrote of the town in some detail, estimating the population of the time at around 5,000.<ref name="beverleyhistory"/> [[Beverley Minster]] was threatened with demolition by its new owners who wanted to profit from selling its stone and lead, however the local people led by wealthy merchant Richard Gray saved it from this fate.<ref name="beverleyhistory"/> During the time of [[Elizabeth I of England|Elizabeth I]], Beverley was endowed with its own [[mayor]]; Edward Ellerker was the first to take this position.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.beverley.gov.uk/Contents/Text/Index.asp?SiteId=476&SiteExtra=19749316&TopNavId=426&NavSideId=10754|publisher=Beverley Town Council|title=The Mayor of Beverley|date=24 October 2007|access-date=5 May 2008|archive-date=18 February 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120218201559/http://www.beverley.gov.uk/Contents/Text/Index.asp?SiteId=476&SiteExtra=19749316&TopNavId=426&NavSideId=10754|url-status=dead}}</ref> The gap between Beverley's rich and poor became more pronounced during the Tudor era, due to large [[unemployment]]. The substantial drop in pilgrimage to Beverley in honour of its founder John of Beverley affected the jobs of the [[working class]] as it was Beverley's main industry.<ref name="beverleyhistory"/>

===Civil war and Restoration recovery===
[[File:Charles II arms - Beverley Minster.jpg|thumb|left|Charles II's arms hanging in Beverley Minster]]
In the early 17th&nbsp;century Beverley was affected by the [[Bubonic plague|plague]] which caused many deaths. Due to the close geographical proximity to [[Kingston upon Hull|Hull]], focus on the area became magnified when the people of Hull refused to open the gates to [[Charles I of England|Charles I]] a couple of months before the fighting began in the [[English Civil War]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/humber/content/articles/2005/07/20/coast05walks_stage8.shtml|publisher=[[BBC]]|title=Seeds of the English Civil War|date=25 November 2007|access-date=5 May 2008}}</ref> After being turned away from Hull, the king spent three weeks as a guest in a house at North Bar in Beverley, where he was openly greeted with the ringing of [[St Mary's Church, Beverley|St Mary's Church]] bells.<ref name="beverleyhistory"/> Beverley was initially royalist: however, it was taken by the parliamentarians of Hull, forcing the king to flee. A royalist army led by [[William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne|William Cavendish]] defeated [[Thomas Fairfax, 3rd Lord Fairfax of Cameron|Thomas Fairfax]] to reclaim the town for the royalists; from here they launched another [[Siege of Hull (1643)|Siege of Hull]].<ref>{{cite journal|jstor=548730|title=The Sieges of Hull during the Great Civil War|journal=The English Historical Review|date=24 October 2007|volume=20|issue=79|pages=457–473|last1=Broxap|first1=Ernest}}</ref> Eventually the parliamentarians won the civil war and established the [[Commonwealth of England]], in which [[alehouse]]s were shut on Sundays and theatres and race meetings abandoned: the [[Puritans]] visited the then [[Church of England]] houses of worship and destroyed anything they thought to be idolatrous.<ref name="beverleyhistory"/>

Beverley Minster managed to escape this fate, in part due to the prominence of the [[House of Percy|Percy]] family and the fact that the church housed memorials to their ancestors. Beverley's [[Religious Society of Friends|Quakers]] were not so fortunate, and were strongly repressed by the [[Puritans]].<ref name="beverleyhistory"/> The [[English Restoration]] with [[Charles II of England|Charles II]] coming to power was generally well received in Beverley, and his royal coat of arms was hung in the Minster and remains there.<ref name="beverleyhistory"/> In terms of trade Beverley was not rich in the 17th&nbsp;century but had improved slightly, the majority were based in [[agriculture]].<ref name="beverleyhistory"/> During the [[Georgian era]], Beverley was the [[county town]] of the [[East Riding of Yorkshire]] and became the prime [[market town]] in the area during the 18th&nbsp;century; competition from [[Pocklington]], [[Howden]] and [[Market Weighton]] was insufficient.<ref name="beverleyhistory"/> The replacing of old timber buildings with new ones in the [[Georgian architecture|Georgian]] style helped the town recover in prestige, with the religious structures also undergoing restorations.<ref name="beverleyhistory"/> During the [[Industrial Revolution]], Beverley's people retained most agricultural jobs, though there was a presence of iron workers within the town.<ref name="beverleyhistory"/>

Beverley had a cattle market for 1300 years, it served as the centre for the region's livestock trade until it closed. The site is now the car park for Tesco supermarket which opened in 2002.

===Industrial revolution and military===
The population of the [[borough]] and [[liberty (division)|liberties]] of the town in 1841 was 8,671.<ref>''The National Cyclopaedia of Useful Knowledge'' Vol III (1847), London, Charles Knight, p.278.</ref>

Hodgsons Tannery (1816–1979) was a major employer in the town. The tannery turned animal hides into leather. At the time of closure there were 750 redundancies. After Hodgsons closed, part of the factory site was used by Clairant (chemical production company). However, this had also closed by 2005 with the loss of 120 jobs.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/humber/3569889.stm|title=Chemical closure costs 120 jobs|date=25 March 2004|access-date=13 December 2018|work=BBC News}}</ref> Another tannery Melrose Tanners, formerly Cussons, on Keldgate, closed in 1986.<ref name="vch-mod"/>

Armstrong Patents Co. Ltd. (1917–1995) was also a well known company and major employer. The factory on East Gate mainly produced Armstrong shock absorbers until it closed in 1981.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.yorkshirefilmarchive.com/film/armstrong-patents-east-gate-beverley-shock-absorber-production-circa-1954|title=ARMSTRONG PATENTS EAST GATE BEVERLEY SHOCK ABSORBER PRODUCTION CIRCA 1954|publisher=Yorkshire Film Archive|access-date=13 December 2018|archive-date=28 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180828035851/http://www.yorkshirefilmarchive.com/film/armstrong-patents-east-gate-beverley-shock-absorber-production-circa-1954|url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[Cook, Welton & Gemmell|Beverley Shipyard]] opened in 1884 and continued to build ships until the yard closed completely in 1977. From 1905 until 1962 the yard was owned by Cook, Welton & Gemmell Shipbuilders. In 1954 the yard employed 650 people. Ships were launched sideways into the River Hull.
[[File:Beverley on market day.jpg|thumb|right|Beverley during a market day]]
[[File: The White Horse Inn Hengate Beverley.jpg |thumb|The White Horse Inn Hengate]]
[[File:Hospital door.jpg|thumb|Westwood Hospital]]
Due to an increase in population, some of the entrances into the town (such as the brick-built Bars) were taken down to accommodate traffic. Although population figures rose steeply, the increase was not as much as in nearby [[Kingston upon Hull|Hull]], or most of the rest of England.<ref name="beverleyhistory"/> Beverley's religious associations remained during the 19th&nbsp;century: as well as the majority Anglican faith, there were several [[Nonconformist (Protestantism)|non-conformist]] religions practised such as [[Methodism]] with [[John Wesley]] previously having preached there; with the completion of the [[Catholic Emancipation]] and the refoundation of the Catholic hierarchy, the [[Diocese of Beverley]] in 1850 was chosen to cover [[Yorkshire]], before being divided into two dioceses.<ref name="beverleyhistory"/>

Communications were improved with the opening of the [[Beverley railway station]] in October 1846.<ref name="beverleyhistory"/> In 1884, Andrew Cochrane founded a shipyard at Grovehill on the River Hull. It was purchased by [[Cook, Welton & Gemmell]] in 1901.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Cook,_Welton_and_Gemmell|title=Cook, Welton and Gemmell – Graces Guide|website=Gracesguide.co.uk|access-date=17 April 2021}}</ref> The yard was a leading builder of trawlers for the Hull deep-sea fishing fleet. In both [[world war]]s the yard built minesweepers for the [[Royal Navy]]. The deep-sea trawler [[Arctic Corsair]] now preserved in Hull was built there in 1960. The yard closed for ship construction in 1977 and the site is now used for boat repairs.

A permanent military presence was established in the town with the completion of [[Victoria Barracks, Beverley|Victoria Barracks]] in 1878.<ref>{{cite web|title=Public Institutions, A History of the County of York East Riding: Volume 6: The borough and liberties of Beverley|year=1989|pages=190–195|url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=36442 |access-date= 11 November 2014}}</ref> The barracks closed in 1977, and the only army presence in the area is now the [[Defence School of Transport]] at Normandy Barracks [[Leconfield]], two miles to the north. In the [[First World War]] the [[Royal Flying Corps]] had an airfield on the Westwood.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hullandeastridingatwar.co.uk/index.php/erairfieldss/rfcbev|title=RFC Beverley|access-date=8 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161013061427/http://hullandeastridingatwar.co.uk/index.php/erairfieldss/rfcbev|archive-date=13 October 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> The site is now [[Beverley Racecourse]]

===World Wars and modern===
The [[Second World War]] saw the nearby city of [[Kingston upon Hull|Hull]] suffer significantly from [[Hull Blitz|aerial bombardment]]: however, Beverley was more fortunate and did not endure such heavy attacks.<ref name="beverleyhistory"/> Since the war, Beverley has gone through some remodelling, and has grown in size. It attracts thousands of tourists each year who come to view the religious buildings and visit [[Beverley Racecourse]].<ref name="beverleyhistory"/> 

In the 1960s, plans to redevelop Armstrong's Engineering Works for housing put the Dominican Friary at threat of demolition: the friary building was listed in 1965 and is now in use as a youth hostel. Housing was developed on the former works site in the 1980s on what is now Dominican Walk and its adjacent streets.<ref name="vch-mod">{{cite web |title=Modern Beverley: Beverley after 1945 Pages 154–160 A History of the County of York East Riding: Volume 6, the Borough and Liberties of Beverley. |url=https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/yorks/east/vol6/pp154-160 |website=British History Online |publisher=Victoria County History, 1989 |access-date=25 April 2023}}</ref>

In 2007, Beverley was named as the best place to live in the United Kingdom in an "Affordable Affluence" study by the [[Royal Bank of Scotland]].<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.yorkshire-forward.com/news-events/local-news/beverley-is-the-top-place-to-live |title = Beverley 'is the top place to live in Britain'|access-date = 3 August 2009|date = 3 September 2007|publisher = Yorkshire Forward}}</ref>

In late 2015 a new shopping and entertainment complex opened in Flemingate (on the site of the old Hodgsons Tannery). Among the attractions is a six-screen cinema and a Premier Inn hotel. East Riding College (formerly Beverley College of Further Education) also relocated to Flemingate, after the previous site was sold for a housing development.

===Landmarks===
[[File:Beverley Market Cross.jpg|thumb|Beverley Market Cross]]
*Newbegin House – 1757
*[[Beverley Minster]] – 1420
*[[St Mary's Church, Beverley|St Mary's Church]] – 1530
*[[Beverley Bar|North Bar]] – 1409
*[[Beverley Guildhall|The Guild Hall]] – 15th century<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.museums.eastriding.gov.uk/beverley-guildhall/|title=Welcome to Beverley Guildhall|publisher=East Riding of Yorkshire Council|access-date=13 December 2018}}</ref>
*[[Beverley Friary]] – 1539
*The Market Cross – 1714<ref>{{NHLE |desc=THE MARKET CROSS, Beverley |num=1346372 |accessdate=16 November 2022}}</ref>
*Beverley Memorial Hall – 1959
*Black Mill – 1803
*[[Corn Exchange, Beverley|The Corn Exchange & Public Baths]] – 1885 (previously a cinema & secondhand shop, now a [[Browns of York|Browns]] department store)
*[[Sessions House, Beverley|Sessions House]] – 1814 (now a spa) 
*The Hall Lairgate – 1750 (Owned by the Warton family 1802–1925. Later used by Beverley Borough Council)
*[[Beverley Racecourse]] – 1767
*[[11 Ladygate, Beverley]] – early medieval shop

==Climate==
{{Leconfield weatherbox}}

== Governance ==
[[File:County Hall, Cross Street, Beverley - geograph.org.uk - 793357.jpg|thumb|The [[County Hall, Beverley|county hall]]]]
During the [[Middle Ages]], Beverley was governed by [[alderman|aldermen]] known as the twelve keepers, they oversaw the general running of the town and the maintaining of law and order.<ref>{{cite book | last =Kermode | first = Jennifer | title =Medieval Merchants: York, Beverley, and Hull in the Later Middle Ages| publisher = Cambridge University Press | url =https://books.google.com/books?id=T7Jl6LgZSVUC&pg=PA328 | isbn = 0-521-52274-9| date = 18 July 2002 }}</ref> The borough corporation was reformed by the [[Municipal Corporations Act 1835]] and formed the local government of the town until 1974.<ref>{{cite vob|name=Beverley|url=http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit_page.jsp?u_id=10055179|map=http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/bound_map_page.jsp?first=true&u_id=10055179&c_id=10001043|accessdate=15 July 2008}}</ref> In 1974, following the [[Local Government Act 1972]], the former area of Beverley borough was merged with [[Beverley Rural District]] and [[Haltemprice Urban District]] to form an enlarged [[Beverley (borough)|Beverley]] borough in the county of [[Humberside]].<ref name="pol">{{cite web|url = http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=36433|title =Modern Beverley – Political and Social History|access-date = 24 October 2007|date = 3 September 2007|publisher= British-History.ac.uk}}</ref> Since 1996, it has formed part of the [[East Riding of Yorkshire]] district and is the county town, as it was before 1974.<ref name="pol"/>

Beverley was represented in the [[Houses of Parliament]] by the [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Members of Parliament]] (MPs) for [[Yorkshire (UK Parliament constituency)|Yorkshire]] until [[Beverley (UK Parliament constituency)|Beverley]] was given [[parliamentary borough]] status from 1563.<ref name="pol"/> Beverley was able to elect two MPs for its entire time as a parliamentary borough; the right of election was vested not in the population as a whole, but in the [[wikt:freeman|freemen]]. Elections became notoriously corrupt, to the extent that the constituency was abolished in 1870 and incorporated into the [[East Riding of Yorkshire (UK Parliament constituency)|East Riding]] constituency.<ref name="pol"/> During the [[1950 United Kingdom general election|1950 general election]] a Beverley [[county constituency]] was created, covering half of the East Riding, with [[Bridlington (UK Parliament constituency)|Bridlington]] covering the other half.<ref name="pol"/> It became part of the [[Haltemprice (UK Parliament constituency)|Haltemprice]] constituency in [[1955 United Kingdom general election|1955]], until it reverted to the Beverley constituency in 1983.<ref name="pol"/> Since 1997 Beverley has been part of the [[Beverley and Holderness (UK Parliament constituency)|Beverley and Holderness]] constituency, a [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] stronghold.

In 2019 the Liberal Democrats made huge gains in the local elections, taking out all of the Conservative seats and taking control of the Town Council, whilst also gaining two seats from the Conservatives on East Riding of Yorkshire Council in St Mary's Ward. The only Conservative representatives for Beverley are in Minster and Woodmansey Ward, where the Conservatives held all three seats.<ref name="pol"/>

{| width=60% class="wikitable"
! width=14% | Position
! width=85% | Current representatives
|-
|align="center"|[[Beverley and Holderness (UK Parliament constituency)|Member of Parliament]]||align="center"|[[Graham Stuart (UK politician)|Graham Stuart]], [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]], elected [[2005 United Kingdom general election|2005]]
|-
|align="center"|East Riding of Yorkshire Council||align="center"|
ST MARY'S WARD <br />
<br /> Dave Boynton – Liberal Democrats, <br /> Denis Healy – Liberal Democrats <br /> Linda Johnson  – Liberal Democrats<br />
<br />
MINSTER AND WOODMANSEY WARD <br />
<br /> David Elvidge, Conservative, <br /> Kerri Harold, Conservative, <br /> Paul Nickersen, Independent, <br />
|-
|align="center"|Beverley Town Council||align="center"| Peter Astell – Liberal Democrats, <br /> Tom Astell – Liberal Democrats, <br /> Dave Boynton – Liberal Democrats, <br /> Ian Gow – Independent, <br /> Denis Healy – Liberal Democrats, <br /> Chloe Hopkins – Labour, <br /> David Horsley – Liberal Democrats, <br /> Duncan Jack – Independent,  <br /> Linda Johnson – Liberal Democrats,  <br /> Margaret Pinder – Labour, <br /> David Tucker – Liberal Democrats, <br /> Ann Willis – Labour, <br /> Clare Wildey – Labour <br />
|}

==Planned expansion==
In 2014 local authorities planned to build 3,300 new houses in Beverley,<ref name="champing">{{cite news|url=http://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/developers-champing-bit-3-300-homes-built/story-24468134-detail/story.html|title=Developers 'champing at the bit' with 3,300 homes to be built in Beverley|work=Hull Daily Mail|date=8 November 2014|access-date=30 August 2016}}{{dead link|date=November 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> which would increase the size of the town by 20%. A spokesperson for East Riding of Yorkshire Council said: "The evidence recognises that the East Riding is generally a high demand area with strong levels of in-[[Human migration|migration]]".<ref name="S5">{{cite web|url=http://consult.eastriding.gov.uk/portal/forward_planning/core/substrategy?pointId=ID-2453187-POLICY-S5-DELIVERING-HOUSING-DEVELOPMENT|title=Policy S5: Delivering housing development|publisher=East Riding of Yorkshire Council|access-date=30 August 2016}}{{dead link|date=November 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref name="masterplan">{{cite web|url=http://www2.eastriding.gov.uk/EasySiteWeb/GatewayLink.aspx?alId=613617|title=Land to the South West of Beverley Draft Masterplan (compressed).pdf|access-date=30 August 2016}}{{Dead link|date=December 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> The plans are opposed by some residents, such as those in the North Beverley Action Group.<ref name="attack">{{cite news |url=http://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/beverley-residents-attack-house-builders/story-20466565-detail/story.html |title=Beverley residents: 'We're under attack from house builders' |work=Hull Daily Mail |date=20 January 2014 |access-date=30 August 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140123173445/http://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/Beverley-residents-attack-house-builders/story-20466565-detail/story.html |archive-date=23 January 2014 }}</ref>

==Education==

Beverley is home to the oldest [[state school]] in England, in the form of [[Beverley Grammar School]]. The school was founded in 700&nbsp;AD by Saint John of Beverley.<ref name="bgs">{{cite web|url=http://www.bgs.eriding.net/index.php/the_school/the_history/ |title=School History |access-date=24 October 2007 |date=3 September 2007 |publisher=[[Beverley Grammar School]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100727142220/http://www.bgs.eriding.net/index.php/the_school/the_history/ |archive-date=27 July 2010 }}</ref> Several notable [[alumni]] have attended the school, including chemist [[Smithson Tennant]], who discovered [[iridium]] and [[osmium]], [[Thomas Percy (plotter)|Thomas Percy]], who was involved in the [[Gunpowder Plot]] and [[Paul Robinson (footballer, born 1979)|Paul Robinson]], a [[Association football|football]] [[Goalkeeper (association football)|goalkeeper]] who has represented [[England national football team]] (2003–2009).<ref name="bgs"/> In the modern day the school hosts around 800 pupils and has received favourable reports from [[Ofsted]], however, in 2013 it was determined as requiring improvement.<ref name="bgs"/>

There are other schools in Beverley, such as [[Beverley High School]], which is a [[comprehensive school]] for girls: it has around 850 pupils, and is well above the national average based on the results of [[GCSE]] test performances.<ref>{{cite news|url =https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/education/04/school_tables/secondary_schools/html/811_4050.stm|title =Beverley High School|access-date = 24 October 2007|date = 3 September 2007|work =BBC News}}</ref> Beverley Grammar School and Beverley High School share a common sixth form, called the Beverley Joint Sixth.

<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Longcroft Crest.jpg|thumbnail|right|The badge of [[Longcroft School]]]] -->
[[Longcroft School]] is a [[co-educational school]], with around 1,500 pupils consisting of both boys and girls. Longcroft School was founded in 1949 and officially opened in 1951 and is home to the Longcroft Gospel Choir, founded by Jonathan Chapman. The choir comprises pupils from Year 9 and above and several members of Longcroft School staff, and has a large repertoire of music. Over the choir's period of existence, the choir has performed at venues such as [[Disneyland Paris]] and the [[Apple Store]] on [[Oxford Street, London]], have released two of their own albums and have featured on a track by singer-songwriter [[Henry Priestman]]. But more recently in May 2015, it was announced that the Longcroft Gospel Choir will be one of twenty choirs in the UK to perform at and open the [[2015 Rugby World Cup]] in [[London]] performing for the home team ([[England national rugby union team|England]]).

[[East Riding College]] has a campus in Beverley. The college offers various [[further education]] courses for school leavers and adults from the town.

==Media==
Beverley and the East Riding of Yorkshire region is served by the ''[[East Riding Mail]]'', which is the sister paper to the ''[[Hull Daily Mail]]''.
The ''Beverley Guardian'' was printed for 160 years, but it ceased in September 2016.

Beverley has two independent hyper-local magazines, ''Just Beverley'' and ''HU17.net''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://justbeverley.co.uk/|title=Just Beverley|website=justbeverley.co.uk|accessdate=1 September 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hu17.net/|title=HU17.net – It’s all about Beverley!|date=30 August 2024|website=HU17.net|accessdate=1 September 2024}}</ref>

Radio stations [[BBC Radio Humberside]], [[Hits Radio East Yorkshire & North Lincolnshire]] and [[Nation Radio East Yorkshire]] serve the town and the whole of the East Riding of Yorkshire but, are based in the nearby city of [[Kingston upon Hull|Hull]]. 

Local TV coverage is provided by [[BBC Yorkshire and Lincolnshire]] and [[ITV Yorkshire]]. Television signals are received from the [[Belmont transmitting station|Belmont]] TV transmitter.

[[Kingstown Radio|Kingstown Hospital Radio]] serves the [[East Riding Community Hospital]], in addition to the [[Hull Royal Infirmary]] and [[Castle Hill Hospital]] in nearby [[Cottingham, East Riding of Yorkshire|Cottingham]].

Beverley has its own radio station 107.8 Beverley FM, which broadcasts to Beverley and its surrounding area from the studio based in the town.

The exterior scenes in ''[[Lease of Life]]'', (with [[Robert Donat]]), in 1954, were filmed in Beverley and nearby [[Lund, East Riding of Yorkshire]], (Hinton St John), as well as Beverley Minster.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Yorkshire on Film – Lease of Life|magazine=Dalesman|date=28 April 2016|volume=78|issue=1|page=28|issn=0011-5800}}</ref>

==Religion==
[[File:St. Mary's Church, Beverley.jpg|thumb|right|150px|St Mary's Church]]
Beverley's largest religious denomination is [[Christianity]]; 79.9% of the people in the area polled as part of the [[United Kingdom Census 2001]] professed the Christian faith, 8% above the [[Demographics of England from the 2001 United Kingdom census|national average]].<ref>{{cite web|url = http://ukpollingreport.co.uk/guide/seat-profiles/beverleyandholderness|title = Beverley and Holderness|access-date = 24 October 2007|date = 3 September 2007|publisher = UKPolingReport.co.uk|archive-date = 23 December 2007|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071223032701/http://ukpollingreport.co.uk/guide/seat-profiles/beverleyandholderness|url-status = dead}}</ref>
[[Beverley Minster]] contains a tomb said to contain the bones of Saint [[John of Beverley]] who founded a monastery here and with it the town; another saint from Beverley is Saint [[John Fisher]] (born {{circa|1469}}). The minster was designated a Grade I [[listed building]] in 1950 and is now recorded in the [[National Heritage List for England]], maintained by [[Historic England]].<ref>{{National Heritage List for England|num=1084028|desc=The Minster Church of St John|access-date=13 August 2013}}</ref>

[[File:Beverley Minster Exterior.jpg|thumb|Beverley Minster]]
Adherents of the [[Church of England]] are in the majority with three parishes; the ancient [[Beverley Minster]], [[St Mary's Church, Beverley|St Mary's Church]] (designated a Grade I [[listed building]] in 1950 and is now recorded in the [[National Heritage List for England]], maintained by [[Historic England]]<ref>{{National Heritage List for England|num=1162693|desc=The Parish Church of St Mary|access-date=13 August 2013}}</ref>) and St Nicholas Church.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.beverleyinpictures.co.uk/churches.html |title=Churches |access-date=24 October 2007 |date=3 September 2007 |publisher=BeverleyInPictures.co.uk |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013222303/http://www.beverleyinpictures.co.uk/churches.html |archive-date=13 October 2007 }}</ref> Beverley is a [[suffragan bishop]]ric of the [[Diocese of York]] represented by the [[Bishop of Beverley]], created in 1994 to provide a [[provincial episcopal visitor]] for the [[Province of York]]. There is one [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] church in Beverley called [[St John of Beverley Church, Beverley|St John's]] which belongs to the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Middlesbrough|Diocese of Middlesbrough]]; when the [[Catholic Emancipation]] was complete in 1850 the [[Diocese of Beverley]] was established to cover all of [[Yorkshire]], but it was later broken up into two dioceses, Leeds and Middlesbrough.<ref name="beverleyhistory"/> [[Methodism]] is represented in Beverley with around three places of worship. Latimer Congregational Church, in the east of Beverley, is affiliated to the [[Evangelical Fellowship of Congregational Churches]].

Since their suppression in the 17th&nbsp;century, [[Quakers]] established a [[Friends meeting house|meeting house]] and have worshipped in Beverley ever since. Their present meeting house – the third – in Quaker Lane – was built in 1961.

Missionaries of [[the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] from the United States first arrived in Beverley in 1850 and quickly established a local congregation. In 1963 a large new chapel on Manor Road was built by local church members. Due to the continued growth of the Beverley congregation both the building and car parks were enlarged in the late 1990s.

==Culture and amenities==
[[File:Beverley Racecourse.jpg|thumb|right|[[Beverley Racecourse]]]]
A market day is central to culture in Beverley; a smaller market day is held on Wednesday: however, the main event is on Saturday, with all of the stalls.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.discoveryorkshirecoast.com/documents/pdf/factsheets/combined/market_days.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060427214521/http://www.discoveryorkshirecoast.com/documents/pdf/factsheets/combined/market_days.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=27 April 2006|publisher=DiscoverYorkshireCoast.com|title=Market Days|date=November 2007|access-date=24 April 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url =http://www.eastriding.gov.uk/atoz/details.aspx?id=594|title =Council Markets|publisher =East Riding of Yorkshire Council|access-date =24 April 2010|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20110609161216/http://www.eastriding.gov.uk/atoz/details.aspx?id=594|archive-date =9 June 2011|url-status =dead}}</ref> Throughout each year there are various annual [[music festival]]s in the town, catering for different kinds of music. These include the Early Music Festival in May; the [[Beverley Folk Festival]] in June, which features three days of folk music, comedy and workshops; the Jazz Festival in August, followed by the Chamber Music Festival in September.<ref name="beverleyhistory"/> Held monthly at the Beverley Memorial Hall is a local music event ''Sunday Live''. It is also home to the popular Beverley Male Voice Choir.

Beverley hosts an annual literature festival, kite festival, a biennial puppet festival and [[Beverley town fair]]. Since 2006, Beverley Town Council has run an annual food festival in October. Including 70 stalls selling food produced in Beverley and the East Riding of Yorkshire, a 200-seat food theatre marquee, cookery demonstrations from local chefs, and street entertainment, the day-long event is attended by thousands of residents and visitors.<ref>{{cite web |title=Beverley Food Festival |url=http://beverley.gov.uk/news/605/beverley-food-festival-2 |access-date=17 October 2019 |publisher=Beverley Town Council}}</ref> In 2012, St Mary's Church in Beverley hosted the first real ale and cider festival. Over 2,000 people attended the event. The festival has now moved to the Beverley Memorial Hall and still attracts over 2,500 people.<ref>{{cite web |title=Beverley Real Ale Festival |url=http://www.beverley.realalefestivals.co.uk/ |access-date=25 March 2013}}</ref>

In terms of sport, the most noted field of participation is horse racing with [[Beverley Racecourse]]. The sport has a long history in Beverley, with evidence of a permanent race track reaching back as far as 1690, while its first [[grandstand]] was built in 1767.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.greyhoundderby.com/Brief%20history%20of%20Beverley.htm|publisher=GreyhoundDerby.com|title=Beverley Racecourse|date=24 October 2007}}</ref> The town is represented in [[Association football|football]] by [[Beverley Town F.C.]], who currently play in the [[Northern Counties East League]] Premier Division, the 9th tier of English football. Beverley was the host for the [[2006 British National Cycling Championships]]. Beverley Westwood is home to the oldest golf club in Yorkshire the Beverley and East Riding Golf Club founded in October 1889. [[Beverley RUFC]] plays in the [[Yorkshire 1]] league for [[Rugby union|Rugby Union]] and play at Beaver Park in the town.<ref>{{cite web |title=Yorkshire 1 Table – England Rugby |url=https://www.englandrugby.com/fixtures-and-results/search-results?competition=1623&team=2073&season=2021-2022#table |accessdate=7 May 2022}}</ref> The [[Tour de Yorkshire]] passes through North Bar, one of the ancient gates of Beverley. 
A weekly 5k parkrun is held at the Westwood at 9:00am every Saturday.

Beverley town has a variety of [[public house]]s, some of which have become tourist attractions.<ref name="bevpub">{{cite web|url =http://www.bevpub.co.uk/?page_id=2|title =About|access-date =24 October 2007|date =3 September 2007|publisher =BevPub.co.uk|url-status =dead|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20080422201811/http://www.bevpub.co.uk/?page_id=2|archive-date =22 April 2008}}</ref> Examples include the Sun Inn, the town's oldest public house dating back to around 1530.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bevpub.co.uk/?page_id=28 |title=The Sun Inn |access-date=24 October 2007 |date=3 September 2007 |publisher=BevPub.co.uk |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080422201859/http://www.bevpub.co.uk/?page_id=28 |archive-date=22 April 2008 }}</ref> There are over 40 public houses in Beverley – the vast majority have been there for over a century.<ref name="bevpub"/> Beverley is home to one of the last pubs in the world to still use authentic [[gas lighting]]; The White Horse Inn (or "Nellie's" to the local population) is owned by the [[Samuel Smith Old Brewery]] company.<ref>{{cite web|url =http://www.bevpub.co.uk/?page_id=30|title =The White Horse (Nellies)|access-date =24 October 2007|date =3 September 2007|publisher =BevPub.co.uk|url-status =dead|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20080422201915/http://www.bevpub.co.uk/?page_id=30|archive-date =22 April 2008}}</ref>

A purpose-built Post Office opened in Register Square in 1905. It continued to be the town's Post Office, until being closed in early 2020 as part of a cost cutting exercise. Post Office services are now provided by the nearby WH Smith shop.

Beverley's first cinema, the Marble Arch, opened in 1916, located on Butcher Row. It was closed and completely demolished by 1967 having in the last few years been used as a bingo hall. After demolition, the site was used as a supermarket. Originally it was known as Moores, but later it became Prestos, then Jacksons. It is now [[Marks & Spencer|M&S Food]].

The [[Museum of Army Transport]] relocated from Leconfield to Beverley in 1983. The museum was housed on part of the former Hodgsons Tannery site. The last surviving Blackburn Beverley aircraft XB259 (named after the town, and built nearby in Brough) was on static display until the museum closed due to a funding shortfall in 2003. This and the neighbouring former Hodgsons Tannery is now occupied by Flemingate – a shopping centre including [[Dunelm Group|Dunelm]], [[H&M]], [[Sports Direct]], restaurants and cafes, and is also home to a Parkway Cinema and [[Premier Inn]].

The current fire station opened in 1982 when New Walkergate (road) was constructed. The much smaller old fire station is now a GP surgery. 
The police station on Norfolk Street is part of the court complex built in about 1805, including a [[Sessions House, Beverley|sessions house]] and a prison. The former courthouse is now a spa and the octagonal prison is a private home.

Beverley previously had two hospitals serving the town. The Westwood Hospital originally opened as the town's Union Workhouse in 1861, but became a hospital in 1939 at the outbreak of World War II. The maternity ward closed in 1997. The hospital closed completely in 2011. The original main building has been converted to apartments. Beverley Cottage Hospital opened in Morton Lane 1885 and had closed by 1996. Beverley Community Hospital opened in 2012 on a new site.

The East Riding Theatre, housed in a former nonconformist chapel originally built in 1910, is a community initiative launched by a group of local volunteers and film and television actor [[Vincent Regan]]. First opened to the public in December 2014 and seating 200, it is run as a not-for profit organisation and a registered charity and presents regular drama productions and musical performances.<ref>{{cite web
 | title =East Riding Theatre:About Us
 | publisher =East Riding Theatre Company
 | year =2014
 | url =http://www.eastridingtheatre.co.uk/about-east-riding-theatre/
 | access-date =19 December 2016
 | archive-date =27 December 2016
 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20161227223710/http://www.eastridingtheatre.co.uk/about-east-riding-theatre/
 | url-status =dead
 }}</ref>

[[The Beverley Treasure House]] contains a library, archives, a museum, and an art gallery.

===Town fair===
[[File:Saturday Market Beverley, Fair Scene at Night, 1920 Thomas Bonfrey Burton.png|thumb|''Saturday Market, Beverley. Fair Scene at Night'' (1920) Thomas Bonfrey Burton]]
Beverley has had a fair since medieval times. In the early days the [[fair]]s were places for trading goods and animals, and were useful for meeting people and finding news of what was happening elsewhere in the country. Towns were given the right to hold fairs by [[Royal charter]]. In the early 12th century [[Archbishop Thurstan]] was granted a charter to hold fairs four times a year, each lasting up to five days. Beverley's medieval fairs were:
*Feast of St [[John of Beverley]]                   (7 May)
*[[Feast of the Ascension|Ascension Day]]                           (Early summer)
*Feast of St [[John the Baptist]]            (21–5 June)
*Translation of St [[John of Beverley]]      (25 October)

The four annual fairs survived until the 20th century, although the dates changed over the years. All these fairs were for the sale of [[cattle]] and [[horse]]s and were held on North Bar Within or Without. One of the two market places, Saturday Market or Wednesday Market, was used at the same time for selling general goods. Another trading area was at Highgate where goods not generally sold on the weekly markets were available, attracting ‘foreigners’ or people from other areas such as [[York]]. The great horse fair was on [[Ascension Day]]-eve (the Cross Fair). A toll was charged for a horse entering the town and another if it was sold.<ref>A P Baggs, L M Brown, G C F Forster, I Hall, R E Horrox, G H R Kent, D Neave, "Markets and Fairs", in ''A History of the County of York East Riding: Volume 6, the Borough and Liberties of Beverley'' (Victoria County History) ed. K J Allison (London, 1989), pp.&nbsp;218–223 ([https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/yorks/east/vol6/pp218-223 British History Online]; accessed 19 August 2024)</ref>

By the 20th century, the sale of livestock at fairs had dwindled. In 1928, sheep and cattle were only sold on the Ringing Day fair. The pleasure part of the fair, however, had gained great popularity. These funfairs were held on Saturday Market.  As the fairground equipment became larger and heavier and the use of the motor vehicle became more widespread, Saturday Market place was no longer suitable for the purpose.

On 8 September 1958, Minute 581 of the Beverley Town Council states: “It was noted that the agreement between BTC and John Farrar and Joseph Shaw to hold four fairs a year on the Market Place expired after Midsummer Fair 1959”. On 27 October (Minute 694), “It was resolved that the fair should be removed from the Market Place.”
On 7 September 1959, the Town Clerk reported that Mr John Farrar and Joseph Shaw had accepted terms offered for use of space for the four fairs commencing with the October fair. The fair was held four times a year on Morton Lane car park, which also housed the Town’s coach park. In 2002, the East Riding of Yorkshire Council, against the wishes of a large number of the residents sold the Morton Lane car park to [[Tesco]], leaving the Town with nowhere to hold the fair. The council offered space on the Westwood to hold the fair but the organisers together with the solicitors of [[Showmen's Guild of Great Britain|The Showmen’s Guild]] demanded that they were allocated a site ‘within the walls of Beverley’ stating that The Royal Charter gave them that right.

In 2003, the Beverley Town Fair was, once again sited in the centre of the town on Saturday Market. The fair is now limited to one week a year starting on August Bank Holiday Sunday.

== Transport ==
[[File:Beverley Railway Station, inside.jpg|thumb|right|[[Beverley railway station]]]]
The town is served by [[Beverley railway station]] on the [[Hull to Scarborough Line]], with services currently run by [[Northern (train operating company)|Northern]] and a limited service between Beverley and [[London King's Cross railway station|London King's Cross]] provided by [[Hull Trains]]. Before the mid-1960s, there was a direct [[York to Beverley Line]] via [[Market Weighton railway station|Market Weighton]]; the ''Minsters Rail Campaign'' is seeking to reinstate the closed line.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.minstersrail.com/|title=Minsters Rail Campaign|access-date=22 September 2019}}</ref>

Beverley railway station was opened in October 1846 by the [[York and North Midland Railway]] and gained junction status nineteen years later when the [[North Eastern Railway (UK)|North Eastern Railway]] opened its line to [[Market Weighton]] and [[York railway station|York]].<ref name="beverleyhistory"/> The railway station, designed by [[George Townsend Andrews]], is now a Grade II [[listed building]] and has an elegant overall roof.<ref name="beverleyhistory"/>

The {{convert|5|mi|km|0|adj=on|spell=in}} £13&nbsp;million [[A1079 road|A1079]] Beverley Bypass opened in May 1980; the road links York and [[Kingston upon Hull|Hull]].<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.grahamstuart.org.uk/record.jsp?type=article&ID=26|title =Graham Stuart MP – working hard for Beverley and Holderness|access-date = 24 October 2007|date = 3 September 2007|publisher=GrahamStuart.org.uk}}{{dead link|date=April 2010}}</ref> [[East Yorkshire Motor Services]] provide internal town services,<ref>{{cite web |last=Miah |first=Rahima |date=6 March 2023 |title=Beverley residents divided as council 'saves' bus services |url=https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/news/hull-east-yorkshire-news/beverley-residents-divided-council-saves-8213491 |access-date=6 March 2023 |website=HullLive }}</ref> regular bus links with Hull city centre, as well as to local surrounding villages and places such as [[Hessle]], [[Pocklington]], [[Driffield]], [[Market Weighton]], [[Bridlington]], [[York]] and [[Scarborough, North Yorkshire|Scarborough]].<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.carlberry.co.uk/rfnshowl.asp?L1=BEV003|title =Beverley|access-date = 24 October 2007|date = 3 September 2007|publisher=CarlBerry.co.uk}}</ref> The town has its own [[bus station]]. [[Beverley Beck]] is a [[canal]] which gives boats access to the town from the [[River Hull]]. The beck is used by [[fishermen]] for catching a large variety of fish such as [[Esox|pike]], [[bream]] and [[carp]].<ref name="beverleyhistory" /> Previously, the Beverley Beck used to form a more significant role in transport as part of the [[trade]] [[Industry (economics)|industry]], where Beverley was a trading post of the [[Hanseatic League]].<ref name="beverleyhistory" /> It remains home to the Beverley Barge Preservation Society in the modern day.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.beverley.gov.uk/Contents/Text/Index.asp?SiteId=476&SiteExtra=19749316&TopNavId=428&NavSideId=10881|title = Six of the Best – Beverley's Best Bits!|access-date = 12 November 2014|date = 3 September 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120218201606/http://www.beverley.gov.uk/Contents/Text/Index.asp?SiteId=476&SiteExtra=19749316&TopNavId=428&NavSideId=10881|archive-date=18 February 2012|publisher=Beverley Town Council}}</ref> Beverley is home to the notorious [[Grovehill junction]] which has 42 traffic lights.

==Literature==
Beverley is the main setting for Domini Highsmith's "Father Simeon" trilogy: 
''Keeper at the Shrine'' (1994), ''Guardian at the Gate'' (1995) and ''Master of the Keys'' (1996).

==Notable people==
{{columns-list|colwidth=30em|
*[[Julian Agyeman]] (born 1958), academic
*[[Jane Gardiner|Jane Arden]] (1758–1840), schoolmistress and grammarian
*[[Ken Annakin]] (1914–2009), film director
*[[Lewis Bean]] (born 1992), rugby player
*[[William Binnington Boyce]] (1804–1889), philologist, clergyman
*[[Lindsey Chapman]] (born 1984), actress and TV and radio presenter
*[[Joseph Clay (Georgia soldier)|Joseph Clay]], United States [[Continental Congress]]man<ref>{{congbio|C000485|access-date=8 April 2019|inline=yes}}</ref>
*[[George Collison]] (1772–1847), academic, theologian
*[[James Robert Craig]] (born 1988), rugby player
*[[William Dixon (Assemblyman)|William Dixon]] (1808–1887), U.S. politician
*[[Frederick William Elwell]] (1870–1958), artist
*[[John Fisher]] (1469–1535), bishop, cardinal, saint, martyr<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08462b.htm |last=Huddleston|first= Gilbert|title=St. John Fisher|encyclopedia=The Catholic Encyclopedia|volume= 8 |location=New York|publisher= Robert Appleton Company|year= 1910|access-date= 23 June 2015}}</ref>
*[[Peter Goy]] (born 1938), footballer
*[[Anthony Hedges]] (1931–2019), composer
*[[Alfred Hutton]] (1839–1910), Victorian officer, antiquarian and swordsman
*[[Gerry Ingram]] (born 1947), footballer
*[[Andrea Jenkyns]] (born 1974), Member of Parliament [[Morley and Outwood (UK Parliament constituency)|Morley and Outwood]]
*[[Lisa Kay]] (born 1971), actress
*[[Jemma McKenzie-Brown]] (born 1994), Tiara Gold ''[[High School Musical 3: Senior Year]]''
*[[Jack Marriott (footballer)|Jack Marriott]] (born 1994), footballer<ref name=Hugman>{{Hugman|24038|Jack Marriott |access-date=16 October 2020}}</ref>
*[[Anna Maxwell Martin]] (born 1978), actress
*[[Joan of Leeds]], 14th century runaway nun
*[[John Merbecke]] (1510–1585), theologian, musician
*[[Katie O'Brien]] (born 1986), tennis player<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wtatennis.com/players/player/6158|title=WTA Profile – Katie O'Brien|publisher=Women's Tennis Association|access-date=23 June 2015}}</ref>
*[[Julia Pardoe]] (1806–1862), poet, novelist, historian
*[[Thomas Percy (plotter)|Thomas Percy]] (1560–1605), gunpowder plotter<ref>{{cite book | last = De Fonblanque | first = Edward Barrington |author-link =Edward Barrington de Fonblanque| title = Annals of the house of Percy, from the conquest to the opening of the nineteenth century | url = https://archive.org/details/annalsofhouseofp21defo | publisher = R Clay and Sons | location = London | volume = 2 | year = 1887|page= [https://archive.org/details/annalsofhouseofp21defo/page/n540 252]}}</ref>
*[[Dave Phillips (ice hockey)|Dave Phillips]] (born 1987), [[Great Britain men's national ice hockey team]], [[Lake Erie Monsters]] (AHL)
*[[Paul Robinson (footballer, born 1979)|Paul Robinson]] (born 1979), footballer
*[[Suhayl Saadi]] (born 1961), writer
*[[Mike Score]] (born 1957), keyboardist, singer
*[[Calum Scott]] (born 1988), singer and songwriter 
*[[Lizzie Simmonds]] (born 1991), swimmer
*[[Guy Smith (racing driver)|Guy Smith]] (born 1974), [[2003 24 Hours of Le Mans]] winner
*[[Neil Thompson]] (born 1963), footballer
*[[Eleanor Tomlinson]] (born 1992), actress
*[[Mary Wollstonecraft]] (1759–1797), writer and philosopher, lived in Beverley 1768–1774
*[[Curtis Woodhouse]] (born 1980), former professional footballer and boxer, and now the current manager of [[Tadcaster Albion F.C.|Tadcaster Albion]]<ref name="Profiles – Curtis Woodhouse">{{cite news
| title = Profiles – Curtis Woodhouse
| url = http://www.hullcityafc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/ProfilesDetail/0,,10338~8841,00.html
| publisher = Hull City A.F.C.
| date = 10 July 2005
| access-date = 16 September 2008
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120217195321/http://www.hullcityafc.net/page/ProfilesDetail/0,,10338~8841,00.html
| archive-date = 17 February 2012}}</ref>
*[[Danny Worsnop]] (born 1990), vocalist of [[We Are Harlot]] and [[Asking Alexandria]]<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.altpress.com/news/entry/asking_alexandria_frontman_danny_worsnop_posts_excerpt_from_autobiography |title=Asking Alexandria frontman Danny Worsnop posts excerpt from autobiography, 'Am I Insane?' |magazine=Alternative Press |date=31 July 2012 |access-date=19 December 2016}}</ref> 
}}

==Twin towns==
Beverley is [[sister city|twinned]] with:
* [[Nogent-sur-Oise]] in France<ref name=twin>{{cite web|publisher=Beverley Town Council|url=https://beverley.gov.uk/resources/files/c30cec5a06af6877e80174a0f8e51093/minutes_full_council_09.04.2018.pdf|title=Full Council Meeting; 9th April 2018: 12 Well Lane Beverley – 6.30pm|pages=3–4|access-date=8 June 2020|archive-date=8 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200608125818/https://beverley.gov.uk/resources/files/c30cec5a06af6877e80174a0f8e51093/minutes_full_council_09.04.2018.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* [[Lemgo]] in Germany<ref name=twin/>

== See also ==
* [[Beverley Bar|North Bar]]
* [[Beverley Minster]]
* [[St Mary's Church, Beverley|St Mary's Church]]
* [[Beverley Racecourse]]
* [[Museum of Army Transport]]
* [[Northallerton]]
* [[Wakefield]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

===Bibliography===

*{{cite EB1911|wstitle=Beverley|volume=3}}
*{{cite book|title=Gazetteer – A–Z of Towns Villages and Hamlets|year=2006|publisher=East Riding of Yorkshire Council|page=3}}
*{{cite book|last=Hall|first=Ivan & Elisabeth|author-link=Ivan Hall|title=Historic Beverley |isbn= 0900657154|year=1973|publisher=William Sessions Ltd|page=108}}
*{{cite book|last=Taylor|first=Isaac |author-link=Isaac Taylor (canon)|title=Names and Their Histories|url=https://archive.org/details/namesandtheirhi01taylgoog|year=1898|publisher=Rivington's|location=London|page=[https://archive.org/details/namesandtheirhi01taylgoog/page/n82 68]}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Beverley}}
{{Wikivoyage}}
*{{OpenDomesday|OS=TA0339|name=beverley|display=Beverley}}
*[http://www.beverley.gov.uk/ Beverley Town Council]
*[https://www.beverley.gov.uk/history/ Beverley Town Council History -Anglo-Saxon town name Beoferlic]

{{Portalbar|Yorkshire|England|United Kingdom}}
{{East Yorkshire|state=collapsed}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Beverley| ]]
[[Category:County towns in England]]
[[Category:Market towns in the East Riding of Yorkshire]]
[[Category:Trading posts of the Hanseatic League]]
[[Category:Civil parishes in the East Riding of Yorkshire]]
[[Category:Towns in the East Riding of Yorkshire]]
[[Category:Populated places established in the 1st millennium]]