Early mention of brewing in Tadcaster comes from tax lists which show that there were breweries or brew houses in 1341, one paying 8d. In taxes that year and the other 4d. By 1378 five innkeepers are recorded as being in business in Tadcaster. In about 1400 the best ale sold for 1 1/2d per gallon.

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This large imposing landmark was built by George Hudson , the work being completed together with a bridge over Wighill Lane in 1849. However Mr. Hudson ran into financial problems and the rest of the line remained unbuilt. It was not until 1882 that goods (used by the mill on the East side, now demolished) were brought across the River Wharfe by rail, using this viaduct. The last time the viaduct was used to fetch and carry goods was in 1955.

The Board School on Station Road was formally opened on 14th January 1878. It was built at a cost of £4000.00 and comprised a boys' school, an infants' school and the Masters' Residence. The inscriptions denoting these functions can still be seen above the respective doors. The school was enlarged in 1893 and again in 1901, eventually having a capacity for 106 boys, 185 girls and 213 infants. The boys' and girls' schools now form St. Joseph's RC Primary School, the Infants' School is occupied by the County Library branch and the Masters' Residence is now a private house.

The first stone building dates from around 1150, replacing a wooden one. The land and the church were given to the monks of Sawley Abbey by Maude de Percy in the 12th century after a dispute. The church was burnt down by the Scots 1318 when they ravaged the north of England. It was rebuilt about between 1380 and 1480. It was however, subject to frequent flooding, so that between 1875 and 1877 it was taken down stone by stone and rebuilt with the foundations raised by 5 feet; only the tower was left as it was.
The money to pay for this work, £8426.4s.6½d, was raised by public subscription. In 1897 a new north aisle was built. The church has fine carvings by Frank Thorman and a famous William Morris east window.

Norman barons used rubble from the Roman settlement to build a small mote and a bailey castle, probably during the Barons' Wars of the early 13th century. This was eventually demolished and tradition has it that the stone was used to rebuild the bridge. The northern embankments were used as gun emplacements at the time of the battle (1642), then in the eighteenth century the whole area became pleasure-gardens. No buildings remain but the motte and northern ditch can be clearly seen. From river level it must have been quite impressive!