The sixth Duke of Devonshire once owned Wetherby, but he sold it to finance work at Chatsworth. MATT CLARK reckons he made an expensive mistake.

According to folklore, when snow hits Yorkshire Wetherby misses out, because the “weather goes by”. Nice thought and certainly the town enjoys a less inclement climate than the Dales, but in truth its name means a settlement on the bend of a river.

That said Wetherby’s location on the old Great North Road has been its real blessing and never more so than during the coaching era. Being 198 miles equidistant from London and Edinburgh, the town became an important staging point. Indeed during the stagecoach heyday, there were 40 inns or alehouses devoted to travellers’ needs.

However Wetherby’s location had been a distinct disadvantage after the English army was crushed at the Battle of Bannockburn. Situated only 120 miles from the border, it proved an easy target for Scottish raiders who, in 1319, looted and burned the town, killing many of the inhabitants and taking others hostage.

Word is that Scott Lane was so named because on that fateful day it ran deep with blood. Apart from the sacking, Wetherby has enjoyed a more or less peaceful history and is today one of the most gilded jewels in Yorkshire's Golden Triangle, with some of the highest property prices in England.There is a good reason for Wetherby’s affluence and it's back again to location: not the London to Edinburgh thing this time,rather that commuters move here to live the good life and to work in Leeds.

It must also help that Wetherby is one of Britain’s finest floral towns. But even without spring and summer colour Wetherby is a beautiful place, with star attractions clustered around the pretty Market Place including the Grade II listed Shambles, which was built in 1811 to house butchers’ shops.

Later the buildings were converted into an open market, then, during the First World War, Shambles became a range for miniature rifle practice. Now it is a bustling mix of hair salons, cafés and shops.

Wetherby's town hall is also listed. Built in 1845, its main front chimneys originally carried bells that were used to summon the fire brigade. It no longer plays a major civic function, but it still forms a splendid backdrop for the market, which takes place every Thursday and has done since Henry III granted a charter in 1217.

Even more scenic is the river, perhaps the loveliest part of any town, and Wetherby is no exception.It's also a popular place to live, judging by the embarrassment of waterside apartments. But like the rest of Wetherby, they don't come cheap.

Which probably won’t please the Duke of Devonshire. In 1824 his ancestor, the sixth Duke, sold the whole town, bar one house, to finance work at Chatsworth.

Sounds like his ancestor made an expensive mistake.

Other costly mishaps still occur, especially at the racecourse, Yorkshire's only National Hunt venue.They have been racing horses in Wetherby since Romans times, but the season now takes place in winter when softer ground makes jumping less hazardous. It’s probably no less precarious on the wallet, though.

You could choose to save your money and instead head for Wetherby's shops, where you will find some of Yorkshire's finest independent boutiques, selling everything from designer clothes to designer gifts.

You can discover more about the town's attractions and shops on Twitter at #wetherbyhour, which was set up a year ago to connect local businesses and the community.

The initiative is one of the first of its kind and has an hour dedicated each week to tweeting about the town.

It also holds live events across Wetherby to further promote the town and its businesses.

The total monthly reach of #wetherbyhour, is now more than a million people and Jo Maltby, who instigated the initiative, reckons it's been a rewarding experience.

“Supporting our local independents not only helps to keep the unemployment levels down, but it keeps our hard earned money in our community,” says Jo. “The power is in our hands to shape a brighter future for Wetherby.”

Indeed it is and while this town is at its prettiest when the scores of hanging baskets and flower beds are in full bloom, when snow does hit, Wetherby misses out because the “weather goes by”.

Worth remembering if you are considering where to spend a winter day out.