The town of Howden and the surrounding hinterland of Howdenshire have a long history stretching back to 959 AD when, according to historical records, King Edgar gave the manor of Howden to a `Quen' or Queen.

The importance of the town was accelerated when, between 1066 and 1087, William the Conqueror gave the town to the Bishops of Durham, which resulted in the town developing in medieval times into a rich and important place and a convenient stopping off point for journeys to and from London.

Howden's famous Minster was built by the monks of Durham in the 12th Century and extended by the canons and effectively completed by Bishop Skirlaw in the 14th Century. By 1200, King John had granted the bishops the right to hold a market and fairs in the town, which began the tradition of Howden's importance as a market town.

In particular, the prestigious annual Horse Fair that took place for several centuries until the early years of the 20th Century. The two week event, held in the market square, attracted representatives from royal houses across Europe to come and buy horses bred in Yorkshire for their country's armies.

It was the founding of Goole as a canal port in 1826 and its rapid growth that prompted the decline of Howden's importance as a market town, reinforced by the opening of Boothferry Bridge in 1929, which further improved access to Goole. Whilst this impacted upon the town's role, an advantage for Howden was that much of the town centre was preserved due to the increasing importance of Goole and the need for investment to occur in this expanding location.

The building of individual houses and commercial properties in Howden during the first half of the 20th Century therefore did not significantly change the shape or size of the community and the only significant post-war development has occurred on several sites on the edge of the town.

A modern historical attribute that is still celebrated across Howdenshire is the area's strong connection with Barnes Wallis, the inventor of the famous `Dambusters Bouncing Bomb'. Barnes Wallis lived in Howden during the time that he was in charge of the design and construction of the R100 airship, which was designed and built at the Royal Naval Air Station on the outskirts of Howden during the 1920s. Today, the majority of the Barnes Wallis collection is housed, not far from Howden, within the Yorkshire Air Museum, at Elvington near York.

Despite significant post-war development around Howden town centre and in the village of Gilberdyke, the area remains an attractive rural location, where traditional values are upheld and respected.

The town centre of Howden itself continues to be heavily influenced by the long history of the area. The medieval street layout in Howden remains around the Minster and Market Place, where buildings are punctuated by narrow lanes and hidden alleyways. The centre is also a local community focus with a healthy retail core and significant places of interest including the Shire Hall, the Minster, Sculptures and the Ashes Playing Fields.

The significant investment in Howdenshire in recent years has been the decision by the Press Association to locate its northern headquarters in the town centre of Howden. This is a unique investment for a market town of this size, providing a large number of new jobs in the town centre, which is considered by many to have contributed strongly to a renewed vitality, but also to raise the profile of the town.

As an example, there is now a direct train service from Howden station to London Kings Cross that operates five times a day. The decision of PA to locate in Howden reflects the area's quality environment but also its accessibility by road and rail.