Cawood

Aside from the annual Craft Festival on August Bank Holiday weekend, you can enjoy plenty of country walks around this quaint village. There is also Cawood Castle, built in the 15th century and once owned by Cardinal Wolseley, who was the inspiration for the nursery rhyme Humpty Dumpty. A short drive will take you to York or Leeds where you can enjoy attractions ranging from the Shambles and Jorvik Centre to the Royal Armouries and Roundhay Park. For a great family day out, Lotherton Hall is close by, offering beautiful grounds with a bird garden, deer park and adventure playground.

The village has three pubs serving food and drink. The Jolly Sailor Inn sits near the bridge over the River Ouse, the Castle Inn has a small caravan park attached, and the Ferry Inn is a cosy pub on the bank of the river. Elsewhere, the Rythre Arms is a great steakhouse in nearby Tadcaster while Riccall has a wonderful Italian called Per Bacco and the Spice Mill, which serves authentic Asian cuisine.

Cawood has a post office and a hairdresser’s, but to do your shopping you will have to head out of the village. Selby is just five miles away, with a number of supermarkets and shops to provide all the essentials. York, your main destination for high-street shopping, is just ten miles to the north.

Cawood Church of England primary school offers education for 3-11 year olds in the heart of the village. Selby has three high schools: Selby High School, Barlby High School and Brayton High School for children aged 11 to 16, while Selby College caters for 16+ education.

York is just 30 minutes and Leeds 45 minutes away by car. The A1(M) and M62 are close by, providing motorway access throughout the country. Train stations in Leeds and York provide easy access to London, Scotland and the major UK cities. On top of this, you have access to Leeds Bradford International Airport for international travel. There are school buses to Selby and the number 42 bus incorporates Cawood in its Pontefract to York service.

After the castle and Sherburn estate were granted to the Archbishop of York in the 10th century, Cawood became a place visited by royals. Following the slow decline of the Church’s influence, the village evolved to earn its income from the river crossing to York, agriculture and its popular market. Today, this beautiful country setting is the perfect location for commuters to Leeds, Selby and York.

British writer Arthur Mee referred to Cawood as “the Windsor of the North”. It was here that the Archbishops of York lived.