St Helen's Church, Bilton-in-Ainsty

Bilton-in-Ainsty is a village in the civil parish of Bilton-in-Ainsty with Bickerton, in North Yorkshire, England. It lies about 4 miles (6 km) east of Wetherby and 8 miles (13 km) west of York. Bilton had a population of 147 in 2006.

Tockwith is a village and civil parish in the Harrogate district of North Yorkshire, England, near the town of Wetherby and the city of York. There has been a village on the site since at least 1086 when Tocvi was mentioned in the Domesday Book. Tockwith's greatest claim to fame is being used as a staging post by Oliver Cromwell prior to the Battle of Marston Moor in 1644. He made reference to Tockwith in his diaries, in which he said: "If heaven should be half as blessed as the fields of Tockwith, all those who should pass St. Peter's Gate shall be met with joys unequalled".

The Wetherby News is a local weekly tabloid newspaper published on a Thursday and based in Wetherby, West Yorkshire, England. The newspaper was founded in 1859 with its offices on the High Street next to the Angel Inn. The paper's news editor is Janet Harrison, with Jean MacQuarrie as group editor of the parent Ackrill Media Group. Amy Craven is sports editor. The paper is part of the Johnston Press stable. The paper's news and sport patch includes Wetherby, Tadcaster, Boston Spa and Sherburn in Elmet, covering local events from rural North Yorkshire to parts of urban north Leeds such as Slaid Hill, Alwoodley and Whinmoor. The newspaper has its offices on Westgate in Wetherby. The Wetherby News carries a large property supplement, covering Wetherby as well as the surrounding districts. It also has an in-depth weekend supplement, a full weekly guide to what's on in West and North Yorkshire, entertainment news, live music and cinema guides and full classified listings. The Wetherby News has a partnership with Tempo FM with whom it provides a weekly news review every Friday morning. In 2012 the Wetherby News became a tabloid and moved its publications from a Friday to a Thursday.

Bilton-in-Ainsty with Bickerton is a civil parish in the Harrogate district of North Yorkshire, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 512, reducing to 463 at the 2011 Census.The parish contains Bilton-in-Ainsty and Bickerton, which are about three miles east of Wetherby in West Yorkshire.

The Battle of Marston Moor was fought on 2 July 1644, during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms of 1639–1653. The combined forces of the English Parliamentarians under Lord Fairfax and the Earl of Manchester and the Scottish Covenanters under the Earl of Leven defeated the Royalists commanded by Prince Rupert of the Rhine and the Marquess of Newcastle. During the summer of 1644, the Covenanters and Parliamentarians had been besieging York, which was defended by the Marquess of Newcastle. Rupert had gathered an army which marched through the northwest of England, gathering reinforcements and fresh recruits on the way, and across the Pennines to relieve the city. The convergence of these forces made the ensuing battle the largest of the civil wars. On 1 July, Rupert outmanoeuvered the Covenanters and Parliamentarians to relieve the city. The next day, he sought battle with them even though he was outnumbered. He was dissuaded from attacking immediately and during the day both sides gathered their full strength on Marston Moor, an expanse of wild meadow west of York. Towards evening, the Covenanters and Parliamentarians themselves launched a surprise attack. After a confused fight lasting two hours, Parliamentarian cavalry under Oliver Cromwell routed the Royalist cavalry from the field and, with Leven's infantry, annihilated the remaining Royalist infantry. After their defeat the Royalists effectively abandoned Northern England, losing much of the manpower from the northern counties of England (which were strongly Royalist in sympathy) and also losing access to the European continent through the ports on the North Sea coast. Although they partially retrieved their fortunes with victories later in the year in Southern England, the loss of the north was to prove a fatal handicap the next year, when they tried unsuccessfully to link up with the Scottish Royalists under the Marquess of Montrose.

Syningthwaite Priory was a priory in West Yorkshire, England. Syningthwaite is the site of the Cistercian convent of St Mary, founded c. 1150–1160 by Bertram Haget and suppressed in 1535, having been heavily in debt in the early 16th century. At the Dissolution the priory housed nine nuns, the prioress, eight servants and other labourers. The priory site is enclosed by a moat and includes a Chapel Garth.

RAF Marston Moor was a Royal Air Force airfield at Tockwith, North Yorkshire, during the Second World War. It was originally called RAF Tockwith, but confusion with RAF Topcliffe led to the name change.RAF Marston Moor was opened on 11 November 1941, the airfield and RAF Church Fenton were the closest airfields to West Yorkshire and would act as a defence should Leeds be attacked. As it happens Leeds was seldom bombed. In 1943, Group Captain Leonard Cheshire was made the station commander. He requested to be transferred to the command of 617 Squadron in November 1943, a vacancy created by the loss of George Holden in July of that year. The move required him to voluntarily step down in rank from group captain to wing commander, which he did. Marston Moor was also in control of RAF Rufforth and RAF Riccall.During the war, American actor Clark Gable was stationed at the airfield before being relocated to RAF Polebrook.

Wighill is a village and civil parish in the Harrogate district of North Yorkshire, England. It is near the River Wharfe and 6 miles (9.7 km) east of Wetherby, West Yorkshire. The village has one public house, the White Swan Inn, which reopened in 2009 after a two-year closure. Uhtred the Bold was murdered here in 1016.

Bickerton is a village on the B1224 road, in the civil parish of Bilton-in-Ainsty with Bickerton, in North Yorkshire, England. The nearest town is Wetherby. There is a plantation nearby called Bickerton Plantation.

Healaugh Park Priory was an Augustinian priory in Healaugh, North Yorkshire, England, some 2 miles (3 km) north of Tadcaster. The present building is a two-storey construction of Magnesian limestone ashlar, with Welsh slate roof and brick chimney stacks and is Grade II* listed.The Priory of St. John the Evangelist was established in 1218 by Jordan de Santa Maria and his wife, Alice at the site now called Healaugh Manor Farm. Alice was the granddaughter of Bertram Haget, who had previously granted the lands outside the village for a hermitage to Gilbert, a monk of Marmoutier. Further land was donated to the priory by the de Acklams and de Boyntons.The priory was finally dissolved in 1535, during the period of the Dissolution of the Monasteries, at which time there were fourteen canons in residence, with a revenue of £86 5s. 9d. In 1540 the property came into the possession of James Gage, who passed it on to Sir Arthur D'Arcy, after which it became the residence of the Barons Wharton. It was later acquired by Stamp Brooksbank, MP and Governor of the Bank of England, and descended in the Brooksbank family to Sir Edward Clitherow Brooksbank, 1st Baronet. Two of his three sons were killed in the First World War and the other in a motorcycle accident. Healaugh was disposed of around this time. The remains of the priory served for some time as a manor house, after which it became a farmhouse, with parts of the monastic building incorporated into the later buildings. A moated enclosure surrounding the building and associated fishponds belonged to either the monastic or manor house period.

Long Marston is a village and civil parish in the Harrogate district of North Yorkshire, England. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is situated on the B1224 road from Wetherby to York, 7 miles (11 km) west of York. The civil parish includes the hamlets of Hutton Wandesley, immediately south of the village of Long Marston, and Angram, 1.5 miles (2.4 km) south east of Hutton Wandesley. The Battle of Marston Moor was fought just west of the village. There is a monument to the battle on the Tockwith Road to the north of the village.

St John the Baptist Church is the parish church of Healaugh, a village west of York and north of Tadcaster in North Yorkshire, in England. The church was originally dedicated to Saint Helen. The chancel and south door are the oldest parts of the church, dating from about 1150. The north aisle and door are from the late 12th century, and there were various alterations to the church in the 15th century. The nave was rebuilt in the 16th century, and the tower may have been rebuilt at the same time. By the late 18th century, the church was in poor condition, and it was extensively renovated, with the tower probably again rebuilt. The upper stage of the tower was added in the 19th century. The church was Grade II* listed in 1985. The church is built of Magnesian Limestone and has a Welsh slate roof. The nave is of three bays, with a north aisle and chapel. Its south door is the most notable feature, with a round head with three orders of decoration, including carvings of various human figures, and human and animal heads. There are various pointed windows, those in the chancel and chapel being Perpendicular. Inside, the columns are carved as clusters, with water-leaf capitals. The decoration of the chancel arch includes small animals. In the north chapel is an alabaster tomb, dating from the 16th century, depicting Thomas Wharton, 1st Baron Wharton and both his wives. The windows are 20th century and include a mention of Hieu, who founded nearby Healaugh Park Priory. The clock dates from the later 18th century, and was rebuilt in 1911.