Place Name

Lord Mayor's Whins, East Riding of Yorkshire, England

Where the Lord Mayor's Wood is easy to See!

Introduction:

Ey up, Lord Mayor’s Whins. A name that sounds like a Shakespearean insult, a posh herbal tea or a character who appears in Act Two complainin about the state of the hedgerows. Folk hear it and immediately imagine a lord mayor stridin about in robes, pointin at gorse bushes and claimin them as his own.

Whins, of course, are gorse. Prickly, bright yellow, stubborn as a Yorkshireman refusin to pay full price for owt. So the idea of a lord mayor ownin them is comedy gold. Did he plant them? Did he bless them? Did he simply walk past one day and say, “Aye, that’s mine now”?

Whatever the truth, the name is a belter, and the place itself is full of charm, birdsong and enough gorse to snag your trousers if you get too cocky.

Toponymy:

Let’s break this one doon:

Lord – Nobility, pomp, ceremony and someone who definitely has Opinions about shrubbery.

Mayor’s – Suggests civic pride, official duties and a bloke who probably spent more time drinkin tea than governin.

Whins – Gorse bushes. Prickly, bright, stubborn and everywhere. The perfect plant to name after someone in charge.

Put together, Lord Mayor’s Whins becomes a name that sounds like a royal decree, a horticultural mishap and a comedy sketch all rolled into one.

Historical Context:

The origins of Lord Mayor’s Whins are as foggy as a morning on the Wolds. Some say a lord mayor once owned the land and the whins were his pride and joy. Others say the name came from a local joke that stuck harder than a gorse thorn in your sock.

Another tale claims the whins marked a boundary line, and the mayor insisted on callin them his because he liked the sound of it. Whether true or not, the name has survived generations of retellin, mishearings and embellishments.

Points of Interest:

If you are knockin aboot, have a look at:

• The Gorse Garden – A prickly paradise for plant lovers.

• Catfoss Nature Reserve – Wildlife, peace and proper Yorkshire scenery.

• Brandesburton Village Museum – Local tales, quirky exhibits and history galore.

• Driffield Town Centre – Shops, cafés and folk who know every story worth hearin.

• The Whins Pub – A pint, a plate of scran and locals who will happily tell you their own version of the Lord Mayor’s Whins tale.

Notable Figures:

Folk tied to Lord Mayor’s Whins or East Riding include:

• Henry Percy – Earl, warrior and occasional gardener.

• John Hotham – Civil War figure with a flair for drama.

• William Wilberforce – Yorkshire’s abolitionist hero.

• David Hockney – Artist who sees colour where others see drizzle.

• Anne Brontë – Writer with Yorkshire grit and grace.

Conclusion:

So next time you find yourself wanderin around Lord Mayor’s Whins, take a moment to enjoy the daftness of a name that sounds like a shrubbery with a title. It is a place where the gorse is bright, the history is murky and the humour is as sharp as the thorns.

For more oddities and stories about place names, wander over to www.strangeplacenames.com where the UK and Ireland are full of names as brilliantly bizarre as Lord Mayor’s Whins.

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