YORK, England: York Minster, The Shambles and Castle Howard
Posted by: kirsty_wilson in Europe, tags: Architecture, Castles, Cathedrals, England, Medieval TownWhere is York?
The Shambles
York is located in the County of North Yorkshire in northern England and dates back to Roman times. It is considered to be one of Britain’s best preserved medieval cities with its fine Gothic cathedral (the largest in England), the York Minster. There are four city gates and the old city is surrounded by a large stone wall. Other interesting buildings include, Clifford’s Tower, Treasurer’s House, The Guildhall, Merchant’s Adventurer’s Hall and the Shambles. A fabulous example of medieval shopping street.
The river Ouse flows through York and is a culmination of the small streams which have trickled from the hills of the nearby Dales and Moors. The word ‘ouse’ is a very common name for rivers in England. It’s derived from the Celtic word ‘Usa’, which means ‘water’. The river is very popular in summer with boats cruising the waterway as a means for visitors to view York.
Not far from York and a pleasant drive on the A64, is the famous ‘Castle Howard’. One of Britains finest 18th century private, stately homes. Castle Howard has been part of the Howard family for more than 300 years. You may recognise it for the 1981 television series ‘Brideshead Revisited’.
Map
TravelTipsPlus Google Map of York
One Great Reason to Visit York
One great reason to visit York is to wander down the medieval shopping street of the Shambles and view the second storey rooms overhanging the cobbled stone street.
The Sites of York
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4 must visit museums in York.
York Castle Museum is one of Britain’s leading museums of everyday life. It shows how people used to live by displaying thousands of household objects and by recreating rooms, shops, streets – and even prison cells.
It is best known for its recreated Victorian street, Kirkgate, which combines real shop fittings and stock with modern sound and light effects, to evoke an atmosphere of Victorian Britain.
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The world famous JORVIK Viking Centre is a ‘must-see’ for visitors to the city of York and is one of the most popular visitor attractions in the UK outside London.
Everything in the Jorvik Viking Centre is based on the evidence unearthed at the site. An incredible 40,000 objects were discovered by archaeologists including 10th century Viking-age buildings.
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York Dungeon
Buried deep beneath the streets of York is the most horrifying museum in the north of England. York Dungeon is a journey through the past of York – the dark, terrifying past. The exhibits recount horrifying deeds and doers, from the graphic torture of York native Guy Fawkes to the death of highwayman Dick Turpin.
There are displays of torture and punishments including branding, boiling, beheading, roasting and drowning. Walk through a recreation of the Black Plague in York, and peer into a medieval dungeon cell. The York Dungeon is not for the faint of heart.
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And my personal favorite For a fantastic free day out in York visit the award winning National Railway Museum. The NRM in York displays a collection of over 100 locomotives and nearly 200 other items of rolling stock, virtually all of which either ran on the railways of Great Britain or were built there. Also on the 20 acre (8 hectare) site are many hundreds of thousands of other items and records of social, technical, artistic and historical interest, exhibited mostly in three large halls of a former motive power depot next to the East Coast Main Line, near York railway station. It is the largest museum of its type in the world. It also has more visitors than any other British museum outside London.[2]
and dont forget, this one is FREE ENTRY.
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WOW! Thanks for all that additional info Graham! You’re a good soul. Only a local of the area could provide all that! It certainly adds more content for anyone to see what’s on offer in York. Much appreciated. Cheers Kirsty 😉
I absolutely agree with Graham’s museum recommendations – each one is incredibly informative, and all are wonderful interactive days out.
If you’re travelling with children I’d recommend all but the Dungeon (although that may appeal to older children for its gruesome quality). Also child friendly, a walk around the historic city walls is an adventure in itself and you can let your imagine run wild as you discover these ancient fortifications.
I’d also strongly encourage a visit to the surrounding area. Castle Howard is breathtaking and the grounds are divine to walk through, no matter what the season. Don’t worry if you have young children as they are extremely well catered for with an adventure playground and special childrens events. Rievaulx Abbey, located in the North Yorkshire Moors National Park, was once one of the wealthiest monasteries in England and it provides a stunning setting and a wonderful place to unwind in the English Heritage Tearooms.
Of course, if these don’t take your fancy – there’s always shopping!
[…] « YORK, England: York Minster, The Shambles and Castle Howard 17 07 2009 […]
………………….TIP FOR TOURISTS VISITING YORK………………
If you walk through the ancient streets of York, be sure to look up above the windows of buildings to observe carvings and decorations that are often missed by tourists taking in the obvious sites…
Throughout the streets of York, buildings are decorated with unusual gargoyles and figureheads. Some, like the ship’s figurehead on a York teashop in Stonegate may have hinted at the tea trade of the owners. The carving of Minerva on Petergate was a symbol of music and drama.
The Little Devil
The fiery little horned imp on the corner of 33 Stonegate was not a sign of evil doings on the premises but was an indication of a print shop. Traditionally, the printer’s apprentice and assistant, who ran around the shop carrying hot metal type, was known as “The Printer’s Devil.” The lever used to apply pressure to a printing press was also called that because it sometimes snapped back dangerously, sending the printer and his apprentice across the room – or worse.
Because of its ancient buildings and their interesting gargoyles and details, Stonegate is one of York’s most photographed streets.
[…] York, England […]
It’s an odd thing to see your home featuring in a YouTube video.
Yep, I’m a resident. I moved here to study Archaeology at the Uni, and I’ve stayed. I’m in the process of becoming a freelance writer and hopefully a ‘digital nomad’ (writing on the move), but York is in my bones now.
It’s well worth staying for more than a few days and making an effort to work past the more touristy side of York. For example, spending a few hours ‘crawling’ round some of the local pubs, srinking fruit juice to keep your wits about you, and chatting to the bar folk – it’s a great way to get the stories of living York, old and new. Walk along the river, and pay attention to the banks….
http://www.mikesowden.org/feveredmutterings/in-the-middle-york
York is such an amazing sandwich-cake of history, and most of the time what you’re looking at is so fabulously complicated that you look right past it. For example, standing outside Millie’s Cookies at King’s Square….it’s easy to forget to look down, and see the curving flagstones, and realise than they’re the outline of a previous structure – which turns out to be a church, knocked down in the early 20thC. And the raised platform at the back of the square? The graveyard – complete with (it’s hard to believe) actual gravestones, turned into flagging.
It’s a place that rewards curiosity.
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