Tadcaster
Template:Infobox England place with map
Tadcaster is a market town in North Yorkshire, England, lying on the Great North Road approximately 15 miles east of Leeds and 10 miles west of York. It is the last town on the River Wharfe before it joins the River Ouse about 10 miles downstream.
The town is twinned with St. Chely D'Apcher in France.
Government
For local government purposes, the River Wharfe divides the town into eastern and western electoral wards. The combined population of Tadcaster East and Tadcaster West in 2004 was 7,280, 3,800 in Tadcaster East and 3,480 in Tadcaster West (source: Office of National Statistics). The local authority is Selby District Council.
Though today Tadcaster is a relatively prosperous town, historical figures reveal that it is has decreased dramatically in population density over the past few hundred years; in 1811, the population was 21,080 and by 1911 this had risen to 33,052 (source: A vision of Britain through time). The aparently dramatic depopulation to only 7,000 people today can be explained by a dismantling of heavy industry, particularly when river and canal transport declined in economic viability in the early 20th century (though it must be noted that boundary changes make direct comparisons impossible).
History
Tadcaster was founded by the Romans, who named it Calcaria from the Latin word for lime, reflecting the importance of the area's limestone geology as a natural resource for quarrying, an industry which continues into the present day and has contributed to many important buildings including York Minster.
Calcaria was an important staging and defensive outpost for the larger settlement at Eburacum (York), protecting the river crossing and acting as a gateway on Ermine Street, the Roman Road from the cities of Danum (Doncaster), Lindum Colonia (Lincoln) and ultimately Londinium (London) in the south; the modern name Tadcaster is derived from the Latin word for camp, castra, which indicates that the Roman army once had had a large-scale military presence here.
The town is mentioned in the 1086 Domesday Book as Tatecastre. The record reads: Two Manors. In Tatecastre, Dunstan and Turchil had eight carucates of land for geld, where four ploughs may be. Now, William de Parci has three ploughs and 19 villanes and 11 bordars having four ploughs, and two mills of ten shillings (annual value). Sixteen acres of meadow are there. The whole manors, five quaranteens in length, and five in breadth. In King Edward's time they were worth forty shillings; now one hundred shillings.
In the 11th century William de Percy established Tadcaster Castle, a motte-and-bailey fortress, near the present town centre using stone reclaimed from Roman rubble. The castle was abandoned in the early 12th century, and though briefly re-fortified with cannon emplacements during the Civil War, all that remains is the castle motte. The outline of the long demolished southern bailey still impacts the geography of surrounding streets.
The original river crossing was probably a simple ford near the present site of St Mary's Church, soon followed by a wooden bridge. Around 1240, the first stone bridge was constructed close by, possibly from stone once again reclaimed from the Castle. At 11am on Tuesday 7th December 1642 the Battle of Tadcaster, part of the Civil War, took place on and around this bridge between Sir Thomas Fairfax's Parliamentarian forces and the Earl of Newcastle's Royalist army. The present day Wharfe bridge was constructed on the foundations of the stone original in around 1700, though it has been substatially modified at least twice since then. Historically, the bridge marks the boundary between the West Riding and the Ainsty of York; important people would have been formally met here on their journey to York.
Market
A market has been held at Tadcaster since 1270, when Henry de Percy obtained a royal charter from King Henry III to hold 'a market and fair at his manor of Tadcaster', to be held each Tuesday. This ancient market place can be seen at the junction of Kirkgate and Bridge Street.
A stone base, believed to have been part of the original market cross, used to stand on Westgate, though this position is now held by the Tadcaster War Memorial. The present-day market is held on Thursdays on central carpark near the bus station, and there is a Farmers' Market on the 3rd Thursday of each month.
Industry
Tadcaster has long been associated with the brewing industry due to the quality and accessibility of the local water. Rich in lime sulphate after filtering through the Yorkshire limestone, in the right conditions freshwater springs - known locally as popple-water - can still be seen bubbling up near St Mary's church. Tax registers from 1341 record the presence of two thriving breweries or brewhouses in the town, one paying 8d in tax and the other 4d. Today it is second in importance only to Burton on Trent as an English brewing center.
Only three breweries have survived into the present day, The Tower Brewery (Coors, formerly Bass), John Smith's and Samuel Smith's Old Brewery, which is also the oldest brewery in Yorkshire and the only remaining independent brewery in Tadcaster. A fourth stood by the river on the site of the present central carpark. Sam Smith's dray horses are a common sight on the streets of the town.
Architecture
The Ark
The oldest building still in active use in Tadcaster is The Ark, built in the late 15th Century, though it has been enlarged and altered many times since. Two carved heads on the front of the building are thought to represent the heads of Noah and his wife, hence the name. Throughout its life, the Ark has been a meeting place, a post office, an inn, a butchers, a private house and a museum; it is currently the Town Council offices.
In the 17th Century it was known as Morley Hall, and was licensed for Presbyterian meetings. The Pilgrim Fathers met here and are reputed to have planned their voyage to America; an exact replica exists in Ohio.
St. Mary's Church
St. Mary's Church was built around 1150, though a wooden structure did exist prior to this. Destroyed by the Scots in 1318 in one of many incursions subsequent to the Battle of Bannockburn, St Mary's was rebuilt about between 1380 and 1480 but constant problems with flooding led to the structure being taken down stone by stone and rebuilt between 1875 and 1877 with the foundations raised by 5 feet; only the tower was left untouched. The money for this rennovation - £8,426 4s 6½d - was raised by public subscription. In 1897 a new north aisle was added.
The Viaduct
A quarter of a mile above the Wharfe bridge an imposing viaduct of eleven arches spans the river. This was originally to have connected Tadcaster to York via railway and was completed in 1879, but financial problems meant the link was never completed and when industrialist George Hudson died the project died with him. The last time the viaduct was used to fetch and carry goods was in 1955. The structure is now a grade II listed building owned by Tadcaster Town Council for the use and pleasure of the local people.
Conservation
To the south east of the town centre, towards the village of Oxton, lies Tadcaster Mere. Designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest or SSSI in 1987, the Mere is in fact the central part of a former lake basin which extended over an area of about 3km². It was formed during the most recent or Devensian ice age (which ended 10,000 years ago, when present-day Tadcaster would have been situated at the southernmost limit of glaciation) by the long, low embankment of debris known as the Escrick Moraine, which is composed of debris left behind by the Vale of York Glacier.
Scientific analysis of the mere, in particular sedimentary pollen studies, provides insight into the geological history and makeup of the local environment and allows accurate dating of events before, during and after the Devensian ice age.
Education
Tadcaster has three Primary Schools (serving ages 5-11) and one Secondary School (ages 11-18). In the Summer 1999 League Tables, Tadcaster Grammar School students obtained the best A Level results in the country for a state comprehensive school. There is also an adult education centre, colocated with the Grammar School.
Media
Local newspapers covering Tadcaster include The Press and The Wetherby News. The major regional newspaper in the area is the Yorkshire Post.
The local BBC radio station is Radio York, and commercial stations include Minster FM and Galaxy 105
Leisure
Leisure Centre
The Leisure Centre on Station Road can be hired throughout the day for a variety of activities that including Badminton, Roller Skating, Basketball, Volleyball, Indoor Cricket, Tennis, Short Tennis. Bookings can be made up to 7 days in advance. Various private sports clubs are run from Tadcaster Leisure Centre, and there is a physiotherapy clinic available on-site.
Swimming Pool
The Tadcaster community swimming pool opened in December 1994 and offers a varied programme of general swimming, sessions for the Over 50's, aquafit, a disabled club, pool parties, a canoe club, scuba diving club, a junior swim squad, parent and toddler sessions and adult lane swimming. There is also a fitness suite.
Public Transport
Tadcaster is well served by local bus services operating from the central bus station. The town is also a main stop on the Yorkshire Coastliner service, which provides easy access to the Yorkshire Coast.
The nearest railway stations are in the villages of Ulleskelf and Church Fenton.