b'Wilton BeaconAndrew SeftonI t was known that the Romans had an early warningiron cage to receive the requisite tar-barrel. system across the country of fire beacons to tellDuring the fear of the French invasion, two news quickly of important events. Near to the top ofwatchers named Gray and Black, lived in Garrowby Hill is the highest point on the Wolds, thethe hut made of sods, which stood near logical place to light a warning beacon to link withthe base of the beacon. In 1823, a farmer, Eboracum or down to Holme-on-Spalding-Moorentering on a farm near the beacon, took beacon which would in turn alert the main Romanaway some of the iron, to work up in port of Petuaria (Brough). This point on the Woldsmaking a waggon. The work of spoliation was known for centuries as Wilton Beacon. Theonce begun, others assisted until it finally system was resurrected for the days of conflict withdisappeared, but not until 1850 or 1855.the Spanish in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I to warnNear this tumulus are Beacon Field and of invasion from the Spanish Armada. In the earlyBeacon Road, the latter of which is about nineteenth century the beacons were rebuilt following800 feet above sea-level, and commands fears of invasion from Napoleon Bonaparte. Earlyan extensive view.maps show the site of the beacon as about 250After the destruction of the actual beacon, all that metres from the A166 and about 30 metres from theremained of Wilton Beacon was the administrative Givendale road. This point is 780 feet (237 metres)district it above sea level.The Beacons of East Yorkshire byrepresented as John Nicholson (1887) has the following description ofa subdivision of Wilton Beacon: the Wapentake Bishop Wilton beacon taketh light fromof Harthill, the Bainton, Hunsley, and Ruston, and givethothers being lighte to Holme beacon, to the citty of York,Bainton Beacon, and to the lowe countreye. On Sheet 159Holme Beacon of the Yorkshire Ordnance Survey (datedand Hunsley 1854) and on Bryants and Teesdale mapsBeacon. (1829 and 1834) this beacon is marked asThe petty being in existence, but when Mr Mortimer,sessions for the of Driffield, opened the tumulus, in June,administration 1866, there were left only the foundationof the poor of the beacon, transverse beams, of greatlaw for Wilton thickness, laid in position a few feet belowBeacon Division the surface. were held in The beacon consisted of one upright post,Pocklington.having pegs projecting from the sides to serve as steps, and on the top was the The Yorkshire Penny BankBased on material supplied by Nancy HutchinsonI n an article in Bulletin 7 we revealed that BishopLiving up to its name, Wilton had its own bank in the 1930sa branch ofthe bank accepted the Yorkshire Penny Bank with the Headmaster, Mrdeposits of any amount Rhodes, in charge as Local Actuary. from one penny At the end of the article we asked if anyoneupwards.happened to have a paying-in book and miraculouslyIn the main Nancy Nancy Hutchinson came forward with the one shepaid in money on a used from 1937 until 1940 (pictured here). It was herweekly basis and every second paying-in book, the first having been given herentry but one has the by her mother with a guinea already entered to startinitials ARR for Alfred her off. Richard Rhodes.On making the first deposit, a paying-in or pass book had to be purchased at a price of one penny. 132 BULLETIN 9'