Pictures of Driffield

About Driffield

The history of this delightful market town is said to be deeply rooted in Saxon times and looking around one can easily imagine spartan settlements among the great expanse of the unspoiled countryside of the magnificent Yorkshire Wolds.

Driffield makes an ideal base from which to explore the spacious Wolds and the glorious sandy bays of the lovely coastline of East Yorkshire. It is an interesting little town with many fine buildings from all periods. The Bell Hotel is of particular note and dates 1742. The parish church of All Saints is even older, it's 500 year old tower soars skywards and forms a landmark from miles around. The church is serene and quite beautiful, showing many relics of an ancient past. The River Hull flows through the town, providing an opportunity for pleasant riverside walks, while the canal, derelict for years, is being restored to provide an attractive environment and better facilities for the pleasure craft.

A short distance away is the village of Burton Agnes in which you will find the splendid Elizabethan mansion Burton Agnes Hall. Originally built in 1173 only the lower chamber to the house remains. This chamber is quite spectacular, with huge piers supporting an amazing vaulted and champhered roof. Interestingly, the mansion shows bow windows, which is unusual in Elizabethan style. The interior has sumptuous rooms and a magnificent carved staircase, fine collections include John Makepeace furniture and Tapestries by Kaffe Fassett. The majestic gatehouse is three tiered and elaborately decorated, it bears the arms of James Ist. The House and grounds are open to the public. The church of St.Martin is in a quiet location close to the Hall, it has a 15th-century west tower and contains a Norman font and monuments from the 15th-century. The chancel was rebuilt in the mid-19th-century.

This is a lovely area in which the visitor can explore many interesting little towns and villages. The magnificent sweep of the Wolds is a vision of loveliness bathed in the glory of a pale peachy ball of sunlight, receeding into a turquoise sky. It is all, well worth seeing.