I take York for granted. Living in nearby Leeds, I have one of the country’s most beautiful and historic cities on my doorstep – just half an hour away by train – yet I very rarely visit. Yes, I have the occasional boozy jaunt into North Yorkshire to see friends, but it doesn’t normally figure when I’m considering where to travel on a city break. Instead, I’ll inexplicably hop on a rickety Ryan Air flight to Warsaw or Hamburg when I could have just travelled 25 miles up the A64 and seen a city as historic and beautiful as anything mainland Europe has to offer.
I think my familiarity with the city is why I take it for granted. I have been visiting on and off ever since I was a child, starting with my grandad taking me to gawp and the gleaming locomotives in the National Railway Museum, then progressing onto school trips where dozens of us would be ferried by bus to the Jorvik Viking Centre. We would marvel at animatronic pillagers while gagging and giggling at the piped-in farmyard smells, before heading to the gift shop to purchase the mandatory giant pencil or stripey rubber. I probably have a box of the things somewhere with various Yorkshire attraction’s logos embossed on them.
Over 30 years of visiting, I’m incredibly fond of the city – it’s cobbled lanes, crooked Tudor houses, cosy pubs and quaint tea rooms. Luckily for me, I am heading back to the city at the end of October with Visit York as part of their #OnlyinYork campaign. Here are all of the reasons why I am excited to finally visit York as a tourist, rather than an almost local.
It is Home to the Largest Cathedral in Northern Europe
York Minster is the biggest medieval cathedral in Northern Europe and thought to be one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture found anywhere in the world. Although the site has been the centre of Christianity in the north of England since the 7th century, the building of the current structure began in 1220 and wasn’t declared complete and consecrated until 1472.
At 72 metres tall, the cathedrals central tower provides the best view of the city, provided you’re fit and willing enough to climb the 275 steps to the top.
There is a Pub for Every Day of the Year
If you plan on drinking in all of York’s pubs, you may struggle. The city contains 365 boozers; that means you would have to visit a different one every day of the year to sample them all. Ye Olde Starre Inne, first licensed in 1644, claims to be the oldest but many of the drinking spots around the city have a story to tell. For example, in 1605, Guy Fawkes was born in the building that is now home to the Guy Fawkes Inn and The Snickleway Inn was used as a Royalist powder magazine during the English Civil War.
Although the city has a great selection of cocktail bars and more modern drinking spots, you can’t beat ducking under beams to sup a pint beside a roaring fireplace in a cosy pub.
You can Wander York’s Snickelways
Possibly the most famous place in York, the Shambles isn’t just the prettiest street in the city, it actually won an award for the ‘most picturesque street in Britain’ at the Google Street View Awards. This street is just one of many in a maze of narrow, twisting cobbled lanes surrounded by crooked Tudor houses dating from the 14th and 15th centuries. At certain points, the road is so narrow that the top floors of opposing buildings almost touch each other.
It has World-Class Museums
As I mentioned in my opening spiel, my childhood experiences of york were fairly museum-heavy and York has an abundance of world-class museums to keep even the most curious tourist occupied. While an interactive ride through a Viking settlement at the wonderful Jorvik Viking Centre is incredibly popular, the York Castle Museum is probably the best place to delve into the city’s millennia-old history under one roof. A 10-minute walk away is the Yorkshire Museum, thought to have one of the finest archaeological collections in Europe.
You can Shop ’til You Drop
Speaking of the Shambles, it is also the perfect place to do some shopping. York’s narrow side streets are home to everything from traditional sweet shops to hip, modern, independents. York is also famed for having an abundance of quirky, second hand and antique bookshops.
If the high street is more your thing, you can find all of the usual suspects in the city centre and at York Designer Outlet, just on the edge of town.
There are Festivities and Celebrations throughout the Year
York isn’t a city to rest on its laurels. Instead of letting the city’s attractions and history speak for itself, York has a jam-packed programme of events and festivals taking place each month. Events include the Jorvic Viking Festival, recognised as the largest Viking Festival in Europe, the Tour de Yorkshire, Christmas markets, The Yorkshire Fringe and Bloom!, a 4-day horticulture and flower festival. For the full range of events, head to Visit York’s website.
Ghost Hunt in Europe’s Most Haunted City
Any city with a history as storied and bloody as York’s is bound to have a few spooks in is closet, but did you know that York has been named Europe’s most haunted city by The International Ghost Research Foundation? From poltergeists in pubs to spooks stalking the city walls, it is thought that there are over 500 hauntings in York, thanks to ghouls such as Mad Alice, the Grey Lady and a group of roaming Roman soldiers.
Even if you doubt the existence of an afterlife, or the credentials of The International Ghost Research Foundation, the walled city’s bloodthirsty history is fun to explore on one of the many ghost walks and tours that take place each night. The Original Ghost Walk of York, established in 1973, was actually the very first ghost walk in the entire world!
The Foodie Scene is Booming
When it comes to dining, it isn’t just about having a traditional roast in one of the city’s pubs or an afternoon tea at Betty’s Tea Room, the foodie scene in York is booming. There are classics such as The Ivy and The Rise at the Grand Hotel & Spa as well as brand new openings like a supper club my Masterchef finalist Sara Danesin Medio and Roots, the new venture by Tommy Banks whose Black Swan pub was previously named the best restaurant in the World by Trip Advisor.
This post was created in collaboration with Visit York as part of their #OnlyinYork Campaign. However, all views expressed are my own.
One Response
I must say have always wanted to visit York it’s one of my mums favourite places to go but haven’t managed to make a weekend out of it yet.