York has a lot
to offer and I can think of no better place to parctice the art of
the crowded hour, there is so much to see. It is easy to understand
why it was voted European Tourism City for 2007/08.
Start at the tourist
office at the railway station by purchasing a "York Pass"
This gives free entry into many of the attractions and costs £24
for an adult, £14 for a child.
It gives a reduced fare on the Pullman Open Top Bus Tour
which takes you around the city.
This is an excellent way to get your bearings and the commentary sets
you right for exploring the ancient streets.
The the shortest of these is "Whip-Ma-Whop-Ma-Gate"
between Colliergate and Fossgate. The name means "neither one
thing, nor the other". It is 35 metres long and was once the
location of the city's pillory and whipping post where petty criminals
were publicly flogged.
Perhaps the most
impressive street to stroll down is The Shambles a narrow ancient
lane where the tops of the timber beamed houses lean towards each
other above your head. It was built this way on purpose to keep the
heat of the sun from rotting the meat on the butchers slabs
.
It is claimed to be the oldest shopping street in Europe and even
gets a mention in the Doomsday Book of 1086. Adjacent to it you find
an open air market and if you choose to have an all day breakfast
in the cafe in the little lane that joins them be sure to climb up
the narrow stairs and take in the view from a window side table in
a room that hasn’t changed much in 400 years
The coach commentary gives you a whiff of history and you soon understand
that the Romans and the Vikings were here before you. There are so
many attractions on offer its difficult to decide just where to hop
on and off the bus as it circles the town.
Highlights.
Fairfax House is an immaculately furnished 18th century
town house with an impressive collection of Georgian and Victorian
furniture and art deco. As you explore the rooms it fees as though
the occupants have just stepped out of the residence
York
Minster is the largest gothic cathedral in Northern Europe.
A Mynstr was the Anglo-Saxon word for s missionary church the first
Minster in York was built in 627 The vast gothic minster that dominates
the city was consecrated in 1472 and took 250 years to build.
It contains England’s greatest concentration of medieval stained
glass and the great east window which measures 186 square metres.
If you have a good head for heights and feel energetic climb the 275
steps that lead up to the tower. You get superb views of historic
York and the city walls.
The heart of the city is largely traffic free, so is quiet and pleasant
to stroll around with some streets following the same route that they
did 2000 years ago, The Vipraetoria and Via Principalis led to the
massive Roman headquarters which ones occupied the site where the
vast gothic Minster stands today. Nowadays these streets are called
Stonegate and Petergate and are York’s two most stylish shopping
centres..
York Castle Museum is also well worth a visit and
is big enough to contain a Vitorian cobbled street, complete with
costumed charactors and shops.
Clifford's
Tower can hardly be missed. It sits high on a green hill
and was built by William the Conqueror. It is worth the climb to see
panoramic views of York. .
The Jorvick Centre in Coppergate. This
has a ride in which you fly over the streets of York as they were
in Viking times. After that experience you can study some of the 40,000
Viking objects were unearthed during the Coppergate dig these include
wood, leather, cloth and bugs, all preserved by moist earth. I found
the post-mortom being givin on a Viking age skeleton fascinating.
The River
Ouse; for a different approach to York take to the river
that the Vikings used by boarding one of the cruises that run on the
River. You can also rent small self drive motor boats
Local events
that can add lustre to your visit..jpg)
There is a Roman
Festival, this year it takes place on 25 - 26 October 2008.
It is an internationally renowned event is a celebrating the cultural
and military customs that the Romans brought to York.
York was one of the most important Roman cities in Britain and for
a period at the end of the 3rd century was the capital of the Roman
Empire.
It was in York that the famous VIIII Legion disappeared, where Emperors
Septimius Severus and Constantius Chlorus died and where Constantine
The Great was proclaimed Emperor.
and as Christmas approaches....
Markets and music
The city of York starts its festive season on 15 November this year,
with the opening of its open-air ice skating rink by the Castle Museum.
The annual St Nicholas Fayre (right) takes place on 27–30 November
when York’s medieval buildings will be decorated with Christmas
lights and its narrow cobbled streets filled with old-fashioned Victorian
street stalls. New to York this year is the International Christmas
Fayre (3–17 December) offering food from around the world, while
the Made in Yorkshire Christmas Market (4–14 December) offers
locally-made arts and crafts. On the weekend of 13–14 December
there will be a Festival of Angels in the Swinegate Quarter, a small
area of the the city centre with many individual and independent shops.
The festival includes a street display of ice sculptures, a parade
of angels of all ages and sizes, street artists, music and outside
food and bars. There will also be a guaranteed light dusting of ‘snow’.
York’s Early Music Christmas Festival takes place 11–14
December, and the city's 800-yearold Minster – the largest Gothic
cathedral in northern Europe – will be holding a dedicated season
of Christian Christmas services.
York is a popular winter destination. Last year visitors spent around
£50 million in the city over the festive season. It is less
than two hours by train from London, 21/2 hours from dinburgh and
an hour from the ferry terminal at Kingston-upon-Hull.
Websites:
http://www.visityork.org/christmas.
http://www.yorkromanfestival.com/
York Visit Information Centre Tel 01904 550099
http://www.visityork.org
report
by Allan Rogers
THE GRAND 
