The town of Howden stands on reclaimed land that was once coveredby a great lake. Lake Humber was a sheet of water that coveredHolderness, Howdenshire and North Lincolnshire with channels flowingthrough it. Gradually the silt in the River Ouse settled and built upthe banks of the river so that in time areas of dry land were formed.By the time of the Roman occupation the Ouse was a river rather thanan inland sea. The Romans followed by the Saxons and Danes wereinstrumental in reclaiming the land and were responsible for theembanking of the Ouse and lower Derwent.

Over the centuries the town has been greatly influenced by theRiver Derwent. The site of the town was first settled on by theAnglo-Saxons, who, being primarily farmers, probably chose to buildtheir homes on the land that became Howden because the nook of landenclosed by the branch of the River Derwent was slightly higher andof better quality than the surrounding marshland.

In 959 AD King Edgar gave the manor of Howden to a 'Quen' orQueen. This document still survives and defines the boundaries of themanor.

Howden grew because it was at a crossing point and by the 11thcentury it had a church and was the centre of a considerable manor.William the Conqueror (1066-1087) gave Howden to the Bishops ofDurham which resulted in the town developing in medieval times to arich and important place.

The Bishops gave Howden a fine palace, visited by Kings andpoliticians and instituted a grammar school, while the Cannons builtthe magnificent church.

King John (1192-1216) granted the Bishops the right to hold amarket and fairs in the town - a privilege that helped Howden surviveafter the withdrawal of church wealth in the 16th century.

Today's street pattern of Howden was shaped by the course of theOld Derwent. Hailgate follows its course exactly giving the streetits characteristic curve.

The Town first developed as a settlement because of the slightlyraised ground making it dry from the frequent floods of the Humber.This is in evidence at Cornmarket Hill. Floods this century confirmthis.

As part of the flood plain the Town is at the centre of a rivernetwork which was used as a means of transport in medieval times.This increased the town's importance as a stopping point for theBishop's of Durham on their way South to London.

Later, as the rivers changed course and silted up, the town becamethe centre of a thriving agricultural area. The quality of the landwas high making for good crops and increasing population in thesurrounding villages. Howden served as their market town.

In more recent years the town finds itself on modern transportroutes. The M62 passes very close with its own access. There arerailway connections very close.

Flooding was a great influence upon the original town layout withearly building upon higher ground - the site of the Minster. As therivers were embanked and land drained the town grew. The medievalstreet pattern still survives around the Minster and Market Place.Hailgate(the name of a street) follows the course of the Derwent and there were houses on the other bank from the rest of the town. Highbridge (the remains of which are still under the road) linked the two parts.

As the town grew buildings extended along the roads to other townsand villages. Areas were infilled with a mixture of houses and localindustries.

In the 19th century the railways came to Howden causing furtherdevelopment. After the Hull and Barnsley railway closed in the 1950'sthe land became available for building. The land has now all beenused for modern housing estates, which are set to be extendedfurther by moving into the arable land to the west and north of the town.

Other housing estates have developed this century on the outskirtsof the town pushing it to cover a larger and larger area.

As the local market town industry was in evidence. In the 19thcentury this grew at Howdendyke. This has subsequently increased toBoothferry Road and Thorpe Road giving the town some relatively largeindustrial areas.

The town has many fine features still remaining:

The most impressive building, which is visible for many milesaround, is the Minster. Built by Bishop Skirlaw in the 14th centuryit is a very obvious reminder of the medieval past.

The Bishop's manor (remodelled many times), the fruit house,Market Cross, and the Chapter House also show this. The Ashes Parkcontains the Bishop's fishponds, which are themselves, a listedbuilding.

In more recent times the Shire Hall is evidence of Victorianinfluence. It is now the heart of the town containing the library andproviding a venue for many diverse Live Arts productions.

Previous wealth is in evidence by the many large privateresidences e.g. Howden Hall, Bridgegate House and Derwent House. Manyof the original coaching inns still survive e.g. The Bowman's and TheWellington.

The Marsh provides an area of serenity where wildlife is activelyencouraged by local conservationists.

Howden retains its commercial centre with many shops and publichouses serving an increasing population.

Many diverse architectural styles are in evidence representing themany stages of the town's development.