The name Wetherby derives from the Saxon word for a sheep farm, or the Norse for a bend in the river. Archaeological finds show the Wetherby area has been populated since the early Bronze Age, growing around an important river crossing on the 'Great North Road' between London and Edinburgh, for which the existing stone bridge was built in 1233. Mary Queen of Scots crossed it on her way south from Bolton Castle, as did many armies through the centuries. Two skirmishes were fought for possession of the town during the Civil War and Oliver Cromwell passed through the area on the morning of the...