One of the great names in chocolate history, Rowntree's, evolved from the humble retail beginnings of Mary Tuke, eighteenth-century mother of York's chocolate industry. This book explores how she was formative in shaping modern York as a city of confectionery manufacture, a city with a broader history in this industry than any other city in the UK. York emerged as the epicentre of an empire of competing chocolate kings. Strevens also insightfully reveals the impact that the development of York's confectionery production had on the lives of the rich, the poor and 'the middling sort', exploring growing social trends in the social capital of the North, such as chocolate and coffee houses, and the evolution of York as a destination for the 'polite and elegant'. This is an accessible and at times wry exploration of eighteenth-century York, vividly bringing to life the sumptuous splendours and profound murkiness of the city at the time of its commercial emergence as the 'Chocolate City'. Each chapter develops the detailed picture of what it must have been like to live in this city at the inception of York's most scrumptious of trades.

From the mysterious 'throbbing' Hurtle Pot, one of the trio of sinister and murky water filled entrances to the subterranean Chapel-le-Dale cave system, to the legends of the saintly Saxon princess strangled with her own plaits, the hidden treasure guarded by a ferocious phantom chicken and the 'Devil's Mustard Mill' to name but a few, this plentifully illustrated, informative, amusing and definitely quirky compendium is bound to delight residents, visitors and the armchair explorer alike.

Discover the shadier side of York's history with this remarkable collection of true-life crimes from across the city. Featuring all factions of the criminal underworld, this macabre selection of tales includes murders, poisonings, poaching, theft and highway robbery and also details the gruesome punishments that awaiting the perpetrators of such crimes. Drawing on a wide variety of historical sources and containing many cases which have never before been published, York Murders will fascinate everyone interested in true crime and the history of the city.

The beautiful, rolling hills of the Yorkshire Dales have long been a haven for holiday makers. However, not all is as it first seems; the area harbours some eerie and disturbing secrets just waiting to be unearthed. A welcome addition to The History Press's popular 'Haunted' series, Haunted Yorkshire Dales uncovers the darker side of the Dales with a terrifying collection of true-life tales from across the region. Featuring never before published stories, and guaranteed to make your blood run cold, this exciting book is sure to delight both locals and enthusiasts of the paranormal alike.