Driffield

Driffield

Coordinates: 54°00′18″N 0°26′17″W / 54.005°N 0.438°W / 54.005; -0.438

Driffield
Driffield.jpg
Market Place, Driffield
Driffield Town Arms
Arms of Driffield Town Council
Driffield is located in East Riding of Yorkshire
Driffield

 Driffield shown within the East Riding of Yorkshire
Population 11,477 (2001 census)[1]
OS grid reference TA023577
Parish Driffield
Unitary authority East Riding of Yorkshire
Ceremonial county East Riding of Yorkshire
Region Yorkshire and the Humber
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town DRIFFIELD
Postcode district YO25
Dialling code 01377
Police Humberside
Fire Humberside
Ambulance Yorkshire
EU Parliament Yorkshire and the Humber
UK Parliament East Yorkshire
List of places: UK • England • Yorkshire

Driffield, also known as Great Driffield, is a market town and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The civil parish is formed by the town of Driffield and the village of Little Driffield.

According to the 2001 UK census, Driffield parish had a population of 11,477.[1]

Contents

Location

Driffield lies in the Yorkshire Wolds, on the Driffield Navigation (canal), and near the source of the River Hull. Driffield lies on the A614, A166 and B1249, and on the Yorkshire Coast rail line from Bridlington to Hull. It is situated next to Little Driffield, where King Aldfrith of Northumbria was reputedly buried, and is also very close to Nafferton, Hutton Cranswick and Wansford. Driffield is named the Capital of the Wolds, mainly through virtue of its favourable location between Bridlington, Beverley and York.

The town is served by Driffield railway station on the Yorkshire Coast Line.

Driffield has been covered by the HSDPA (High-Speed Downlink Packet Access) network for mobile telephony, commonly known as 3.5G, since mid-August 2009.

Description

Driffield c.1838
All Saints' Church

Driffield contains a small community hospital, small fire, police and ambulance stations, several churches - the largest being All Saints' Parish Church, whose bells were restored for the millennium - and a fairly small high street. There is also an area of parkland close to the parish church alongside the stream (Driffield Beck) that runs roughly parallel to the high street.

Education

There are a two infant schools, one larger primary school (Driffield Junior School) and a large secondary school, known simply as Driffield School. Driffield School contains a sixth form, and so offers education up to A level standard. The nearest independent school is Woodleigh School, North Yorkshire.

Economy

The local cattle market, despite former glories, closed after the 2001 UK foot and mouth crisis.

Public houses include the Original Keys (formerly the Ferret and Sprout, previously the Cross Keys), the Buck, the Full Measure, the Rose and Crown and the Mariner's Arms. Old standbys to the town's catering services include the Water Margin and Mario's.

The town's main hotel is the Bell Hotel, an old coaching inn in the centre of the town, which has a substantial selection of whiskies. Its many facilities include the former town hall, which was bought by the hotel's owner and is now a function suite and gym/leisure centre. Recent additions (i.e. late 2006) to the town's night-time scene include The Lounge and the London Bar.

The town is home to the country's largest one-day annual agricultural show, as well as the Driffield Steam and Vintage Rally - an event showcasing historical vehicles including traction engines, fairground organs, tractors and vintage cars. A particular focus is placed upon agricultural history, with demonstrations of ploughing and threshing often taking place. The rally is particularly known for the Saturday evening road-run of the steam engines and other vehicles into Driffield town centre, an event which invariably attracts large crowds of spectators.

Toponymy

The place-name 'Driffield' is first attested in the Domesday Book of 1086, and means 'dirty (manured) field'.[2]

Traditions

It is also tradition for the townspeople of Driffield to congregate in the market place on New Year's Eve and listen for the church bells ringing in the new year.
Scrambling This age-old tradition is unique to the town of Driffield and has its origins in the 18th century. The event takes place a couple of days into the New Year. Children walk through the main street shouting an ancient rhyme to shopkeepers in return for money and goodies.....The cry is.... "Here we are at our town end...A Bottle of rum and a crown to spend...Are we downhearted?..No!...Shall we win?...Yes!..."

Sport

Driffield is home to Driffield Mariners Football Club, who have won 3 Hull Sunday League titles in recent years.

The town has a cricket club in which its first team play in the ECB Yorkshire League. First class cricketers Andrew Gale, Richard Pyrah, Steven Patterson and Ishara Amerasinghe have all played for the club.

Driffield Rugby Union Football Club is a member of the RFU and Yorkshire RFU, playing its senior fixtures in North 2 East. The club fields four senior teams, a colts team and mini/juniors (at every age group from Under 7s to Under 17s) every week during the season.

Driffield has an 18-hole golf club that has been at its present location since 1934.

Driffield has recently added a new sports centre to the list of sports venues in the town, replacing the old sports centre; both are located just north of Driffield Secondary School and can be accessed via Bridlington Road instead of through the school. The new facility will include a main pool and learner pool, new sports hall, a 50-piece gym in line with the successful East Riding Leisure Tone Zone brand and a studio/multi-use room.

Trivia

Mick 'Woody' Woodmansey, drummer with David Bowie's band the Spiders (originally called the Hype) from 1970, was born in Driffield.

The Manchester band Happy Mondays recorded their second album Bummed at the Slaughterhouse, a studio that has since burnt down, in Driffield in 1988.

Driffield was home to one of the finest of English 19th century woodblock colour printers, Benjamin Fawcett, and the artist who worked for him, Alexander Francis Lydon.

The town is twinned with Saint Affrique, France.

RAF Driffield was targeted by the Luftwaffe during the Second World War. On 15 August 1940, a raid by Junkers 88s resulted in 14 deaths and many injuries.

RAF Driffield was the site of the first death in the WAAF during the Second World War.

The BBC reported that "Driffield couple remarry 57 years after divorce" on 27 January 2011.[3]

References

  • Gazetteer — A–Z of Towns Villages and Hamlets. East Riding of Yorkshire Council. 2006. p. 5. 

External links


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Driffield — Koordinaten …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Driffield — (Great D.), Stadt in East Riding der Grafschaft York (England), an der Eisenbahn zwischen Hull u. Bridlington u. mit dem Flusse Hull durch einen Kanal verbunden; Weberei, Getreidehandel …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Driffield — (Great D., spr. grēt driffīld), Stadt im Ostbezirk von Yorkshire (England), nördlich von Hull, mit (1901) 5766 Einw. In der Nähe sind Gräber aus vorhistorischer und dänischer Zeit …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Driffield — Driffield, Great D. (spr. greht dríffihld), Stadt in der engl. Grafsch. York (East Riding), (1901) 5766 E …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • Driffield — 54°00′18″N 0°26′17″O / 54.005, 0.43806 …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Driffield — This is a locational surname of very early English origins. Recorded in the (modern) spellings of Driffield and Driffill it originates from either the two parishes called Driffield in the East Riding of Yorkshire, or from a parish of the same… …   Surnames reference

  • Driffield — Original name in latin Driffield Name in other language Driffield State code GB Continent/City Europe/London longitude 54.00489 latitude 0.43872 altitude 19 Population 11495 Date 2011 07 31 …   Cities with a population over 1000 database

  • Driffield Navigation — The restored swing bridge at Brigham Original owner Driffield Navigation Commissioners Date of act 1767 …   Wikipedia

  • Driffield railway station — Driffield Location Place …   Wikipedia

  • Driffield and District League — Driffield District League Founded  ? Nation  England Feeder To Humber Pr …   Wikipedia

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