Market Weighton

History

The 19th-century English lexicographer Sir William Smith proposed Market Weighton as the location of the still-undiscovered Roman camp of Delgovicia. In the 16th century the antiquarian William Camden had also identified Delgovicia with this town, which he called Wighton. Historically the town was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Wicstun", and was granted its charter to become a market town in 1251; the markets ceased in the nineteenth century. Notable architecture includes: a parish church, parts of which are Norman, the Londesborough Arms (an 18th-century coaching inn), a Wesleyan chapel, a Methodist chapel and a high street still recognisable from the 19th century. Other sights of interest include the post office, the duck pond and Station Farm. Market Weighton history includes William Bradley, the Yorkshire Giant who at the age of 20 was 7 ft tall. In May of each year local residents take to the streets of Market Weighton for the Giant Bradley Day (formerly Giant Community Day) festival in a celebration of the life and times of William Bradley. Industry in the town is largely based on agriculture. The town is known geologically for having given its name to the Market Weighton Axis.

The Yorkshire Wolds Way National Trail, a long-distance footpath, passes through the town.

Governance

Town clerk]] As a civil parish, Market Weighton has a town council, which operates under the East Riding of Yorkshire Council.

In 2003, after some local consultation, the Weighton Area Regeneration Partnership (WARP) adopted a slogan and logo, 'The Heart of East Yorkshire', intended to indicate both its central location in the county and the strength of the local community. WARP was dissolved in 2012 but the phrase continued in use to promote the area and on local signage.

Landmarks

Market Weighton has three churches. These are All Saints’ Church, St John's Methodist Church and the Roman Catholic Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. The church dedicated to All Saints was designated a Grade I listed building in 1967 and is now recorded in the National Heritage List for England, maintained by Historic England.

Transport

Market Weighton railway station was at the junction of the lines to Selby, Driffield, York and Beverley. The last train ran in 1965. The abandoned lines to Beverley and to Selby are now used as public paths as the Hudson Way and Bubwith Rail Trail, respectively.

Bus services, provided by East Yorkshire Motor Services, link the town with Beverley, Hull, Pocklington, York, Holme on Spalding Moor, Driffield and Bridlington.

The three-mile £5.1 million A1079 bypass opened in March 1991.

The Minsters Rail Campaign is campaigning to re-open the railway line between Beverley and York (with stops at Stamford Bridge, Pocklington and Market Weighton). The re-opened railway would skirt the edge of the town, as the former alignment has since been built over.

Media

Local news and television programmes are provided by BBC Yorkshire and ITV Yorkshire. Television signals are received from the Emley Moor TV transmitter. However, BBC East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire region is also the default BBC One variant given to Market Weighton postcodes on Channel 101 through satellite television such as Freesat.

Local radio stations are BBC Radio Humberside, Greatest Hits Radio East Yorkshire, Hits Radio East Yorkshire & North Lincolnshire, Nation Radio East Yorkshire, Capital Yorkshire and Vixen 101 is a community based radio station which broadcast to the town.

The town is served by the local newspaper, Hull Daily Mail.

Business

In the 1960s and 1970s Market Weighton had a British Leyland Rolls-Royce and Bentley dealership owned by Robert B Massey and Company Ltd.

The company later merged with Gordon Armstrong and traded as Armstrong Massey in North and East Yorkshire.

Notable people

• William Bradley (1787–1820), tallest ever Briton

• Jane Winifred Young Elgey née Reid (1929-2024) Child internee of the Japanese Honorary Freewoman of Market Weighton

• Barbara Foxley (1860–1958), suffragist and professor of education

• William Umpleby Kirk (1843–1928), photographer

• Hilda Lyon (1896–1946), engineer who invented the Lyon Shape

• Sarah Andrews Miranda, wife of Venezuelan-born military leader, statesman, and the first President of an independent Venezuela, Francisco de Miranda. Although she never resided in Venezuela, Mrs. Andrews Miranda is technically considered the first First Lady of Venezuela.

• Frank Mitchell (1872–1935), cricketer

References

References

1. "Market Weighton (Parish, United Kingdom) – Population Statistics, Charts, Map and Location".
2. "History".
3. "Councillors". Market Weighton Town Council.
4. (21 June 2003). "Town Launches Own Logo". BBC News Online.
5. {{National Heritage List for England
6. {{Butt-Stations
7. "Market Weighton station location". Minsters Rail Campaign.
8. (1 May 2004). "Emley Moor (Kirklees, England) Full Freeview transmitter".
9. "Vixen 101".
10. (20 February 2014). "Hull Daily Mail".
11. "CalmView: Overview".
12. "Market Weighton, Robert Massey & Co Ltd, the Crossroads c1965".
13. https://vitessesteve.blogspot.com/2018/07/armstrong-massey-triumph-car-dealers-68.html
14. (June 2006). "This Giant remains among friends". The West In View.
15. Beddoe, D.. (23 September 2004). "Foxley, Barbara (1860–1958), educationist and campaigner for women's rights".
16. WISE. "Inspiration {{!}} Women in Aviation, the female inventor of the 'Lyon Shape'".
17. [https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdxjkdr8wpxo.amp ''How love united a Venezuelan liberator and a shoemaker's daughter''] from [[BBC News]] 16 January 2026.
18. (1936). "Frank Mitchell's obituary". Wisden Cricketers' Almanack.