Day to Day Info Site
Here is a surprise, Parlington used to have an ornamental lake! During the first half of the nineteenth century the Cock Beck was dammed and with the construction of an elaborate arrangement of sluices, channels and even a waterfall, slowly the Cock Beck, from near the bridge on Long Lane for around a quarter of a mile downstream the low lying ground became a lake.… Read the full article
History is a not an exact business, a perceived view can prevail for long enough and then a newly discovered fact may render all that went before as pure fiction. One such instance in the local area is the building which used to be the Aberford Almshouses, lately an office for a vehicle monitoring service.… Read the full article
Whenever I am asked to do a talk about Parlington, and over the years these have been many, usually to historical societies, people are surprised to discover that the Gascoignes’ died out in 1810! In October of 1809 Sir Thomas Gascoigne in his 65 year had the unenviable misfortune of seeing his only son Tom killed as a result of an impetuous, and perhaps drink inspired, hunting accident.… Read the full article
The focus of this column is about the history of Parlington, and to a lesser extent the families who inhabited the hall. However in the spirit of offering a wider perspective of activities, we shall uncover a story of the Gascoigne seafaring during the nineteenth century. I first came across a reference to a sea going vessel some years back in a short newspaper article about the launch in August 1866 into the Clyde of a steam yacht ‘Ibis’ from the yard of Partick shipbuilders Tod & MacGregor, built for Frederick Charles Trench-Gascoigne of Craignish and Parlington.… Read the full article
We live in a world where most utility services are delivered by either some form of State controlled organisation or a Government mandated monopoly. The latter might well be a code for ‘Yorkshire Water’, in this locality. It was not always thus, and whilst it is fair to say that without Government stepping in, so to speak, provision of essential supplies like water and sewage might not be universally available.… Read the full article
Everything I have written of Parlington for these pages has dealt with things which are accessible to the general public, however there are aspects of the estate whilst out of reach of the casual walker, are worthy of a mention. One such place is a cute little pond which sports a singular oak tree on a tiny island at its centre.… Read the full article
The area through which the driveway up to the Triumphal Arch passes is parkland, and has never succumbed to the farmer’s plough. That parkland is largely free of trees away from the drive and boundaries, save for a small coppice of beech trees which surround the “Round Building”.… Read the full article
Many people who walk up the main driveway to the Triumphal Arch notice the brick and concrete ramps along with some paved areas. They are all the remains of an army camp which was used for the service and distribution of military vehicles.… Read the full article
Following on from the long break that characterises Christmas and New Year, it is normal for people to sense that the long haul to Spring holds little to celebrate, excepting of course the short amusement that is Valentines Day. We daily wait for the season to provide a heavy burst of the snowfall, and I must say that as soon as it is on the ground I enjoy getting out into Parlington to capture some delightful landscape photos.… Read the full article
Given the long dominance of the local area by the Gascoigne family it is of little surprise to find references to the family all around the local villages, most common amongst these are the name incorporated in the title of a pub, examples being the Gascoigne Arms, Barwick in Elmet and the Lord Gascoigne, in Garforth, the latter an incorrect title as they were not lords in the true sense.… Read the full article