York (England)

I have visited York on numerous occasions both for an annual holiday and for a short break and I will never tire of the place. There is something there to interest everybody.

To start with the shopping in York is excellent and very varied.

The main part of the city has all the big chain stores including Marks and Spencers, Boots, Virgin, Woolworth’s, WH Smiths, Debenhams, etc., and is well laid out and mainly pedestrianised. All the major banks and building societies are also represented so there’s no problem getting cash.

The area between the main part of the city and the Minster is a warren of narrow streets, the most famous of which is The Shambles. These streets contain a wealth of unusual shops selling gifts, clothes, jewellery, collectibles, toiletries and much more.

There is a Christmas shop, which is open all the year round, selling decorations, lights and small gifts downstairs. Upstairs is a wonderland for the doll and teddy bear collector with everything from the exclusive Steiff bears to more reasonably priced gifts.

On the subject of teddy bears there is also The Teddy Bear Shop selling the bears themselves together with a range of adult and children’s clothes with a teddy theme.

Another of my favourite shops is Cullpepper’s the Herbalists. They stock a wide range of essential oils, creams, organic food and drink and gift sets The smell in this shop is wonderful.

Specialist shops such as Wax Lyrical, The Sweater Shop, Crabtree and Evelyn, Yves Rocher and Past Times all have branches in York.

There is a street market between the main square and the start of the area of narrow streets, which sells fruit, vegetables, flowers and gifts.

In November each year there is a Victorian street market together with entertainment in the main square. This market sells specialist food and drink, as well as Christmas gifts and of course there’s always the roast chestnut seller too!

There are plenty of places to eat in York from the well know such as Mc Donald’s and Pizza Hut through cafes and teashops to the more exclusive restaurants. There are reputedly 365 pubs within the city walls, most of which sell snacks and/or meals so you won’t need to look far for some refreshment and a welcome sit down during your shopping excursion.

The Roman Bath Inn, near the city centre, is worth a visit, as it houses remains of a roman bathhouse with some of the hot air ducting still intact. The Hole in the Wall halfway between Bootham Bar and the Minster serves excellent food, but its difficult to get a table so you have to get there early. There’s another good pub accessed through an alleyway from The Shambles, but for the life of me I can’t remember what it’s called.

Moving on to the history of York, York Minster is the most beautiful cathedral I have ever had the pleasure to visit. The sense of peace that pervades the whole building is a real joy.

The Minster is the largest medieval cathedral in England, being 519 feet long with a central roof 198 feet high. The building was started in 1220 and it took more than 250 years to complete. It was partly destroyed by fire some years ago (I admit I cried when I watched the pictures on the TV news!) and has since been restored to it’s former glory.

The stained glass windows are really magnificent. Among them is the east window, which is the size of a tennis court. My personal favourite is the round window (sorry if that sounds a bit like Playschool!) which was one of the things destroyed and rebuilt.

The nave has a rib vaulted roof which can be easily viewed through mirrors set in tables strategically placed at intervals along the floor. That way you can look down to see the roof rather than looking up and feeling dizzy! There are also 100-foot high limestone pillars in this part of the Minster.

At 12 noon every day there is short prayer said for peace in the world. Everyone is asked to stand still and join in the prayer whatever their denomination, or, if they have no particular faith, to stand still just for a minute or so in respect of the faith of others. In a world where everyone seems to be in a hurry and respect for one another is fast disappearing I found this a profoundly moving experience. I also once went to the evening service in the Minster, but I found it too ‘high church’ for my liking. I’m glad I went though!

We took a ghost walk starting from the Minster at about 8pm in the evening. It was well presented by a theatrical gentleman dressed in black offering just the right amount of spooky atmosphere coupled with some interesting information.

The Viking Museum is unlike any other I have seen. You go on a ride through Viking England and experience the sights, sounds and, dare I say it, smells of the time! I have written a separate opinion on this particular attraction.

The Castle Museum is huge with something to interest everyone. It covers 400 years of Yorkshire life with rooms set out, as they would have been in the 1950’s and 1960’s. I’m not sure about recreating rooms from the 60’s in a museum as I can remember them first time round and it makes me feel old! There are reconstructed streets from Victorian and Edwardian times and even the condemned cell where Dick Turpin spent his last night before hanging.

You can also walk almost all the way around the city on the wall, which affords some lovely views, particularly of the Minster. Here are a couple of places where you have to take to the street for a few yards before climbing back up onto the wall, but the trip all the way round the city is well worth the effort. There are four bars along the way around the wall but don’t get your drinking arm ready, in York bar means gate. These gates are called Monk Bar, Micklegate Bar, Bootham Bar and Walmgate Bar. There are museums housed in some of the gates, which are worth a visit too.

There are many open top bus tours around the city some with pre-recorded information and some with guides on board. These are a great way to see the city and you can have a look round to see what you want to visit in more detail. Another nice way to see the city, weather permitting, is by going for a ride in a horse drawn carriage.

The National Railway Museum is housed at the railway station south of the river. Exhibits here include the Mallard, the steam speed record holder and Queen Victoria’s plush personal carriage. I can’t comment further on this, as it is one place I haven’t yet visited. A good excuse for me to return to York!

The racecourse is to the south of the city standing next to the Terry’s chocolate factory so the smell is interesting when the wind is in the right direction! It is the site of the gallows where Dick Turpin was hung and is known as the Knavesmire. There are many meetings during the year with the main one being the Ebor Meeting in August.

There is a Victorian street market on one of the last weekends in November. The stallholders dress up and there is street entertainment in the main square. I particularly liked the roast chestnuts on sale!

Add all this to the fact that the Ouse flows straight through the city and boat trips abound, and you have a city with something for everyone. I have only mentioned some of the places of interest in this opinion as well, so you’ll have to go and have a look for yourself!

Oh dear, I have gone on a bit haven’t I? I told you that I loved the place!