Driffield

Location

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

Description

Driffield contains a small community hospital, small Fire and Police Stations, several churches - the largest being the All Saints Parish Church - and a fairly small high street. There is also an area of parkland close to the parish church alongside the river that runs rougly parallel to the high street.

There are a few infant schools, one larger primary school (Driffield Junior School), and a fairly large secondary school, known simply as Driffield School. Driffield School contains a sixth form, and so offers education up to A level standard.

The local cattle market, despite former glories closed after the recent foot and mouth outbreak in the United Kingdom.

Local businesses include stationers Sokells, printers Alma Printers and Horsely and Dawsons, Roger Bentley (Power Equipment) and The Yorkshire Trading Company, a chain that originated as in Driffield as Nicholls. Public Houses include the Original Keys (formerly the Ferret and Sprout), the Buck, the Falcon and The Mariner's Arms.

The town is home to a large annual agricultural show, as well as the Driffield Steam And Vintage Rally - an event showcasing historical vehicles, traction engines, fairground organs and so on. A particular focus is placed upon agricultural history, with demonstrations of ploughing and threshing often taking place.

Traditions

Driffield is the home of the tradition of scrambling, where children are thrown loose change from businesses on a specific day of the year.

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 chiming, though this tradition has been marred in recent years by the addition of a new clock in the market place with four separate faces that are not in precise synchronisation.

Fame

Driffield was mocked for a while by then BBC Radio One DJ Chris Evans on the Breakfast Show, who went on to host a Radio One Roadshow on the Driffield showground.