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Photos
by John Moss
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York
Day Trips out from Manchester
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The
City of York, Yorkshire
In many
ways the history of York is the history of England. Located
on the other side of the Pennine Hills from Lancashire, about
a 1½ hour journey by car along the M62 Motorway or
by train from Manchester, York is a city crammed with history,
and many things for the visitor to see. York is an old city.
First as a Roman city (Eboracum, built around 71-73
AD), later as a Danish and Viking stronghold (around 600 AD,
and by then known as Yorvik), then as a medieval one,
with its political and religious intrigues (and regarded as
important enough for the Archbishop of York to be declared
Primate of England by the Pope around 735 AD), and finally
as an elegant Jacobean and Georgian town of great beauty.
Book
a Hotel in York & the Yorkshire Dales
Famous
Yorkists
York
was the birthplace of Guy Fawkes (who tried to blow up the Houses
of Parliament) and the final resting place of the highwayman,
Dick Turpin, who was hanged and is buried there. It was also
in York that the Constantine the Great was declared Emperor
of the Roman Empire.
The
Danes in York
The
Danish heritage of York is everywhere, surviving in its streetnames
- Monksgate, Micklegate, Stonegate, Swinegate, Newgate, etc
- the "gate" suffix coming from the Danish word "gat"
meaning "street" (and not as many suppose "a
gate"). It is often said in jest that in York ..."all
the streets are "Gates", the gates are called "Bars",
and the bars are all pubs." At one time there were 10,000
people in the Danish settlement of Yorvick, and it was here
that Danish kings lived to rule over Northumbria for more than
50 years.
York
Minster
Dominating
the city is York Minster, arguably Britain's finest gothic cathedral,
and the largest in Northern Europe. Begun in 1220 and not completed
until 1472 it illustrates graphically the rivalry that existed
between Canterbury and York for the Primacy of the Church of
England - each trying desperately to outdo the other in scale
and grandeur. The Minster is too imposing to miss out of any
itinerary of the City. Entrance is free, though donations to
the upkeep are welcomed, and access is limited, particularly
during religious services. The undercroft is also worth visiting,
offering insights into the original Roman settlement lying beneath
the Minster, as is a trip up to the roof with its panoramic
views of the City and over the Vale of York - both of these
charge an entrance fee. Entry to the Minster itself now requests
a 'voluntary' suggested payment of around £3.50
(GBP) per person - that, apparently, is calculated on the basis
of the cost of maintaining building and the number of visitors
who arrive annually!
Tourist
York
Medieval
York frequently received visits from the King and Parliament,
and many surviving institutions, like the Minster, St Peter's
School, St William's College and The Merchant Adventurers Company
have an unbroken history since medieval times. Other important
features of the city are the City Walls and streets like the
Shambles. The old city walls are intact for about 60% of the
perimeter, although the city has stretched far beyond its original
boundaries; the walls are well worth a walk, offering splendid
elevated aspects of the townscape and the Minster. The Shambles
is an old narrow shopping street of great charm and character
- well worth a visit just for the window shopping.
St
William's college has an elegant teashop on the green overlooking
the Minster and is a popular rest for refreshments, (accompanied
by musical entertainments performed by minstrels).
Tourist
Information
If you
are looking for accommodation or other information about visits
to York, there are Tourist Information Centres at:
De
Grey Rooms
Exhibition Square, York YO1 2HB. Tel: 01904-621756
and
York Railway Station
Fax: 01904-626173.
Website: www.york-tourism.co.uk. Email: tic@york-tourism.co.uk
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West Front York Minster
York Minster
St William's College
The Shambles
Monk Bar
Monument to
the Emperor Constantine
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Places
of Interest and Things to Do in York
Tours
of York
1 day tour including overnight hotel (bed, breakfast and evening
meal included. See: Northern
Tours.
York
Boats
Guided boat trips on the river throughout from springtime
to early autumn, including floodlit evening cruises, summer
nights afloat and self drive motor boats. For details: Tel:
01904 628324.
Email:info@yorkboat.co.uk. Website: www.yorkboat.co.uk.
Jorvik
Viking Centre
Coppergate, York YO1 9WT.
Tel: 01904-643211 (24hrs information). Advance Bookings :
01904-543403
Website: www.jorvik-viking-centre.co.uk.
A journey of discovery into Danish life deep below the street
of York. A recreation of the Viking City of 948 AD.
National
Railway Museum
Leeman Road, York YO26 4XJ. Tel: 01904-621261.
Website: www.nrm.org.uk.
Children under 16 and the over-60s go in free. Winner of the
White Rose Tourism Awards 1999. Extensive collection of engines
and rolling stock including royal carriages and steam engines.
Merchant
Adventurer's Hall
Fossgate, York YO1 9XD. Tel: 01904-654818.
Email: the.clerk@mahall-york.demon.co.uk .
Europe's finest medieval guild hall built in 1357. Available
for hire for weddings, receptions and dinners, and licenced
for civil marriage ceremonies.
York
Castle Museum
The Eye of York, York YO1 9RY. Tel: 01904-653611. Fax: 01904-671078.
Website: www.york.gov.uk.
Recreations of cobbled streets and collections of costumes
and textiles as well as artefacts from military and social
history through the ages.
The
Yorkshire Museum
Museum Gardens, York YO1 7FR. Tel: 01904-629745. Fax: 01904-651221.
Website: www.york.gov.uk
Set in the midst of 10 acres of beautiful gardens, the museum
contains some of the finest collections of European archaeology
from Anglo-Saxon to modern times.
Book
a Hotel in York & the Yorkshire Dales
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