Halfway between London and Edinburgh, we find York , a small city of about 180,000 inhabitants with a Roman and Viking past. Places with more than 1000 years of history intermingle with festivals and a vibrant city.
Due to its strategic position and the River Ouse, it became home to several medieval kings and with the advent of the industry it became known as the birthplace of chocolate in England.
e were exploring York for a few days and we show you below some of the places we visited during our visit to the city.
Essential things to see in York
In the United Kingdom, there are several organizations that watch over the interests of historic areas, protecting many of them, taking care of their maintenance and making their past known. And that shows when you visit a city like York, with many protected and well-kept buildings and places.
01
CLIFFORD’S TOWER
York Castle was built by William the Conqueror in the 11th century and today Clifford’s Tower is the only building still standing (after several reconstructions during its history). Many historical events have taken place in this tower and it was a very important part of the kingdom of the north of England. It also functioned as a prison and it was from here that visitors to the castle waited to be called to enter the castle. Perched on a mound and with its commanding views of Old York, the tower offers an almost 360-degree view of the medieval city.
02
YORK MINSTER
The quintessential icon of this city is the impressive York Cathedral or York Minster . The building we see today was built in the 14th century and is today one of the largest Gothic cathedrals in Europe. Its origins date back to 627 AD, when King Edwin was baptized in a small wooden church on this very spot. In addition to everything that the building offers us, in the basement we will find a museum that will show us the history of York, its Roman and Viking past and a fairly extensive collection of artifacts.
03
THE SHAMBLES
On this street, one of the oldest in the city, and some around it, was the place where butchers sold their products, each store with a different specialty. Today, if we visit The Shambles or Shambles in York, we can find some hooks still hanging in the shops, a nod from the current merchants to the inhabitants of yesteryear. Taking a walk through its small streets, we will find different services such as cafes, restaurants, a bakery, and even a butcher.
04
RIVER OUSE
According to its etymology, the River Ouse means “wet river”, the best way to describe a river. This navigable river flows through the city of York and is a continuation of the River Ure. In the city there are 9 bridges to cross the river, some of them more than 100 years old. River tours can be taken to see the city from another perspective and the guides will tell some stories about how the Romans and Vikings came to York through its waters.
05
WALK THE WALL
If you visit York, it is impossible not to walk along its ancient and well-preserved wall of more than 3 km in length. York’s Wall was originally built by the Romans along the River Ouse some 2,000 years ago as part of the city’s defence. From that time, the Multangular Tower is still preserved today . The Wall Walk is a circular route where you can walk (the entire route takes a couple of hours) and visit some of the so-called bar gates or entrances to the city , such as Bootham, Monk, Walmgate or Micklegate.
06
YORK’S CHOCOLATE STORY
Raise your hand if you don’t like chocolate! They say that York is the cradle of chocolate in the United Kingdom and we decided to check it out at York’s Chocolate Story , a museum in King’s Square where they tell the story of chocolate production in the city. More than 150 years ago, some families in the area such as Rowntree’s opened factories and began to produce some of the most famous chocolates such as Kit Kat (now acquired by Nestlé) or Smarties.
What other interesting places can you visit in York?
01
JORVIK VIKING CENTER
At the end of the 70s of the last century, during excavations in the city, numerous objects were discovered in a very good state of preservation, such as cloth, shoes or animal bones that gave a lot of information about the Vikings and the mark they left in York. . Set aside at least an hour to visit the Jorvik Viking Center and learn a bit about why and how the Vikings left their native Scandinavia and migrated to other northern European islands.
02
THE HENRY VII EXPERIENCE
Being in the United Kingdom and not knowing or visiting part of the history of its royalty is almost like not having come. In Micklegate Bar, one of the bars on the York wall, we find this museum called The Henry VII Experience and which tells us about the life of the first Tudor king in history after defeating his successor Richard III. Inside, with limited access, audiovisual elements are combined with an exhibition of objects or armor and replicas of the heads of his enemies.
03
THE RICHARD III EXPERIENCE
In Monk Bar , one of the four most important doors or entrances of the medieval wall of York, we find The Richard III Experience, a museum dedicated to the life of Richard III, the last king of the Anjou or Plantagenet house. Inside the museum, we will be able to explore the 14th century building, as well as learn about numerous artifacts from the time of the Wars of the Roses , through multimedia projections. Interesting visit to learn more about the time.
04
MERCHANT ADVENTURE’S HALL
Over 650 years ago, the Merchant Adverturer’s Hall was established as a place of religious fellowship. During the 16th century, it became an association of merchants united to establish economic, supportive and spiritual ties. Today, the association continues to exist, for solidarity purposes, and its home is still a beautiful medieval building built in wood. Inside you can visit the Great Hall, the room where business was conducted, the Undercroft, an asylum for the poor and the Chapel, where spiritual help was given.
05
FAIRFAX HOUSE
Built in the 18th century and in the Georgian style, Fairfax House , very close to Clifford’s Tower, is one of the best preserved and most splendid Georgian buildings in England. Its interior decoration, not suitable for minimalists, shows us the life of Viscount Fairfax and his daughter in an era in which the parties of the aristocracy were common. Over the years, the house, now a museum, has even housed a men’s club, a cinema, and even a nightclub in the early 20th century.
06
YORK MANSION HOUSE
York Mansion House is the building in which the Mayor of the City of York lives during his tenure. It was built in 1732 in the Georgian style and houses numerous meeting rooms, exhibitions and a chapel. Its beautiful red and cream facade shows us some of what we can find inside, from a grand hall to receive guests to the collection of silver objects, ceramics and antique furniture.
07
BARLEY HALL
Barley Hall is a medieval house built in the 14th century by the monks of Nostell Priory to be used as a hospice and to accommodate the monks during their visits to York. Throughout its history, it underwent different modifications, increasing its decline. During the 1980s, it was bought by a cultural organization and restored, turning it into a museum creating replicas of furniture, clothing and rooms that, together with the exposed wooden beams and narrow stairs, will transport us to another era.
08
GODDARD’S HOUSE AND GARDEN
In the Dringhouses neighborhood, we find Goddards House and Garden , a spectacular mansion built in 1927 in the Arts and Crafts style. This style is committed to a return to traditional materials and avoiding urban industrialization. This house belonged to the Terry family, dedicated to the manufacture of chocolates. A visit to its interior shows us how this family lived and we can recreate ourselves using one of its rooms or trying some cakes such as the famous chocolate orange.
09
TREASURE’S HOUSE
Treasurer’s House was initially built in the 11th century for the treasurer of York Minster and in the late 19th century it was bought by the industrialist Frank Green, who restored it to the way we see it today. Legend has it that the house is inhabited by Roman ghosts that appeared in the 1950s. The clothing of the soldiers and the horse cart were described so clearly that further studies were carried out and it was discovered that the house was built on an old Roman road. .
10
YORK COLD WAR BUNKER
This semi-subterranean bunker was built in Holgate in 1961 to monitor nuclear explosions in York in the event of a war and was active until the 1990s. Stepping inside the York Cold War Bunker , you can find out more about the UK’s role during the Cold War, when some 30 bunkers were built across the country. You can only access its interior accompanied by a guide.
eleven
YORKSHIRE LAVENDER
In the Howardian Hills, about 20 km from the center of York, in an area called Terrington, we find Yorkshire Lavender , fields and fields of lavender managed by a family that is also dedicated to creating products with extracts of this plant. It can be an interesting visit if we have some time and want to enjoy the smell and color of lavender, exploring the fields and lavender nurseries.
12
BREEZY KNEES GARDEN
About 8 km from York, in Warthill, we find this huge garden with more than 7,000 varieties of flowers and trees. Breezy Knees Garden is open between May and September, it includes several spaces dedicated to roses, herbs and more unknown species, as well as paths where you can enjoy the green. It has a cafe where you can have a drink on the patio if the weather allows it. Many locals also come to buy plants in their nursery.
Museums to visit in York
York is a city that has dozens of museums, here we show you some of them.
01
YORK CASTLE MUSEUM
This museum, south of Clifford’s Tower, is housed in what was York Castle, built by William the Conqueror in the 11th century. Today you can visit some of the buildings of the York Castle Museum, which served as prisons. The collection it houses is full of artifacts compiled by Dr Kirk, a doctor fascinated by rural life at a time when everything was changing thanks to steam engines.
02
NATIONAL RAILWAY MUSEUM
The National Railway Museum , which is free to enter, contains one of the largest collections devoted to the railway and its effect on the British economy and society. Inside, more than 100 locomotives on display and the only bullet train outside of Japan. In addition, it has an extensive photographic collection with images from the beginning of the 20th century, machine plans, books and magazines related to the world of the railway.
03
YORK ART GALLERY
This museum, opened in 1879, has a collection that houses paintings from the 14th to the 20th century. In each of the rooms of the York Art Gallery , we find everything from works by the most famous Dutch painters of the 17th century to an important collection of ceramics with some 5,000 pieces, including more than 17,000 drawings and watercolours. At its entrance, we are greeted by a statue dedicated to the artist William Etty.
04
YORKSHIRE MUSEUM
This museum, in the center of York, contains four important collections dedicated to biology, geology, astronomy and archaeology. Established in the 19th century, the Yorkshire Museum was opened by the Yorkshire Philosophical Society with the intention of displaying and preserving various objects. The exterior, known as the Museum Gardens, was one of the conditions set by the royalty when they gave the land to establish the museum, they wanted a botanical garden around it.
Where to have a good beer in York?
Whenever we get to know a new city we like to try one of its bars, York could not be the exception.
01
THE GOLDEN FLEECE
The figure of a sheep hanging at its entrance when you leave The Shambles, will make you not miss this Inn and pub established 400 years ago and protected since it entered the heritage list. The Golden Fleece is perfect for a beer and a bite to eat before continuing to walk through central York.
02
ROMAN BATH
Another heritage protected pub within York’s historic quarter. Roman Bath was built in 1929 on top of Roman baths. Inside we can see archaeological remains dating from the 3rd century AD uncovered while we enjoy a beer and even visit its small museum in the cellar of the bar.
03
THE PUNCH BOWL
The Punch Bowl , with over 300 years of history, is a traditional English pub on Stonegate Street with a good range of real ales and where you can also eat. It has a room at the back to listen to live music and, like other pubs in York, it is said to be haunted, since the footsteps and the voice of a couple of ghosts have been heard.
