Yorksview

On BBC television, Paul Hudson, the Look North Yorkshire weatherman (and resident cheeky chappie), presented what was called The Seven Natural Wonders of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. Yes, it is a bit clunky but I guess it was intended to be inclusive. He listed these as: Malham Cove and Gordale Scar Flamborough Head Hornsea Mere Spurn Head The peat bogs of Thorne and Hatfield Moors The Three Peaks (Ingleborough, Pen-y-Ghent and Whernside) The Wash.

Paul Hudson

Fair enough. If we are interested in the seven natural wonders of Yorkshire we must, of course, eliminate the Wash. I’m not convinced about all the others and it is a shame to miss out things like High Force and Aysgarth Falls. Can we really treat the Three Peaks as one?

My list would be: Malham Cove Ingleborough Flamborough Head Spurn Head The view from Sutton Bank The Strid (where the Wharfe funnels into a chasm) Brimham Rocks. Malham Cove

Or perhaps the real list is: Swaledale Wensleydale Nidderdale Wharfedale The North Yorkshire Moors The Pennine hills The Yorkshire coast. Upper Swaledale

It depends what you mean.

It set me thinking what the seven man-made wonders of Yorkshire are. That’s even more difficult. One could list seven medieval cathedrals and churches like Beverley Minster and Ripon Cathedral. Or seven Victorian civic buildings like Leeds Town Hall. And how could one leave out Salt’s Mill? And there are stately homes like Harewood House and castles like Richmond and Middleham. What variety we have to choose from. Anyway, here’s my list:

York Minster – one of the finest buildings in Christendom Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal – rightly a World Heritage site The Settle-Carlisle railway – not least the Ribblehead Viaduct The M62 from Ainley Top to Windy Hill on the border with Lancashire Castle Howard The Piece Hall in Halifax The Humber Bridge. Piece Hall

JDB

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