Beverley
Beverley is the county town of East Yorkshire (or "East Riding") in the north of England. The name was originally "Bevreli", beaver clearing, for the beavers in the River Hull that chomped the medieval woodlands. It's escaped heavy industry and remains a pleasant market town. It gave its name to Beverly, Massachusetts, which in turn gave its name to Beverly Hills, California.
Get in
Trains run twice an hour from Hull, taking 15 min to 1 Beverley station and continuing to Bridlington and Scarborough. These trains usually originate from Doncaster or York on the East Coast main line. The other route is to take the train from York towards Scarborough and change at Seamer for the southbound train to Hull, but it's not the most reliable connection. Within Beverley station is an upmarket restaurant; it's not the place for quick bites while you await the lumbering diesel railcar to Hull.
Bus: East Yorkshire Bus X46 plies between York, Beverley and Hull, M-Sa hourly and Su every two hours.
Bus 121 runs hourly from Hull to Beverley and continues to Driffield and Bridlington; this bus no longer continues to Scarborough.
Bus 246 ambles from Hull every 30 min to Beverley and continues to Hornsea.
Long-distance buses don't visit Beverley, change in Hull or York.
By car the main route from the south is A164 from Humber Bridge, continuing towards Bridlington. A1079 runs near town between York and Hull.
Get around
Everything's within a short walk.
See
- 1 Beverley Minster. Daily 09:00-16:00. Remarkably, it's just an Anglican parish church, though one that counts St Thomas Beckett among its provosts. There was a church and monastery here from the early eighth century, a pilgrimage site associated with its founder St John Bishop of York. The present soaring structure was built piecemeal from the 12th to the 14th C in Gothic then Perpendicular style.
- 2 St Mary's Church, Ladygate HU17 8BH. M-Sa 11:00-15:00. The town's other Anglican parish church, mostly in Decorated style from the 13th c, and made over in the 19th by (of course) Pugin and George Gilbert Scott.
- North Bar on A164 next to St Mary's is the last remnant of the city walls. It's a brick building where the lane runs through an arch, and tolls were collected as you crossed from North Bar Without to North Bar Within.
- Other ancient structures in town are Guild Hall, the Old Friary, and Market Cross.
Do
- Stroll on Westwood, the heath just west of town. On its north side is the racecourse, on its south is Beverley and East Riding Golf Club.
- 1 Beverley Racecourse, York Road HU17 8QZ. This course has flat-racing April-October. It's off A1174 a mile west of town. Buses X46 and X47 stop here.
- Beverley Early Music Festival is in late May. The next event is 28-30 May 2021.
- Beverley Fringe Festival is a week in late June, but the 2021 event is tbc. The Folk Festival went bust in 2018.
- Beverley Food Festival is usually the first weekend in October, but the 2020 event is tbc.
Buy
- Beverley Market is Saturday 09:00-16:00.
- Tesco and Asda are in town centre. The retail park a mile south of town on A164 has Morrison's.
Eat
- Kavanagh's tea-room on Toll Gavel serves good breakfasts from 09:30.
- Tea Cosy on Highgate next to the Minster has a pleasant conservatory. It's open M-Sa 11:00-16:00.
- TC's Patisserie on Lairgate offers freshly prepared tarts, quiches etc. It's open M-Sa 09:00-16:30.
- White's, 12a North Bar Without HU17 7AB, ☏ +44 1482 866121. Tu-F 19:00-21:00, Sa 12:00-14:00, 19:00-21:00. Creative menu, modern British with a French flavour. They offer a 4 course tasting menu Tu-Th or a 9 course tasting menu Tu-Sa.
- Ogino, Beaver House HU17 0AA, ☏ +44 1482 679500. Tu-F 18:00-23:00, Sa Sun 12:00-15:00, 17:30-23:00. A Japanese restaurant in Beverley?? Hai, so des'! Not cheap but gets rave reviews.
- Cerutti 2, Railway Station HU17 0AS, ☏ +44 1482 866700. Tu-Sa 12:00-14:00, 18:30-21:30. High quality food, especially fish but with a wide range of entrees. A small place and deservedly popular so you need to book in advance.
- Thai Palace (formerly Muang Thai), 14 Lairgate HU17 8EE, ☏ +44 1482 863444. Daily 12:00-14:30, 17:30-23:00. Great food, large portions, good service.
Drink
- White Horse Inn (Nellie's), 22 Hengate HU17 8BN, ☏ +44 1482 861973. M-Sa 11:00-23:00, Su 12:00-22:30. Timewarp Sam Smiths pub, gas-lit, no mobiles or tablets allowed on pain of ejection. The cheap beer prices are likewise from a bygone era, but so alas are the food hygiene ratings.
- Sun Inn, 1 Flemingate HU17 0NP. M-Th 16:00-23:00, F 16:00-00:30, Sa 12:00-00:30, Su 12:00-22:30. Pub dating to 1500s, with a half-timbered front and exposed woodwork within. Good beers, sometimes live music. The ukelele group meets here Monday evenings, pub quiz is Thursday night.
- The Green Dragon on Saturday Market has good beers and a range of guest ales.
- The Foresters on Beckside is an ordinary workaday pub with good beers, usually including interesting guests, and good cheap food early evenings with locally sourced meats.
Sleep
- Lairgate Hotel, 30-34 Lairgate HU17 8EP, ☏ +44 333 003 4184. Small mid-range place in Best Western franchise, tired decor but reasonable for the price. B&B double £100.
- Kings Head is a traditional pub with rooms on Saturday Market.
- Premier Inn is a reliable budget chain on Flemingate, B1230.
- Newbegin House, 10 Newbegin HU17 8EG (round corner from Lairgate Hotel), ☏ +44 1482 888880. Gorgeous B&B in Georgian house filled with antiques. No dogs. B&B double £100.
- 1 Pipe and Glass, West End, South Dalton HU17 7PN (7 miles northwest of Beverley off B1248), ☏ +44 1430 810246. Brilliant luxurious little hotel with great dining. No dogs. B&B double £200.
Go next
- York has kept its medieval walls. Lots of museums, antiquities and visitor amenities.
- Bridlington is an old fishing port and seaside resort, with the great chalk cliffs of Flamborough Head just north.
| Routes through Beverley |
| York ← Pocklington ← | NW  SE |
→ Dunswell → Kingston-upon-Hull |