YORK
NEAR BOOTHAM BAR AND RECOMMENDED B&BS
Historic York is loaded with world-class sights. Marvel at the York Minster, England’s finest Gothic church. Ramble The Shambles, York’s wonderfully preserved medieval quarter. Enjoy a walking tour led by an old Yorker. Hop a train at one of the world’s greatest railway museums, travel to the 1800s in the York Castle Museum, head back 1,000 years to Viking times at the Jorvik Viking Centre, or dig into the city’s buried past at the Yorkshire Museum.
York has a rich history. In AD 71 it was Eboracum, a Roman provincial capital—the northernmost city in the empire. Constantine was proclaimed emperor here in AD 306. In the fifth century, as Rome was toppling, the Roman emperor sent a letter telling England it was on its own, and York—now called Eoforwic—became the capital of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Northumbria.
The city’s first church was built in 627, and the town became an early Christian center of learning. The Vikings later took the town, and from the 9th through the 11th century, it was a Danish trading center called Jorvik. The invading and conquering Normans destroyed and then rebuilt the city, fortifying it with a castle and the walls you see today.
Medieval York, with 9,000 inhabitants, grew rich on the wool trade and became England’s second city. Henry VIII used the city’s fine Minster as the northern capital of his Anglican Church. (In today’s Anglican Church, the Archbishop of York is second only to the Archbishop of Canterbury.)
In the Industrial Age, York was the railway hub of northern England. When it was built in 1877, York’s train station was the world’s largest. During World War II, the station suffered an aerial bombardment. (In response to Allied bombing of historic German towns, the Nazis unleashed the “Baedeker raids,” bombing English cities—including York—that were described as the most historic and beautiful in the leading German guidebook of the day.)
Today, York feels like a big, traffic-free amusement park for adults. Its leading industry is tourism. It seems like everything that’s great about Britain finds its best expression in this manageable town. While the city has no single claim to fame, York is more than the sum of its parts. With its strollable cobbles and half-timbered buildings, grand cathedral and excellent museums, thriving restaurant scene and welcoming locals, York delights.
PLANNING YOUR TIME
After London, York is the best sightseeing city in England. On even a 10-day trip through England, it deserves two nights and a day. For the best 36 hours, follow this plan: Arrive early enough to catch the 17:30 evensong service at the Minster, then familiarize yourself with the tangled lanes between the Minster and The Shambles. Enjoy dinner (which you reserved in advance) at one of the city’s bistros. The next morning at 9:00, take my self-guided walk, interrupting it midway with a tour of the Minster. Finish the walk and grab lunch. To fill your afternoon, choose among the town’s many important sights (such as the York Castle Museum or the Railway Museum). Spend the evening enjoying a ghost walk of your choice and another memorable dinner.
This is a packed day; as you review this chapter, you’ll see that there are easily two days of sightseeing fun in York.
Orientation to York
There are roughly 200,000 people in York and its surrounding area; about one in ten is a student. But despite the city’s size, the sightseer’s York is small. Virtually everything is within a few minutes’ walk: sights, train station, TI, and B&Bs. The longest walk a visitor could take (from a B&B across the old town to the York Castle Museum) is about half an hour.
Bootham Bar, a gate in the medieval town wall, is the hub of your York visit. (In York, a “bar” is a gate and a “gate” is a street. Blame the Vikings.) At Bootham Bar and on Exhibition Square, you’ll find the starting points for most walking tours and bus tours, handy access to the medieval town wall, a public WC, and Bootham Street (which leads to my recommended B&Bs). To find your way around York, use the Minster’s towers as a navigational landmark, or follow the strategically placed signposts, which point out all places of interest to tourists.
TOURIST INFORMATION
York’s helpful TI is on St. Sampson’s Square, at 21 Parliament Street (Mon-Sat 9:00-17:00, Sun 10:00-16:00, +44 1904 555 670—leave a message, www.visityork.org, info@visityork.org). Their inexpensive map is a good value.
Visit York Pass: This pass covers most of York’s important sights, the City Sightseeing bus, a riverboat ride (York City Cruise; see listing later), and a few regional sights. You’d have to be a very busy sightseer to make the £59 one-day version worth the cost (it’s good for a calendar day, not 24 hours); the two- and three-day passes are a better value (https://yorkpass.com).
Jorvik Pastport: A £21.75 combo-ticket (£16.50 for kids 16 and under) gets you into all four sights run by the York Archaeological Trust (YAT): the Jorvik Viking Centre, Dig, Barley Hall, and City Walls Experience at Micklegate Bar (walking tour not included; for details on these sights, see “Other Sights Inside York’s Walls,” later). You’ll need to visit two or three of these to make the ticket worthwhile, and if you buy the pass online, you may need to select a date and time for each visit (also available at participating sights, +44 1904 615 505, https://yat.digitickets.co.uk).
ARRIVAL IN YORK
By Train: The train station is a 10-minute walk from downtown. Day-trippers can pay to store baggage at the small hut next to the Europcar office just off Queen Street—as you exit the station, turn right and walk across a bridge until you see the Left Luggage sign down below, then take the stairway down on the right (daily 8:00-20:00). Baggage storage is also available near Bootham Bar—see “Helpful Hints,” later.
Recommended B&Bs are a 5- to 15-minute walk or £8-10 taxi ride from the station (for walking directions, see “Sleeping in York,” later).
To walk downtown from the station, exit straight, passing through the taxi stand, and turn left down Station Road. At the first intersection, cross the street and take the path to the right, keeping the wall on your right. Turn right through the gap in the wall and then left across the river and follow the crowd toward the Gothic towers of the Minster.
By Car: Driving and parking in York is maddening. Day-trippers should follow signs to one of several park-and-ride lots ringing the perimeter. Parking is free (though overnight parking is generally not allowed), and cheap shuttle buses go every 10 minutes into the center.
If you’re sleeping here, ask your hotelier for parking advice. (Some places offer permits to park nearby.) To reach my recommended B&Bs, follow the A-1237 ring road to the A-19/Thirsk roundabout (next to river on northwest side of town). From the roundabout, follow signs for York, traveling through Clifton into Bootham. Most recommended B&Bs are several blocks before you hit the medieval city.
HELPFUL HINTS
Book Ahead: Booking online will save you money at some sights (see individual listings), and it will save you time in line at the Minster (advance tickets required for Sun visits), the Castle Museum, and the Jorvik Viking Centre. It’s smart to book ahead for walking tours, especially the Bloody Tour of York ghost tour and the City Walls Experience. Reserve ahead for any restaurant you’re keen on, as popular spots can fill up even midweek.
Festivals: Book a room well in advance during festival times and on weekends year-round. The Viking Festival blows its lur horn in mid-February (https://jorvikvikingfestival.co.uk). The Early Music Festival (medieval minstrels, Renaissance dance, and so on) zings its strings in early July (www.ncem.co.uk/whats-on/yemf). York calls itself the “Ascot of the North” and fills up on horse-race weekends (once a month May-Oct, www.yorkracecourse.co.uk); it’s especially busy for the mid-August Ebor Races (when prices go up and the streets are filled with drunken revelers). The York Food and Drink Festival takes a bite out of late September (www.yorkfoodfestival.com). And the St. Nicholas Fair Christmas market jingles its bells from mid-November through Christmas. For a complete list of festivals, see VisitYork.org/events.
Baggage Storage: Between Bootham Bar and the Minster, Yorbag Left Luggage has a tiny office at 20 High Petergate and will stash your bags for “bloody cheap” (daily 9:00-19:00, 10-minute walk to train station, +44 7561 852 654). You can also store bags near the train station (see “Arrival in York,” earlier).
Laundry: Some B&Bs will do laundry for a reasonable charge. Otherwise, try Regency Dry Cleaning near my recommended B&Bs (call ahead for prices, Mon-Tue 9:00-16:00, Wed-Sat until 14:00, closed Sun, 75 Bootham, +44 1904 613 311).
Bike Rental: Outside the pedestrian center, the town itself is not great for biking. But there are several fine countryside rides from York, and the riverside New Walk bike path is pleasant. You’ll see rentable e-bikes around town; the only other place to rent a bike is Get Cycling, an enjoyable 30-minute walk from the center along the New Walk path, or they can deliver for a small fee (Mon-Fri 8:30-17:30, Sat until 17:00, closed Sun; near the Millennium Bridge, +44 1904 636 812, www.getcycling.org.uk).
Taxi: From the train station, taxis zip new arrivals to their B&Bs for £8-10. Queue up at the taxi stand, or call +44 1904 623 332; cabbies don’t start the meter until you get in. Be aware that taxis can be hard to come by between 13:00 and 15:00 on school days.
Car Rental: If you’re nearing the end of your trip, consider dropping your car upon arrival in York. The money saved by turning it in early more than pays for the train ticket that whisks you effortlessly to London. In York, you’ll find Europcar (off Queen Street near the train station, +44 3713 843 458) and Enterprise (Leeman Road, +44 904 658 240). Beware: Car-rental agencies close early on Saturday afternoons and all day Sunday. This is OK when dropping off, but picking up at these times is possible only by prior arrangement (and for an extra fee).
Tours in York
WALKING TOURS
A walking tour in York is worth ▲▲▲.
Free Walks with Volunteer Guides
Charming locals give energetic, entertaining, and free two-hour walks through York (daily at 10:30 and 13:15, depart from Exhibition Square in front of the art gallery, prebooking recommended, +44 1904 949 942, https://avgyork.co.uk). These tours often go long because the guides love to teach and tell stories. You’re welcome to cut out early—but let them know, or they’ll worry that they’ve lost you.
York Tour
Led by husband-and-wife team Alfred Hickling and Sarah Jackson, York Tour’s 90-minute walks are a bit more intellectually demanding, with a history focus that’s still family-friendly (£18, kids under 16 half-price, online booking required; daily at 10:30 and 14:00, meet at Library Square; private tours—£120/2 hours; +44 7963 791 937, www.yorktour.com).
Ghost Walks
York lays claim to being the most haunted city in Europe. Each evening, the old center crawls with creepy ghost walks. These walks are generally 1.5 hours long and go rain or shine. You’ll see fliers and signboards all over town advertising the spooky strolls, which blend history, storytelling, and a bit of street theater. Here are the most reliably good walks (ask about discounts for kids).
The Bloody Tour of York, led by Mad Alice (an infamous figure in York lore), is an engaging walk with captivating descriptions of the plague, martyred saints, the torture of Guy Fawkes, and other lurid tales. Alice may be mad, but she provides a fine blend of history, violence, and mayhem (£12, online booking required; Tue and Thu-Sun at 18:00, April-Oct also at 20:00, no tours Mon and Wed, Jan Sat only; meet outside St. Williams College behind the Minster on College Street, www.thebloodytourofyork.co.uk).
The Original Ghost Walk, said to be the first of its kind, dates to the 1970s and covers some of the supposedly haunted places in York, where old dukes, Vikings, and Roman soldiers are still seen at night. This walk has more classic spooky storytelling than comedy, and you may learn that your B&B is haunted—or that it sits atop an old graveyard (£7.50, cash only, daily at 20:00, 75-90 minutes, meet outside The Kings Arms at Ouse Bridge, www.theoriginalghostwalkofyork.co.uk).
OTHER TOURS IN YORK
Food Tour
Tours in a Dish, led by Marion Martinez, makes five stops in three hours that can also serve as lunch. The tour visits small eateries offering both savory and sweet cuisine, mostly modern and eclectic rather than traditional English, where you meet the artisan (£60/person, up to 10 people, departs Thu-Sat at 11:30 from the Minster, book online, +44 7588 773 647, www.toursinadish.com).
Hop-on, Hop-off Bus Tours
City Sightseeing and Golden Tours York both send half-enclosed, double-decker, hop-on, hop-off buses in a circle around York, taking tourists past secondary sights that the city walking tours skip—the mundane perimeter of town. While you can hop on and off all day, York is so compact that these have no real transportation value. If taking a bus tour, catch one at Exhibition Square (near Bootham Bar) and ride it for an orientation all the way around. Consider getting off at the National Railway Museum and skipping the last five minutes. In the summer, several departures come with a live guide (£16, drivers take cash or cards—or book online, ticket valid 24 hours, departs every 15 minutes, daily 9:00-17:30, less frequent off-season, entire circuit takes about an hour, https://yorkcitysightseeing.com or www.goldentours.com/york). Golden Tours York also offers a £25 combo-ticket with the York City river cruise (see next).
River Cruise
York City Cruise does a lazy, narrated, 45-minute trip along the River Ouse (£13, £25 combo-ticket with Golden Tours York bus; April-Sept daily 10:30-16:00, runs every half-hour, fewer off-season, no cruises Dec-Jan; leaves from both Lendal Bridge and King’s Staith Landing between the Ouse and Skeldergate bridges; also £14 one-hour evening cruises at 19:30, off-season at 18:00, leaves from King’s Staith; +44 207 740 0400, www.citycruisesyork.com).
Yorkshire Day Trips
Two reliable companies run all-day 16-passenger minibus tours with various routes covering the nearby North York Moors, Yorkshire Dales, and Whitby on the coast. Tours cost £55-60 and are an efficient way to sample this scenic and charming region without a rental car (Mountain Goat Tours, +44 1539 445 161, www.mountain-goat.com; and Bob Holiday’s Day Trips from York, +44 1609 779 933, www.bobholidays.com).
York Walk
Get a taste of Roman and medieval York on this easy, self-guided stroll. The walk begins in the gardens just in front of the Yorkshire Museum, covers a stretch of the medieval city walls, and then cuts through the middle of the old town. Note that the gardens close at 18:00.
• Start in the Museum Gardens, at the ruins of St. Mary’s Abbey (see the “York Walk” map).
1 St. Mary’s Abbey
This abbey dates to the age of William the Conqueror—whose harsh policies (called the “Harrowing of the North”) consisted of massacres and destruction, including the burning of York’s main church. His son Rufus, who tried to improve relations in the 11th century, established a great church here. The church became an abbey that thrived from the 13th century until the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 16th century. The Dissolution, which accompanied the Protestant Reformation and break with Rome, was a power play by Henry VIII. The king wanted much more than just a divorce: He wanted the land and riches of the monasteries. Upset with the pope, he demanded that his subjects pay him taxes rather than give the Church tithes.
As you gaze at this ruin, imagine magnificent abbeys like this scattered throughout the realm. Henry VIII destroyed most of them, taking the lead from their roofs and leaving the stones to scavenging townsfolk. Scant as they are today, these ruins still evoke a time of immense monastic power. The one surviving wall was the west half of a very long, skinny nave. The tall arch marked the start of the transept. In the grass just beyond the arch, find the plaque that reads Crossing beneath central tower, and look up at the air that now fills the space where a huge tower once stood. (Fine carved stonework from the ruined abbey is on display in a basement room of the adjacent Yorkshire Museum.)
With your back to the abbey, the fine Neoclassical building in front of you houses the Yorkshire Museum (worth a visit and described later, under “Sights in York”).
• Walk in front of the Yorkshire Museum building and circle immediately left down a tree-covered lane. Ahead on your right is a corner of the Roman wall and the Multangular Tower. To visit it, after 30 yards, follow the lane on the right through a garden, past yew trees (York means “place of the yew trees”), and through a small gated arch in the wall. Step through the wall and look right for a peek into the ruined tower.
2 Multangular Tower
This 12-sided tower (c. AD 300) was likely a catapult station built to protect the town from enemy river traffic. The red ribbon of bricks was a Roman trademark—both structural and decorative. The lower stones are Roman, while the upper (and bigger) stones are medieval. After Rome fell, York suffered through two centuries of a Dark Age. Then, in the ninth century, the Vikings ruled. They built with wood, so almost nothing from that period remains. The Normans came in 1066 and built in stone, generally atop Roman structures (like this wall). The wall that defined the ancient Roman garrison town worked for the Norman town, too. But after the English Civil Wars in the 1600s and Jacobite rebellions in the 1700s (Britain’s last internal conflicts), fortified walls were no longer needed in the country’s interior.
• Now, return to the tree- and fern-lined lane and turn right, walking between the museum and the Roman wall. Continuing straight, the lane goes between the King’s Manor and the town wall. This is a “snickelway”—a small, characteristic York lane or footpath. The snickelway pops out on...
3 Exhibition Square
With Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries, the abbey was destroyed and the abbot’s palace became the King’s Manor (to reach it from the snickelway, make a U-turn to the left and through the gate). You’ll pass under the coat of arms of Charles I, who stayed here during the English Civil Wars in the 1640s. Today, the building is part of the University of York. Because the northerners were slow to embrace the king’s reforms, Henry VIII came here to personally enforce the Dissolution. He stayed 17 days in this mansion and brought along 1,000 troops to make his determination clear. You can wander into the grounds and building.
Return to Exhibition Square, the departure point for various walking and bus tours, and overlooked by the venerable York Art Gallery (minor collection of paintings and ceramics, free to enter permanent collection, closed Mon-Tue). The square’s centerpiece is a statue of William Etty (1787-1849). In the Industrial Age, most great cities tore their walls down and laid railway lines right through their hearts. With leadership from Etty, York saved its walls and parked the train station outside the center, thus retaining the York character that so many visitors enjoy today.
From Exhibition Square you can see the towers of the Minster in the distance. Travelers in the Middle Ages could see the Minster from miles away as they approached the city. Across the street is a pay WC and Bootham Bar—one of the fourth-century Roman gates in York’s wall (this one faced Scotland)—with access to the best part of the city walls (free, walls open 8:00-dusk).
• Climb up the bar. (While there may be a padlock, the entry gate is generally open. Just push.)
4 Walk the Wall
Hike along the top of the wall behind the Minster to the first corner. York’s 13th-century walls are three miles long. This stretch follows the original Roman wall. Norman kings built up the walls to assert control over northern England. Notice the pivots in the crenellations (square notches at the top of a medieval wall), which once held wooden hatches to provide cover for archers. The wall was extensively renovated in the 19th century. (Victorians may have saved the walls, but the fortifications were not “medieval” enough for their taste, so they ornamented them with fanciful extras, adding little touches such as Romantic arrow slits.)
At the corner with the benches—Robin Hood’s Tower—you can lean out and see the moat outside. This was originally the Roman ditch that surrounded the fortified garrison town. (Looking at a town map, you can still make out the rectangular footprint of that original occupiers’ green zone.) Continue walking for a fine view of the Minster, with its truncated main tower and the pointy rooftop of its chapter house.
Continue to the next gate, Monk Bar, a fine medieval gatehouse.
• Descend the wall at Monk Bar, and step outside the city’s protective wall. Pass the portcullis (last lowered in 1953 for Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation). Take 10 paces and gaze up at the tower. Imagine 10 archers behind the arrow slits. Keep an eye on the 17th-century guards, with their stones raised and primed to protect the town.
Return through the city wall. After a short block, turn right on Ogleforth. (“Ogle” is the Norse word for owl, hence our word “ogle”—to look at something fiercely.)
York’s Old Town
Walking down 5 Ogleforth, ogle the charming little brick house from the 17th century called the Dutch House (on your left). Designed by an apprentice architect showing off for his master, it was the first entirely brick house in town—a sign of opulence. Next, also of brick, is a former brewery with a 19th-century industrial feel.
Ogleforth jogs left and becomes Chapter House Street, which leads on to the Minster. On your way you’ll pass the 6 Treasurer’s House on the right. If it’s open, it’s worth a short detour through the home’s tranquil garden (closed Thu-Fri, café). The garden is free to visit (the house itself has an entry fee). To reach the garden, pass through the ornate iron gate into the hallway, then take a sharp left. Find a bench and pause to enjoy this pint-sized walled oasis before exiting onto the lane called Minster Yard, with the pointed tower of the octagonal Chapter House looming in front of you.
If the garden isn’t open, continue straight to Minster Yard. (If you walk a few steps to the right, you can peek at the grand house through a big metal gate.)
Follow Minster Yard as you circle left around the back side of the Minster, past the stonemasons’ lodge (where craftspeople chisel local limestone for the church, as has been done here since the 13th century), to the statue of Roman emperor Constantine and an ancient Roman column.
Step up to lounging 7 Constantine (a modern statue, this was unveiled in 1998). Five emperors visited York when it was the Roman city of Eboracum. Constantine was here when his father died. The troops declared him the Roman emperor in AD 306 at this site, and six years later, he went to Rome to claim his throne. In AD 312, Constantine legalized Christianity, and in AD 314, York got its first bishop.
The ancient column across the street from Constantine is a reminder that the Minster sits upon the site of the Roman headquarters, or principia. The first-century column, likely part of an early church, was discovered beneath the Minster in 1969 and placed here in 1971, just before the city celebrated the 1,900th anniversary of the founding of Eboracum—a.k.a. York.
• If you want to visit the York Minster now, find the entrance on its west side, ahead and around the corner (see description under “Sights in York,” later). Otherwise, head into the town center. From opposite the Minster’s south transept door (the door by Constantine), take a narrow pedestrian walkway—which becomes Stonegate—into the tangled commercial center of medieval York. Walk down Stonegate, lined with inviting cafés, pubs, and restaurants. Just before the Ye Old Starre Inne banner hanging over the street, turn left down the snickelway called Coffee Yard (marked by a red devil). Enjoy strolling another of York’s...
8 “Snickelways”
This is a made-up York word combining “snicket” (a passageway between walls or fences), “ginnel” (a narrow passageway between buildings), and “alleyway” (any narrow passage)—snickelway. York—with its population packed densely inside its protective walls—has about 50 of these public passages. In general, when exploring the city, you should duck into these—both for the adventure and to take a shortcut. While some of York’s history has been bulldozed by modernity, bits of it hide and survive in the snickelways.
Coffee Yard leads past Barley Hall (after passing its entry courtyard, look through the big window on the left to see its fine old interior), popping out at the corner of Grape Lane and Swinegate. Medieval towns named streets for the business done there. Swinegate, a lane of pig farmers, leads to the market. Grape Lane is a polite version of that street’s original crude name, Gropec*nt Lane. If you were here a thousand years ago, you’d find it lined by brothels. Throughout England, streets for sex workers (rife with men groping women) were called by this graphic name. If you see a street named Grape Lane, that’s usually its heritage.
Keep your hands to yourself and turn right down Swinegate toward a market (which you can see in the distance). The Shambles Market, popular for cheap produce and clothing, was created in the 1960s with the demolition of a bunch of colorful medieval lanes. Despite suburban malls and online shopping, it’s good to see a bit of York’s old commercial zone with its medieval heritage still thriving after all those centuries. (The food stalls at the far end are good for a fast, cheap, and memorable little lunch.)
• Tiny “Little Shambles” lane, on the left, dead-ends into the most famous lane in York.
9 The Shambles
This colorful old street (rated ▲) was once the “street of the butchers.” The name was derived from “shammell”—a butcher’s bench upon which to cut and display meat. In the 16th century, this lane was dripping with red meat. You can still see the hooks—once used to hang rabbit, pheasant, beef, lamb, and pigs’ heads—under the eaves. Fresh slabs were displayed on the fat sills, while people lived above the shops. All the garbage and sewage flushed down the street to a mucky pond at the end—a favorite hangout for the town’s cats and dogs. Tourist shops now fill these fine, half-timbered Tudor buildings. Look above the modern crowds and storefronts to appreciate the classic English architecture. While fires gutted most old English town centers, York’s old town survives intact. (London would have looked like this before its devastating fire in 1666.) The soil here isn’t great for building; notice how the structures have settled in the absence of a solid foundation.
Turn right and slalom down The Shambles. Just past the tiny cheesecake shop at #37, pop in to the snickelway and look for very old woodwork. Study the 16th-century carpentry: mortise-and-tenon joints with wooden plugs rather than nails, and the wattle-and-daub construction (timber frames filled in with rubble and plastered over).
Next door (back on The Shambles) is the shrine of St. Margaret Clitherow, a 16th-century Catholic crushed by Protestants under her own door (as was the custom when a city wanted to teach someone a lesson). She was killed for refusing to testify about hiding priests in her home. Step into the tiny shrine for a peaceful moment to ponder Margaret, who in 1970 was sainted for her faith.
The Shambles reminds many of Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter films. While this lane inspired the set design (and the establishment of several “he-who-shall-not-be-named-for-trademark-reasons” shops at the bottom end of the lane), no filming was done here.
At the bottom of The Shambles is the cute, tiny St. Crux Parish Hall, which charities use to raise funds by selling light meals (see “Eating in York,” later). Take time to chat with the volunteers.
With blood and guts from The Shambles’ 20 butchers all draining down the lane, it’s no wonder The Golden Fleece, just below, is considered the most haunted pub in town.
• Your town walk is finished. From here, you’re just a few minutes from plenty of fun: street entertainment and lots of cheap eating options on King’s Square, good restaurants on Fossgate, the York Castle Museum (a few blocks farther downhill), and the starting point for my Ouse Riverside Walk (described later in this chapter).
Sights in York
▲▲▲YORK MINSTER
OTHER SIGHTS INSIDE YORK’S WALLS
City Walls Experience at Micklegate Bar
▲▲▲YORK MINSTER
The pride of York, this largest Gothic church north of the Alps (540 feet long, 200 feet tall) brilliantly shows that the High Middle Ages were far from dark. The word “minster” means an important church chartered with a mission to evangelize. As it’s the seat of a bishop, York Minster is also a cathedral. While Henry VIII destroyed England’s great abbeys, this was not part of a monastery (and Henry needed an ecclesiastical center for his Anglican Church in the north), so it was left standing. It seats 2,000 comfortably; on Christmas and Easter, at least 4,000 worshippers pack the place. Today, more than 250 employees and 500 volunteers work to preserve its heritage and welcome more than a million visitors each year. It costs £30,000 a day to maintain the great church, and they just about break even with the revenue generated by tourism.
Cost: £16, includes guided tour, Undercroft Museum, and crypt; free for kids under age 16. Tickets are good for a year, so you can reenter as you like.
Hours: The cathedral is open for sightseeing Mon-Sat 9:30-16:00, Sun 12:45-14:15. It opens for worship daily at 7:30. Sights within the Minster have shorter hours (see later). The Minster may close for special events (check calendar on website).
Information: +44 1904 557 217 or +44 8443 930 011, https://yorkminster.org.
Advance Tickets: Reservations can be made online and are required for Sunday afternoon visits. On all other days, an advance ticket is recommended to avoid long lines.
Visitor Information: You’ll get a free map with your ticket. For more information, pick up the inexpensive York Minster Short Guide. Helpful Minster guides stationed throughout are happy to answer your questions (but not on Sundays).
Tours: Free, guided hour-long tours depart from the ticket desk every hour on the hour (Mon-Sat 10:00-15:00, more often with demand, none on Sun, they go even with just 1-2 people, okay to join a tour in progress). Those with a deeper interest can book ahead online for 90-minute “Hidden Minster” tours: Chapter House and Mason’s Loft (£12; Wed, Thu, Sat at 11:00), Scaffolding and Meet the Masons (£20; Mon at 13:00), or Crypts of the Early Minster (£6; Tue and Fri at 11:00).
Evensong: To experience the cathedral in musical and spiritual action, attend an evensong (Tue-Sat at 17:30, Sun at 16:00, lasts 45-60 minutes; Mon service spoken rather than sung, at 17:30; enter at south door). Visiting choirs perform when the Minster’s choir is on summer break (mid-July-Aug). Arrive 15 minutes early and wait just outside the choir in the center of the church. You’ll be ushered in and can sit in one of the big wooden stalls. As evensong is a worship service, attendees enter the church free of charge. Leaving early is a disruption, so plan to stay. For more on evensong, see here.
Church Bells: If you’re a fan of church bells, you can experience ding-dong ecstasy Sunday morning at about 10:00 and during the Tuesday practice session between 19:00 and 22:00. These performances are especially impressive, as the church holds a full carillon of 35 bells (it’s the only English cathedral to have such a range). Stand in front of the church’s west portal and imagine the gang pulling on a dozen ropes (halfway up the right tower—you can see the ropes through a little window) while a talented carillonneur plays 22 more bells with a keyboard and foot pedals.
Tower Climb: It costs £6 for 30 minutes of exercise (275 steps) and forgettable views. The tower opens at 10:30 (13:15 on Sun), with ascents every 45 minutes (no children under 8, not good for acrophobes, closed in extreme weather). Get your timed-entry ticket upon arrival (or book online same-day) as only 50 visitors are allowed up at once. It’s a tight, spiraling, claustrophobic staircase with an iron handrail. You’ll climb about 150 steps to the top of the transept, step outside to cross a narrow walkway, then go back inside for more than 100 steps to the top of the central tower. From here, you’ll have caged-in views of rooftops and the flat countryside.
Undercroft Museum: This museum focuses on the history of the site and its origins as a Roman fortress (Mon-Sat 10:30-16:00, Sun 13:15-15:45).
Self-Guided Tour
• Before entering, stand before the great west portal (under the twin towers) and take in the...
1 Facade View: You’ll notice this facade has lots of empty niches. These were potential “advertising” spaces, built to entice rich donors who would be recognized with a statue, but most were never filled. One exception is in the center, where a bishop stands flanked by two wealthy dukes—one who gave stone (on the left, holding a stone) and another who gave timber (on the right, holding a beam).
To the right of the great west doors, standing clean and pristine in her niche, is Queen Elizabeth II. Carved in 2022 by York Minster stonemason Richard Bossons, this six-and-a-half-foot tall, 4,000-pound statue was intended to commemorate the queen’s Platinum Jubilee. Unfortunately, the queen died before seeing the statue, which was unveiled here by her son, King Charles III, in November 2022. It is carved from French limestone, a material used for other figures in the Minster. Elizabeth holds an orb and scepter, symbols of her role as head of church and state.
Upon entering the Minster, decide whether you’re climbing the tower (if you didn’t book online). If so, get a ticket (with an assigned time). Also consider visiting the Undercroft Museum (described later) if you want to get a comprehensive history and overview of the Minster before touring the church.
• Entering the church, turn 180 degrees and look back at the...
2 Great West Doors: These are used only on special occasions. Flanking the doors is a list of archbishops (and other church officials) that goes unbroken back to the 600s. The statue of Peter with the key and Bible (between the doors) is a reminder that the church is dedicated to St. Peter, and the key to heaven is found through the word of God. While the Minster sits on the remains of a Romanesque church (c. 1100), today’s church was begun in 1220 and took 250 years to complete. Up above, look for the female, headless “semaphore saints” (from 2004), using code to spell out a message with golden discs: “Christ is here.”
• Grab a chair and enjoy the view down the...
3 Nave: Your first impression might be of its spaciousness and brightness. One of the widest Gothic naves in Europe, it was built between 1280 and 1360—the middle period of the Gothic style, called “Decorated Gothic.” Rather than risk a stone roof, builders spanned the space with wood. Colorful shields on the arcades are the coats of arms of nobles who helped tall and formidable Edward I, known as “Longshanks,” fight the Scots in the 13th century.
The coats of arms in the clerestory (upper-level) glass represent the nobles who helped Edward I’s son, Edward II, in the same fight. There’s more medieval glass in this building than in the rest of England combined. This precious glass (including the Great East Window) survived World War II—hidden in stately homes throughout Yorkshire.
While originally a Roman Catholic church, it has been a Protestant church for 500 years—ever since the Reformation. Thankfully, rather than destroying the church, the practical Anglicans just purged it of its Roman Catholic iconography. You’ll find no hint of the original pope-celebrating elements that ornamented it before the days of Henry VIII.
Walk to the very center of the church, under the 4 central tower. Look up. An exhibit in the undercroft explains how gifts and skill saved this 197-foot tower from collapse. Use one of the neck-saving mirrors-on-wheels to take it all in.
Look back at the west end to marvel at the Great West Window, especially the stone tracery. While its nickname is the “Heart of Yorkshire,” it represents the sacred heart of Christ, meant to remind people of his love for the world.
Find the golden dragon on the right of the nave (two-thirds of the way up the wall, affixed to the top of a pillar). While no one is sure of its purpose, it pivots and has a hole through its neck—so it was likely a mechanism designed to raise a lid of a saint’s coffin. Carved out of Scandinavian oak, it’s considered part of the earlier church built during Viking times. Directly across from the dragon is a statue likely of St. George—the slayer of dragons and protector against pagan religious malpractice (you’ll need to circle around under the dragon to see it).
• Head back under the central tower and, with your back to the church entrance, gaze at the...
5 Choir: Examine the choir screen—the ornate wall of carvings separating the nave from the choir. It’s lined with all the English kings from William I (the Conqueror) to Henry VI (during whose reign it was carved, in 1461). Numbers indicate the years each reigned. It is literally covered in gold leaf, which sounds impressive, but the gold is very thin...a nugget the size of a sugar cube can be pounded into a foil-like sheet the size of a driveway.
Step into the choir, where a service is held daily. All the carving was redone after an 1829 fire, but its tradition of glorious evensong services (sung by choristers from the Minster School) goes all the way back to the eighth century.
• Exit the choir the way you came in and turn right to see the...
6 North Transept: In this transept, the grisaille windows—dubbed the “Five Sisters”—are dedicated to British servicewomen who died in war. They were made in 1260, before colored glass was produced in England. Notice that the design has no figures, perhaps inspired by Islamic art seen by Christian Crusaders in the 13th century. The windows were originally much lighter but became darker after countless cracked panes were fixed over the centuries by added leading.
To the right, the 18th-century 7 astronomical clock is worth a look (the sign helps you make sense of it). It’s dedicated to the heroic Allied aircrews from bases here in northern England who died in World War II. The Book of Remembrance below the clock contains 18,000 names.
• A corridor leads to the Gothic, octagonal...
8 Chapter House: This was the traditional meeting place of the governing body (or chapter) of the Minster. Before going in, pause in the hallway to see a model of the chapter house’s wooden construction. It illustrates the impressive 1285 engineering: with a wooden frame from which the ceiling actually hangs. On the pillar in the middle of the doorway, the Virgin holds Baby Jesus while standing on the devilish serpent.
Now step inside the Chapter House. Without an interior support, it’s remarkable (almost frightening) for its breadth. The fanciful carvings decorating the canopies above the stalls date from 1280 (80 percent are originals) and are some of the Minster’s finest. Stroll slowly around the entire room and imagine that the tiny sculpted heads are a 14th-century parade—a fun glimpse of medieval society. Grates still send hot air up robes of attendees on cold winter mornings.
The Chapter House was the site of an important moment in England’s parliamentary history. In the late 1200s, the Scots under William Wallace and Robert the Bruce were threatening London. Fighting the Scots in 1295, Edward I (the “Longshanks” we met earlier) convened his parliament (a war cabinet) here, rather than down south in London. The government met here through the 20-year reign of Edward II before moving to London during Edward III’s rule in the 14th century (as foreign policy was then focused on fighting the French—in the Hundred Years’ War—rather than the Scots).
• Return to the main part of the church, turn left before the choir, and continue all the way down the nave (behind the choir) to the...
9 East End and Great East Window: This part of the church is square, lacking a semicircular apse, typical of England’s Perpendicular Gothic style (15th century). Monuments (almost no graves) were once strewn throughout the church, but in the Victorian Age, they were gathered into the east end, where you see them today.
The Great East Window, the size of a tennis court, is one of the great treasures of medieval art in Europe. It’s completely original and recently cleaned and restored with its stone tracery, leadings, and painted glass (not stained) looking today as it did when finished in 1408.
Imagine being a worshipper here the day it was unveiled—mesmerized by this sweeping story told in more than 300 panels of painted glass climaxing with the Apocalypse. It’s a medieval disaster movie—a blockbuster back in 1408—showing the end of the world in fire and flood and pestilence...vivid scenes from the book of Revelation. Angels trumpet disaster against blood-red skies. And there it is, the fifth panel up on the far-left side...the devil giving power to the Beast of the Apocalypse, a seven-headed, ten-crowned lion, just as it was written in the Bible.
This must have terrified worshippers. A hundred years before Michelangelo frescoed the story of the beginning and end of time at the Sistine Chapel in Rome, this was unprecedented in its epic scale and done by one man: John Thornton of Coventry.
Because of the Great East Window’s immense size, the east end has an extra layer of supportive stonework, parts of it wide enough to walk along. For special occasions, the church choir has sung from the walkway halfway up the window.
• Retrace your steps and look under the central altar and choir (or go down a flight of steps) to see the...
10 Crypt: Here you can view the boundary of the much smaller, but still huge, Norman church from 1100 that stood on this spot (look for the red dots, marking where the Norman church ended, and note how thick the wall was). You can also see some of the old columns and additional remains from the Roman fortress that once stood here, the tomb of St. William of York (a Roman sarcophagus that was reused), and the modern concrete save-the-church foundations (much of this history is covered in the Undercroft Museum).
• Head back to the central tower and pass the choir to view the...
11 South Transept: Look up. The new “bosses” (carved medallions decorating the point where the ribs meet on the ceiling) are a reminder that the roof of this wing of the church was destroyed by fire in 1984, caused when lightning hit an electricity box. Some believe the lightning was God’s angry response to a new bishop, David Jenkins, who questioned the literal truth of Jesus’ miracles. (Jenkins had been interviewed at a nearby TV studio the night before, leading locals to joke that the lightning occurred “12 hours too late, and 17 miles off-target.”) Regardless, the entire country came to York’s aid. Blue Peter (England’s top kids’ show at the time) conducted a competition among its young viewers to design new bosses. Out of 30,000 entries, there were six winners (the blue ones—e.g., man on the moon, feed the children, save the whales).
• Two other sights can be accessed through the south transept: the tower climb (described earlier) and the...
12 Undercroft Museum: Well-described exhibits follow the history of the site from its origins as a Roman fortress to the founding of an Anglo-Saxon/Viking church, the shift to a Norman place of worship, and finally the construction of the Gothic structure that stands today. The museum fills a space that was excavated following the near collapse of the central tower in 1967.
Videos re-create how the fortress and Norman structure would have been laid out, and various artifacts provide an insight into each period. Highlights include:
• The remains of the Roman fort’s basilica (its hall of justice), viewable through a see-through floor, including patches of Roman frescoes from what was the basilica’s anteroom.
• The Horn of Ulf, the finest Viking treasure in York. This intricately carved elephant’s tusk was presented to the Minster in 1030 by Ulf, a Viking nobleman, as a symbol that he was dedicating his land to God and the Church. Consider the horn’s travels: from Indian elephant, to Islamic carvers in southern Italy, to a Viking lord, to this church.
• The personal effects of Archbishop Walter de Gray who, in the 13th century, started the current church.
• The York Gospels manuscript, a thousand-year-old text containing the four gospels. Made by Anglo-Saxon monks at Canterbury, it’s the only book in the Minster’s collection that dates prior to the Norman Conquest. It is still used to this day to swear in archbishops.
• This finishes your visit. You’ll exit through the gift shop. Before leaving, take a moment to just be in this amazing building. Then, go in peace.
Nearby: As you leave, notice the people-friendly plaza created here and how effectively it ties the church in with the city that stretches before you. To your left are the Roman column from the ancient fortress, which stood where the Minster stands today (and from where Rome administered the northern reaches of Britannia 1,800 years ago); a statue of Emperor Constantine; and the stonemason’s lodge, where masons chisel stone—as they have for centuries—to keep the religious pride and joy of York standing strong and looking good.
OTHER SIGHTS INSIDE YORK’S WALLS
I’ve listed these roughly in geographical order, from near the Minster at the northwest end of town to the York Castle Museum at the south end.
Note that several of York’s glitzier and most heavily promoted sights (the “Jorvik Group”: Jorvik Viking Centre, Dig, Barley Hall, and City Walls Experience) are run by the York Archaeological Trust (YAT). While rooted in real history, YAT attractions are geared primarily toward kids and work hard (some say too hard) to make the history entertaining. If you like their approach and plan to visit more than one, ask about their Pastport (covering all four) and other combo-ticket options (see here).
▲Yorkshire Museum
Located in a lush, picnic-perfect park next to the stately ruins of St. Mary’s Abbey (described in my “York Walk,” earlier), the Yorkshire Museum is the city’s serious “archaeology of York” museum. You can’t dig a hole in York without hitting some remnant of the city’s long past, and most of what’s found ends up here. While the hordes line up at Jorvik Viking Centre, this museum has no crowds and provides a broader historical context, with more real artifacts. The main collections—Roman, medieval, and natural history—are well described, bright, and good for kids.
Cost and Hours: £9.50, cheaper online; open Tue-Sun 10:00-17:00, closed Mon; gardens open daily 9:00-18:00; enter from Museum Gardens, +44 1904 687 687, www.yorkshiremuseum.org.uk.
Visiting the Museum: Near the entrance, you’re greeted by an original, early fourth-century Roman statue of the god Mars. If he could talk, he’d say, “Hear me, mortals. There are three sections here: Roman (on this floor), medieval (downstairs), and Jurassic (a kid-friendly, fossil-based natural history wing opposite the Roman stuff). The Roman collection starts with a large map of the Roman Empire, set on the floor. Then, in a series of rooms, you’ll see slice-of-life exhibits about the Romans of Eboracum (as York was called then), a huge floor mosaic, and a skeleton and skulls accompanied by artists’ renderings of how the people originally looked. (One man was apparently killed by a sword blow to the head—making it graphically clear that the struggle for control of York was violent. His skull was found just beneath this museum’s lower-level WC—look for the plaque there.) These artifacts are particularly interesting when you consider that you’re standing in one of the farthest reaches of the Roman Empire.
The medieval collection is in the basement. During the Middle Ages, York was England’s second city. The central room is dominated by ruins of the St. Mary’s Abbey complex (one wall of the abbey still stands just out front—be sure to see it before leaving). In the surrounding rooms, look for the museum’s prized pieces, a helmet and a pendant. The eighth-century Anglo-Saxon helmet (known as the York Helmet or the Coppergate Helmet) shows a bit of refinement unusual for this era. Examine the delicate carving on its brass trim. The exquisitely etched 15th-century pendant—called the Middleham Jewel—is considered the finest piece of Gothic jewelry in Britain. The noble lady who wore this on a necklace may have hoped it would protect her during childbirth. The back of the pendant, which rested near her heart, shows the Nativity. The front shows the Holy Trinity crowned by a sapphire (believed to have medicinal properties).
In addition to the Anglo-Saxon pieces, the Viking collection is one of the best in England. Looking over the artifacts, you’ll find that the Vikings (who conquered most of the Anglo-Saxon lands) wore some pretty decent shoes and actually combed their hair. The Cawood Sword, nearly 1,000 years old, is one of the finest surviving swords from that era.
Barley Hall
Uncovered behind a derelict office block in the 1980s, this medieval house has been restored to replicate a 1483 dwelling. It’s designed to resurrect the Tudor age for visiting school groups—but with no historic artifacts other than its half-timbered wall, it feels soulless to adults.
Cost and Hours: £8.25, included in Jorvik Pastport and other combo-tickets; daily 10:00-16:00, shorter hours off-season; 2 Coffee Yard off Stonegate, +44 1904 615 505, www.barleyhall.co.uk.
Holy Trinity Church
Built in the late Perpendicular Gothic style, this church has windows made of precious clear and stained glass from the 13th to 15th centuries. It holds rare box pews, which rest atop a floor that is sinking as bodies of “the stinking rich” rot and coffins collapse. Enjoy its peaceful picnic-friendly gardens.
Cost and Hours: Free, usually daily 10:00-16:00, 70 Goodramgate, www.holytrinityyork.org.
King’s Square
This lively people-watching zone, with its inviting benches, once hosted a church. Then it was the site for the town’s gallows. Today, it’s prime real estate for buskers and street performers. Just hanging out here can be entertaining. Beyond is the most characteristic and touristy street in old York: The Shambles. Within sight of the square are plenty of cheap eating options (for tips, see “Eating in York,” later).
York’s Chocolate Story
Though known mainly for its Roman, Viking, and medieval past, York also has a rich history in chocolate. Throughout the 1800s and 1900s, York was home to three major confectionaries—including Rowntree’s, originators of the venerable Kit Kat. This chocolate “museum” is childish and overpriced, with no historic artifacts and in a building with no significance. If you visit, you’ll join a tour that pairs generous samples with the history of York’s confectionary connections—and you’ll have a chance to make your own chocolate lolly.
Cost and Hours: £17.50; one-hour tours run every 30 minutes daily starting at 10:00, more in high season, last tour usually at 17:00; King’s Square, +44 1904 527 765, www.yorkchocolatestory.com.
Dig
This hands-on, kid-oriented archaeological site gives young visitors an idea of what York looked like during Roman, Viking, medieval, and Victorian eras. Sift through “dirt” (actually shredded tires), dig up reconstructed Roman wall plaster, and take a look at what archaeologists have found recently. Entry is possible only with a one-hour guided tour (departures every 30 minutes); pass waiting time by looking at the exhibits filling the haunted old St. Saviour’s Church near the entry. The 16:00 tour each day is designed for adults—it skips the digging and tailors the archaeological presentation to the interests of the participants.
Cost and Hours: £9, kids 16 and under-£8.25, included in Jorvik Pastport and other combo-tickets, online booking recommended, daily 10:00-16:00, Saviourgate, +44 1904 615 505, www.digyork.co.uk.
▲Merchant Adventurers’ Hall
The word “adventurers” refers to investors of the day, and this was a kind of merchants’ corporate headquarters/early stock exchange. Claiming to be the finest surviving medieval guildhall in Britain (built from 1357 to 1361), the vast half-timbered building with marvelous exposed beams contains interesting displays about life and commerce in the Middle Ages when the economy revolved around guilds. You’ll see three original, large rooms that are still intact: the great hall itself, where meetings took place; the undercroft, which housed a hospital and almshouse; and a chapel. Several smaller rooms are filled with exhibits about guilds in this 14th-century world trade center. Sitting by itself in its own little picnic-friendly park, the classic old building is worth a stop even just to see it from the outside. Remarkably, the hall is still owned by the same Merchant Adventurers society that built it nearly 700 years ago (now a modern charitable organization).
Cost and Hours: £7, kids 16 and under free with adult, includes audioguide; Sun-Fri 10:00-16:30, Sat until 13:30; inviting café, south of The Shambles between Fossgate and Piccadilly, +44 1904 654 818, www.merchantshallyork.org.
▲Jorvik Viking Centre
Take the “Pirates of the Caribbean,” sail them northeast and back in time 1,000 years, sprinkle in some real artifacts, and you get Jorvik (YOR-vik). In the late 1970s, more than 40,000 artifacts were dug out of the peat bog right here in downtown York—the UK’s largest archaeological dig of Viking-era artifacts. When the archaeologists were finished, developers were allowed to build the big Fenwick department store next door, and the dig site was converted into this attraction, opened in 1984.
Jorvik blends museum exhibits with a 16-minute ride on theme-park-esque “time capsules” that glide through the re-created Viking street of Coppergate as it looked circa the year 975. Animatronic characters and modern-day interpreters bring the scenes to life. Innovative when it first opened, the commercial success of Jorvik inspired copycat rides/museums all over England. Some love Jorvik, while others call it gimmicky and overpriced. If you think of it as Disneyland with a splash of history, Jorvik’s fun. To me, Jorvik is a commercial venture designed for kids, with too much emphasis on its gift shop. But it’s also undeniably entertaining, and—if you take the time to peruse its exhibits and substantial museum with a rich trove of Viking artifacts—it can be quite informative.
Cost and Hours: £15, book timed-entry ticket online to avoid long ticket-buying line, included in Jorvik Pastport and other combo-tickets; open daily 9:00-17:00, Sept-May from 10:00, these are last-entry times; +44 1904 615 505, www.jorvikvikingcentre.co.uk.
▲Fairfax House
This well-furnished home, one of the first Georgian townhouses in England, is perfectly Neoclassical inside. Its seven rooms on two floors are each staffed by pleasant docents eager to talk with you. They’ll explain how the circa-1760 home was built as the dowry for an aristocrat’s daughter. The house is compact and bursting with stunning period furniture (the personal collection of a local chocolate magnate), gorgeously restored woodwork, and lavish stucco ceilings that offer clues as to each room’s purpose. Stuccoed philosophers look down on the library, while the goddess of friendship presides over the drawing room. Altogether, this house provides fine insights into aristocratic life in 18th-century England.
Cost and Hours: £7.50, Sat-Thu 11:00-16:00; Fri by £9 one-hour guided tour only at 11:00 and 14:00; near Jorvik Viking Centre at 29 Castlegate, +44 1904 655 543, www.fairfaxhouse.co.uk.
Clifford’s Tower
Perched high on a knoll across from the York Castle Museum, this ruin is all that’s left of York’s 13th-century castle. It’s a textbook example of the basic Norman castle “motte-and-bailey” design: a manmade hill with a fort (motte) with a circular stockade (bailey) at its foot. The bailey’s footprint can be seen today, nearly a thousand years later, in the grassy, circular Eye of York courtyard across from Clifford’s Tower (and surrounded by Georgian buildings).
Cost and Hours: £11, £7.70 online, prices change seasonally; daily 10:00-18:00, closes earlier off-season; +44 3703 331 181, www.english-heritage.org.uk.
Background: Clifford’s Tower is a memorial to medieval anti-Semitism. Throughout European history, moneylenders were often Jews. During bad times, frustrated Christians vented (and wiped clean their debts) by massacring those they called “Christ-killers” in their town.
In 1190, after the coronation of Richard I, anti-Semitism was considered patriotic. (Nobles encouraged angry racism—calling England’s Jews something akin to “rapists and murderers”—to stoke their base.) Taking the convenient cue, the angry mobs of York chased local Jews into the tower. An estimated 150 Jews locked themselves inside and, rather than face forced conversion or death at the hands of the bloodthirsty mob, they committed ritual suicide. The crowd then set the tower ablaze. (Read the whole story on panels as you walk through the tower.) Today, daffodils, with their six-pointed flowers recalling the Star of David, are planted as a memorial on the slopes leading to the tower (where they typically bloom in April).
The present tower was built 60 years after the massacre, but historians think the earthen mound may still hold evidence from the tragedy. If you go inside, you’ll find a suspended walkway that takes you to two sections of the tower that had been inaccessible since the 17th century, now visible thanks to a recent £5 million renovation: the “King’s Latrine” and the “King’s Chapel,” both built for King Henry III in the 13th century. Continue climbing up to enjoy fine city views from the impressive viewing platform.
▲▲York Castle Museum
This fascinating social-history museum is a Victorian home show and one of the closest things to a time-travel experience England has to offer. The one-way plan ensures that you’ll see everything, including remakes of rooms from the 17th to 20th century, a re-creation of a Victorian street, a heartfelt WWI exhibit, and eerie prison cells.
Cost and Hours: £16, book online to save some money and to avoid possible line for tickets; open daily 10:00-17:00 except Mon Sept-June from 11:00; roaming guides happily answer your questions (no audioguide), café at entrance, +44 1904 687 687, www.yorkcastlemuseum.org.uk. It’s at the bottom of the hop-on, hop-off bus route. The museum can call you a taxi (worthwhile if you’re hurrying to the National Railway Museum across town).
Visiting the Museum: The exhibits are divided between two wings: the North Building (the former women’s prison, to the left as you enter) and the South Building (former debtors’ prison, to the right).
Follow the one-way route, starting in the North Building. You’ll first visit the Period Rooms, illuminating Yorkshire lifestyles during different time periods (1600s-1950s) and among various walks of life. Toy Stories is an enchanting review of toys through the ages. Next is the Shaping the Body exhibit, detailing diet and fashion trends over the last 400 years. Check out the codpieces, bustles, and corsets that used to “enhance” the human form, and ponder some of the odd diet fads that make today’s craziest diets seem normal. For foodies and chefs, the exhibit showcasing fireplaces and kitchens from the 1600s to the 1980s is especially tasty.
Next, stroll down the museum’s re-created Kirkgate, a street from the Victorian era (1890s), when Britain was at the peak of its power. It features old-time shops and storefronts, including a pharmacist, sweet shop, school, and grocer for the working class, along with roaming live guides in period dress (who might crank up the 1890s mechanical piano, manufactured in York). Around the back is a slum area depicting how the poor lived in those times. Real carriages and recorded sounds of daily life complete the scene.
Circle back to the entry and cross over to the South Building. In the WWI exhibit you can follow the lives of five York citizens as they experience the horrors and triumphs of the war years. One room plunges you into the gruesome world of trench warfare, where the average life expectancy was six weeks (and if you fell asleep during sentry duty, you’d be shot). A display about the home front notes that York suffered from zeppelin attacks in which six died. At the end you’re encouraged to share your thoughts in a room lined with chalkboards.
Exit outside and cross the castle yard. A detour to the left leads to a flour mill (open sporadically). Otherwise, your tour continues through the door on the right, where you’ll find another reconstructed historical street, this one capturing the spirit of the swinging 1960s—“a time when the cultural changes were massive but the cars and skirts were mini.” Slathered with DayGlo colors, this street scene examines fashion, music, and television (including clips of beloved kids’ shows and period news reports).
Finally, head into the castle prison, which recounts the experiences of people who were imprisoned here. Videos, eerily projected onto the walls of individual cells, show actors telling tragic stories about the cells’ one-time inhabitants.
City Walls Experience at Micklegate Bar
Micklegate Bar was the main southern entry gate to York from medieval times onward. It was built on a road used by the Romans and then altered slightly by the Vikings (“Micklegate” comes from the Old Norse words for “great street”). Today you can pay to enter a small exhibit inside the gate’s old tower, or take a guided walking tour on the walls.
Cost and Hours: Exhibit—£3.50, included in Jorvik Pastport, daily 10:00-17:00, last entry one hour before closing, closed Nov-Jan; walking tour—£5, 2-4/day depending on season, book online; Micklegate Bar, +44 1904 615 6505, www.yorkcitywalls.com.
Visiting Micklegate Bar: A small exhibit covers two floors within the gate’s old tower—look for the steep stairs leading up from inside the gift shop, where the ticket desk is located. Glass cases display a few artifacts from the Romans, Vikings, and early English, and videos tell the stories of characters associated with Micklegate Bar.
Historians may appreciate the walking tour up on the walls. There’s not a lot to see beyond the walls themselves and the territorial view, but the various stops along the way provide a framework for the York Archaeological Trust guide’s delivery of historical information, and you’ll have ample opportunity to ask questions.
ACROSS THE RIVER
▲▲National Railway Museum
This thunderous museum—displaying 200 illustrious years of British railroad history—is one of the biggest and best of its kind. Anyone with even moderate enthusiasm for trains could spend hours wandering among the giant locomotives and peering at the thousands of items related to rail travel. If you like model railways, this is train-car heaven.
Cost and Hours: Free, £5 suggested donation, daily 10:00-17:00, lockers-£3, café, +44 3330 580 058, www.railwaymuseum.org.uk. Two paid extras can be purchased online or at the museum: the Flying Scotsman virtual reality experience (£7) and the youth-oriented Wonderlab (adults-£10, kids 16 and under-£8).
Getting There: It’s about a 15-minute walk from the Minster (southwest of town, behind the train station). Walk down Museum Street and cross the Lendal Bridge, then take a right and follow the signs. To skip the walk, a cute little “road train” shuttles you more quickly between the Minster and the Railway Museum (£3.50 one-way, runs daily year-round, leaves museum every 30 minutes 11:00-16:00 at :00 and :30 past each hour; leaves town—from Duncombe Place, 100 yards in front of the Minster—at :15 and :45 past each hour).
Visiting the Museum: Pick up the floor plan to locate the various exhibits, which sprawl through several gigantic buildings. The museum is undergoing renovations: Items may have moved and some areas may be temporarily closed when you visit. Throughout the complex are info stands with staff eager to talk trains.
The museum’s most impressive room is the Great Hall. Fanning out from this grand roundhouse is an array of historic cars and engines, including the very first “stagecoaches on rails,” with a crude steam engine from 1830. You’ll trace the evolution of steam-powered transportation, from a replica of the Rocket (one of the first successful steam locomotives) to the era of the aerodynamic Mallard (famous as the first train to travel at a startling two miles per minute—a marvel back in 1938) and the striking Art Deco-style Duchess of Hamilton. The collection spans to the present day, with a replica of the Eurostar Chunnel train and the Shinkansen Japanese bullet train. Other exhibits include a steam engine that’s been sliced open to show its cylinders, driving wheels, and smoke box, as well as a working turntable that’s put into action twice a day. You can even walk below one of the locomotives (a 1907 Lode Star) to see what’s underneath.
From the Great Hall you can pay to enter the kid-friendly Wonderlab (the Bramall Gallery), which has problem-solving exhibits designed to inspire interest in engineering.
In another large room, you’ll find The Warehouse, loaded with more than 10,000 items relating to train travel (including dinnerware, signage, and actual trains). Exhibits feature dining cars, post cars, sleeping cars, and train posters. Nearby, the Flying Scotsman virtual reality experience (pay to enter) simulates a ride on the first London-Edinburgh express rail service.
The Station Hall has a collection of older trains, including Queen Victoria’s lavish royal car and a WWII royal carriage reinforced with armor. The Works is an actual workshop where engineers scurry about, fixing old trains. Live train switchboards show real-time rail traffic on the East Coast Main Line. Next to the diagrammed screens, you can look out to see the actual trains moving up and down the line. Behind the hall are the South Yard and the Depot, with more trains in storage, and steam trains that sometimes offer 10-minute rides.
OUTSIDE TOWN
▲Ouse Riverside Walk
The New Walk is a mile-long, tree-lined riverside lane created in the 1730s as a promenade for York’s dandy class to stroll, see, and be seen—and it’s a fine place for today’s visitors to walk. This hour-long walk is a delightful way to enjoy a dose of countryside away from York, starting from Skeldergate Bridge. It’s paved, illuminated in the evening, and a popular jogging route any time of day. It’s also possible to bike along this path, though bike rentals in town are limited (see “Helpful Hints,” earlier).
Getting There: From York’s center, head to the Ouse Bridge and take the steps down, walking past the recommended Kings Arms pub to the walkway along the river (you’ll also pass a river-cruise departure point on the way to Skeldergate Bridge). From the York Castle Museum or Clifford’s Tower, cross Tower Street and take one of the paths through little Tower Gardens Park (see “York” map, earlier).
Self-Guided Walk: Start at the river, where you’ll see the river-cruise departure point to your right and Skeldergate Bridge to your left. Head under the bridge (past the recommended Dyls Café Bar) and walk south away from town for a mile. Notice modern buildings across the river, with their floodwalls. Shortly afterward, you cross the tiny River Foss on Blue Bridge, originally built in 1738. The easily defended confluence of the Foss and the Ouse is the reason the Romans founded York in AD 71. Look back to see the modern floodgate (built after a flood in 1979) designed to stop the flooding Ouse from oozing up the Foss. At the end of the bridge, a history panel describes this walk to the Millennium Bridge.
Stroll until you hit the striking, modern Millennium Bridge. Sit a bit on its reclining-lounge-chair fence and enjoy the vibrations of bikes and joggers as they pass. There’s a strong biking trend in Britain, and the Brits have won many Olympic gold medals in cycling. In 2012, Bradley Wiggins became Sir Bradley Wiggins by winning the Tour de France; his countryman Chris Froome won it in several subsequent years, and Mark Cavendish has won 34 Tour de France stages. You’ll see lots of locals riding fancy bikes and wearing high-tech gear while getting into better shape. (Energetic bikers can continue past the Millennium Bridge 14 miles to the market town of Selby.)
Cross the river and take a right to walk back home. Continue along the river until you come to the skateboard court. Here you can enter Rowntree Park through its fine old gate. This park was financed by Joseph Rowntree, a wealthy chocolate baron with a Quaker ethic of contributing to his community. In the 19th century, life for the poor was a Charles Dickens-like struggle. A rich man building a park for the working class, which even had a swimming pool, was quite progressive. Victorian England had a laissez-faire approach to social issues. Then, like now, many wealthy people believed things would work out for the poor if the government just stayed out of it. However, others, such as the Rowntree family, felt differently. Their altruism contributed to the establishment of a society that now takes care of its workers and poor much better.
Walk directly into the park toward the evocative Industrial Age housing complex capping the hill beyond the central fountain. In the park’s brick gazebo are touching memorial plaques to WWI and WWII deaths. Rowntree also gave this park to York to remember those lost in the “Great War.” Stroll along the delightful, duck-filled pond near the Rowntree Park Café, return to the riverside lane, and continue back into York. You’re almost home.
Shopping in York
With its medieval lanes lined with classy as well as tacky little shops, York is a hit with shoppers. I find two kinds of shopping in York particularly interesting: antique malls and charity shops. For locations see the “York” map, earlier.
Antique Malls: Two places within a few blocks of each other are filled with stalls and cases owned by antique dealers from the countryside (all open daily). The malls, a warren of rooms on three floors with cafés buried deep inside, sell the dealers’ bygones on commission. Serious shoppers do better heading for the country, but if you brake for garage sales you’ll love these: The Antiques Centre York (41 Stonegate, https://theantiquescentreyork.co.uk), and the Red House Antiques Centre (a block from the Minster at Duncombe Place, https://redhouseantiquesyork.com).
Charity Shops: In towns all over Britain, it seems one low-rent street is lined with charity shops, allowing locals to both donate their junk and buy the junk of others in the name of a good cause. (Talk about a win-win.) It’s great for random shopping. And, as the people working there are often volunteers involved in that cause, it can lead to some interesting conversations. In York, on Goodramgate (stretching a block or so in from the town wall), you’ll find thrift shops run by the British Heart Foundation, Mind, and Oxfam. Good deals abound on clothing, purses, accessories, children’s toys, books, CDs, and all manner of vintage items. If you buy something, you’re getting a bargain and at the same time helping the poor, mentally ill, elderly, or even a pet in need of a vet (stores generally open between 9:00 and 10:00 and close between 16:00 and 17:00, shorter hours on Sun).
Nightlife in York
PUBS
Even more than chocolate, York likes its beer. Many pubs serve inexpensive plates at lunch, then focus on selling beer in the evening. Others offer lunch and early dinner. You can tell by their marketing how enthusiastic they are about cooking versus drawing pints. While I’ve listed good eating pubs under “Eating in York,” later, here are a few pubs I’d recommend to give your beer drinking an atmospheric kick. For locations see the “York Restaurants” map, later.
The Maltings, just over Lendal Bridge, has classic pub ambience. While local beer purists swear by this place, the owners don’t allow swearing or music...which shapes the clientele. The pub’s fine local and international beers and mellow vibe are conducive to drinking and talking. They do serve light lunches (simple salads and sandwiches only Mon-Thu 12:00-14:00, Fri-Sun until 16:00; cross the bridge and look down and left to Tanners Moat, +44 1904 655 387).
The Blue Bell is one of my favorites for experiencing old-school York. This tiny, traditional establishment with a time-warp Edwardian interior is the smallest pub in town. It has two distinct and inviting little rooms, or you can grab a pint and sit on the benches out front...if the locals don’t get there first (no music, east end of town at 53 Fossgate, +44 1904 654 904).
The House of the Trembling Madness is another fine watering hole with a cozy atmosphere; it sits above a “bottle shop” that sells a stunning variety of beers by the bottle to go (48 Stonegate).
Evil Eye Lounge, a hit with York’s young crowd, is a creaky, funky, hip space famous for its strong cocktails and edgy ambience. There are even beds to lie in while you drink. You can order downstairs at the bar (with a small terrace out back) or head upstairs (42 Stonegate, +44 1904 640 002).
The Golden Fleece claims to be the oldest and most haunted coaching inn in York (music nightly at 21:00, 16 Pavement; see listing in “Eating in York,” later).
Riverside Eating and Drinking: On sunny days, several pubs set out riverside tables just below Ouse Bridge, starting with The Kings Arms, which boasts flood marks inside its door and has a more grizzled local crowd than other recommended pubs. For a cheap thrill, grab a pint indoors and sit outside at their rustic picnic tables (3 King’s Staith, +44 1904 659 435). The Dyls Café Bar, upriver near the Skeldergate Bridge, also offers riverside seating (see listing under “Eating in York,” later).
ENTERTAINMENT
Theatre Royal
This spiffed-up theater sporting an 18th-century facade offers a full variety of dramas, comedies, and works by Shakespeare. The locals are proud of the state-of-the-art main theater and little 100-seat theater-in-the-round (tickets £15-35, shows usually Tue-Sat at 19:30, tickets easy to get, on St. Leonard’s Place near Bootham Bar and a 5- to 10-minute walk from recommended B&Bs, booking +44 1904 623 568, www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk). Those under 18 and students of any age can get tickets for £10-15.
Ghost Tours
You’ll see fliers, signs, and promoters hawking a variety of entertaining after-dark tours. For a rundown on this scene, see “Tours in York,” earlier.
Movies
The centrally located City Screen Cinema plays both art-house and mainstream flicks. They also have an enticing riverside café/bar that serves good food (13 Coney Street, +44 8719 025 747). The Art Deco Everyman Cinema is another good option (near the train station on Blossom Street, +44 1233 555 642). For locations see the “York” map near the beginning of this chapter.
Sleeping in York
July through October are the busiest (and usually most expensive) months. B&Bs often charge more for weekends and sometimes turn away one-night bookings, particularly for peak-season Saturdays. (York is worth two nights anyway.) Prices may spike for horse races and Bank Holidays (about 20 nights a season). Remember to book long in advance during festival times (see “Helpful Hints,” earlier) and weekends year-round.
B&BS AND GUESTHOUSES
These places are all small and family-run. They come with plenty of steep stairs (and no elevators) but no traffic noise. Rooms can be tight; if maneuverability is important, say so when booking. Most can provide permits for street parking.
Bootham Bar and Nearby
The handiest B&B neighborhood is the quiet residential area just outside the old town wall’s Bootham Bar (along the road called Bootham) and just inside the wall on St. Mary’s Street. All of these are within a 10-minute walk of the Minster, and a 5- to 15-minute walk from the train station.
Getting There: From the train station it’s an easy walk: Head to the north end of the station along track 2 (past the York Tap pub and racks of bicycles) and into the short-stay parking lot. You’ll continue essentially straight along the tracks, over the river (take stairs here for Abbey Guest House) and along a footpath, ultimately arriving at a fork. For Bootham Terrace or Queen Anne’s Road, continue to the left; for St. Mary’s Street take the short stairway (on the right).
On the River
$$$ Abbey Guest House is a peaceful refuge overlooking the River Ouse, with five cheerful, beautifully updated, contemporary-style rooms, a guest lounge, and a lovely little garden with a patio and seating area. The riverview rooms will ramp up your romance with York (RS%, no breakfast, pay laundry, pay parking, 13 Earlsborough Terrace, +44 1904 627 782, www.abbeyguesthouseyork.co.uk, info@abbeyguesthouseyork.co.uk, local Rob).
On or near Bootham Terrace
$$ St. Raphael Guesthouse, run by Fran and Jamie and their friendly staff, has eight comfy rooms. Each is themed after a York street and lovingly accented with a fresh rose and home-baked banana bread. For more space, ask for their small apartment with a private entrance and courtyard (RS%, ground-floor room, family rooms, pay laundry service, 44 Queen Anne’s Road, +44 1904 645 028, www.straphaelguesthouse.co.uk, info@straphaelguesthouse.co.uk).
$$ Bronte Guesthouse is a modern B&B with four airy, bright rooms and a lovely back garden. Little extras like a room for playing cards and a communal fridge stocked with water, ice, and milk make it easy to relax (22 Grosvenor Terrace, +44 1904 621 066, www.bronte-guesthouse.com, enquiries@bronte-guesthouse.com, Mick and Mandy).
$ Arnot House, run by hardworking Kim (with her cat Tabitha), is old-fashioned, homey, and lushly decorated with Victorian memorabilia. The three well-furnished rooms even have little libraries (2-night minimum preferred, no children, huge DVD library, 17 Grosvenor Terrace, +44 1904 641 966, www.arnothouseyork.co.uk, arnothouse@gmail.com).
$ Number 34, run by Jason, has five simple, light rooms at fair prices. It has a clean, uncluttered feeling, with modern decor (RS%—10 percent discount, pay laundry; ground-floor room, single room, 34 Bootham Crescent, +44 1904 645 818, www.number34york.co.uk, enquiries@number34york.co.uk).
$ York Guesthouse has nine modern rooms in two adjacent houses. Its location on a quiet street—and the relaxing hot tub out back—make for a great retreat after a long day of sightseeing (RS%, no breakfast, family room, single room, lounge, 24 and 26 Queen Anne’s Road, +44 1904 629 389, https://york-guesthouse.com, info@york-guesthouse.com, Phil and Teresa).
On St. Mary’s Street
$$$ 23 St. Mary’s, run by Simon and his helpful staff, has 12 extravagantly decorated and spaciously comfortable rooms, plus a classy lounge and all the doily touches (breakfast extra, discount for longer stays, family room, honesty box for drinks and snacks, lots of stairs, 23 St. Mary’s, +44 1904 622 738, www.23stmarys.co.uk, stmarys23@hotmail.com).
$$ No. 21 York B&B is a bright and cheery place run with pride by gentle Simon and his wife Andrea. Their six rooms are clean and colorful, and the extensive breakfast menu features locally sourced ingredients—from fruit and vegetables from The Shambles market to meat from a local butcher. Even the beds are manufactured locally (ground-floor room, free parking, 21 St. Mary’s, +44 1904 629 494, www.no21york.co.uk, stay@no21york.co.uk).
Beyond Bootham
If you don’t mind a 15-minute walk into town (there’s a lovely route along the river), these two places are near a little triangular park called Clifton Green. Buses to the center run every 10 minutes along Clifton, which becomes Bootham.
$$$$ The Bishop & The Bison is a fun splurge. The eight modern, swanky rooms and colorful common area still feel cozy. Half follow the bishop theme in a nod to York’s Minster, while the other half are bison-themed, inspired by the owners’ time traveling in Wyoming and South Dakota (breakfast and parking included when booking direct, 127 Clifton, +44 7415 005 150, www.bishopofyork.com, info@bishopofyork.com; Jonathan, Anthony, and cat Princess Lily).
$ Greenside Guesthouse, run by smiling Lynne and Nigel, has eight cheerful, homey rooms with floral decor. Lynne loves to share her knowledge of York (cash only—ATM nearby, ground-floor room, family room, some rooms have shared bathroom, free enclosed parking, 124 Clifton Green, +44 1904 623 631, www.greensideguesthouse.co.uk, greenside@onebillnet.co.uk).
HOTELS
$$$$ Grays Court Hotel is a historic mansion—the home of dukes and archbishops since 1091—that now rents 12 rooms to travelers. While its public spaces and gardens are lavish, its rooms are elegant yet modest. The creaky, historic nature of the place makes for a memorable stay. For a real splurge, reserve ahead for the nine-course tasting menu at their $$$$ Bow Room Restaurant, featuring modern English cuisine (lighter lunches offered 12:00-15:00; Chapter House Street, +44 1904 612 613, www.grayscourtyork.com).
$$$$ Dean Court Hotel, facing the Minster, is a big stately hotel with classy lounges and 40 comfortable rooms. It has a great location and friendly vibe for a business-class establishment (family rooms, elevator, restaurant, Duncombe Place, +44 1904 625 082, www.inncollectiongroup.com/dean-court, info@deancourtyork.com).
$$$ Hedley House Hotel, well run by a wonderful family, has 30 modern and spacious rooms. The outdoor hot tub is a fine way to end your day, or you can sign up for yoga or Pilates (ask for a deal with stay of three or more nights, family rooms, good two-course evening meals, cozy lobby bar, in-house massage and beauty services, pay parking, 3 Bootham Terrace, +44 1904 637 404, www.hedleyhouse.com, greg@hedleyhouse.com, Greg and Louise Harrand). They also have three luxury studio apartments—see their website for details.
Budget Chain Hotels: For something a little less spendy than the hotels listed earlier, consider several chains with central locations in town. These include Premier Inn (two branches side by side) and Travelodge (one location near the York Castle Museum at 90 Piccadilly; second location on Micklegate).
HOSTEL
¢ Safestay York is a boutique hostel on a rowdy street (especially on Fridays and Saturdays). Located in a big old Georgian house, the rooms have great views and private prefab “pod” bathrooms. They also offer fancier, hotel-quality doubles (family room for up to four, continental breakfast extra, 4 floors, no elevator, air-con, TV lounge, game room, bar, no curfew, 5-minute walk from train station at 88 Micklegate, +44 1904 627 720, www.safestay.com/, reception-yk@safestay.com).
Eating in York
York is a great food city, with a wide range of international options and foodie bistros. Thanks to the local high-tech industry, the university, and tourism, there’s a demand that sustains lots of creative and fun eateries.
If you’re in a hurry or on a tight budget, picnic and light-meals-to-go options abound, and it’s easy to find a churchyard, bench, or riverside perch where you can munch. On a sunny day, perhaps the best picnic spots in town are under the evocative 12th-century ruins of St. Mary’s Abbey in the Museum Gardens (near Bootham Bar), in the park surrounding the Minster, or in the yard of little Holy Trinity Church (on Goodramgate).
Most bistros have good-quality, creative vegetarian options and offer economical lunch specials and early dinners (generally order by 18:30). If you’re set on a particular place for dinner, reservations are smart.
NEAR BOOTHAM BAR AND RECOMMENDED B&BS
$$$ Café No. 8 is a romantic and modern little bistro. Grab one of the tables in front or in the sunroom, or enjoy a shaded little garden out back. Chef Chris Pragnell uses what’s fresh in the market to shape his simple, elegant, and creative modern British menu (Wed-Sat 17:00-22:00, Sun 12:00-15:00, closed Mon-Tue, 8 Gillygate, +44 1904 653 074, www.cafeno8.co.uk).
$$ Mamma Mia Italian Restaurant is a popular choice for its pizza, pasta, and a full menu of Italian secondi. The casual, garlicky eating area features a tempting gelato bar, and in nice weather the back patio is molto bello (Tue-Sat 17:00-22:00, Fri-Sat also open for lunch 12:00-14:00, closed Sun-Mon, 20 Gillygate, +44 1904 622 020).
$$ Hole-in-the-Wall Pub is the place if you’re looking for a ye olde pub with good grub and a £13 dinner. They have an extensive menu with light bites, burgers, fish-and-chips, meat pies, and veggie dishes—and it’s a fine spot for a traditional Yorkshire pudding. The atmosphere is your English pub dream come true (daily, live music Tue and Sun, on High Petergate just inside Bootham Bar, +44 1904 634 468).
$$$ The Star Inn the City has quality modern Yorkshire cuisine. Eat in the dressy dining hall or on an enticing riverside terrace (daily, reservations recommended on weekends, next to the river in Lendal Engine House, Museum Street, +44 1904 619 208, www.starinnthecity.co.uk).
$$ The Minster Inn, an Edwardian alehouse serving stone-baked pizzas, tapas, and a good selection of cask ales and wines, is a friendly neighborhood hangout with an open courtyard that’s fun in the summer (daily; reservations recommended—especially on weekends, 24 Marygate, +44 1904 849 240, www.minsterinn.co.uk).
Groceries: A handy branch of Sainsbury has provisions for a picnic or a simple cheap dinner (daily 6:00-24:00, 50 yards outside Bootham Bar, on Bootham).
CITY CENTER
On or near Stonegate and Swinegate
$$ Ask Italian Restaurant is part of a cheap and cheery chain, but the food’s fine, the price is right, and you’ll slurp your pasta in the majestic Neoclassical hall of York’s Grand Assembly Rooms, lined with Corinthian marble columns (daily; Blake Street, +44 1904 637 254). Even if you’re just walking past, peek inside to gape at the interior.
$$ Swinegate and Nearby Bars and Eateries: Strolling this touristy street and its offshoots—Back Swinegate and Grape Lane—you can simply take your pick of the various tempting restaurants and watering holes. Some are trendy, with thumping music, while others are tranquil; some have elaborately decorated dining rooms, while others emphasize heated courtyards.
Lunch Options Around King’s Square
King’s Square is as central as can be, and from here you can see several fine quick-and-cheap options. After buying your takeout, sit on the square and enjoy the street entertainers. Or, for a peaceful place to eat more prayerfully, find the Holy Trinity Church yard, with benches amid the old tombstones on Goodramgate (a half-block to the right of York Roast Company).
$ York Roast Company is a local fixture, serving their Yorkshire pudding wrap (a kind of old English burrito) and hearty pork sandwiches with applesauce, stuffing, and “crackling” (roasted bits of fat and skin). If Henry VIII wanted fast food, he’d have eaten here (daily 10:00-late, order at counter then eat upstairs—which closes earlier—or take away for the same price, 78 Low Petergate, +44 1904 629 197, second location at 4 Stonegate).
$ Drakes Fish & Chips, across the street from York Roast Company, is a local favorite chippy. While it’s mostly takeout, for £3 extra you can sit and eat in their simple backroom dining area (daily, 97 Low Petergate, +44 1904 624 788).
$ The Cornish Bakery, facing King’s Square, cooks up pasties and lots of sweet treats to eat in or take away (daily until about 17:00, 30 Colliergate, +44 1904 671 177).
$ Shambles Market and Food Court has many food stalls and street-food vendors—like a corral of food trucks—offering fun, nutritious, and light meals. This lively scene is wedged between The Shambles and Parliament Street (daily 7:00-17:00, until 16:00 in winter).
$ St. Crux Parish Hall is a medieval church now used by a medley of charities that sell tea, homemade cakes, and light meals (Tue-Sat 10:00-16:00, closed Sun-Mon, at bottom of The Shambles at its intersection with Pavement, +44 1904 621 756).
$ Harlequin Café, a charming place, is appreciated for its good coffee, homemade cakes, and light meals. It’s up a creaky staircase overlooking King’s Square (Tue-Sun 10:30-16:00, closed Mon, 2 King’s Square, +44 1904 630 631).
$$ The Golden Fleece is a sloppy, dingy place with tilty floors that make you feel drunk even if you aren’t. It’s a good bet for casual pub grub in a characteristic setting, with music nightly at 21:00 (16 Pavement, across the street from the southern end of The Shambles, +44 1904 625 171).
Groceries: A Marks & Spencer Food Hall is a block away from Shambles Market on Parliament Street (Mon-Sat 8:00-19:00, Sun 11:00-17:00).
EAST END OF TOWN
This neighborhood is across town from my recommended B&Bs, but still central (and a short walk from the York Castle Museum). The bohemian-chic axis of Fossgate/Walmgate is lined with quality restaurants and has an inviting, untouristy energy. These places are all hits with locals and reservations are smart.
$$ The Hop York Pizzeria Beerhall is a favorite for its simple approach and winning combo: pizza and beer. The pub pulls real ales in the front, serves wood-fired pies in an inviting space in the back, and offers live music featuring rock and pop covers (daily; music Fri-Sat at 21:00, open mic Sun; 11 Fossgate, +44 1904 541 466, www.hopyork.co.uk).
$$ Mumbai Lounge Indian Restaurant (named for its top-floor lounge) is a local choice for Indian food (daily 12:00-14:00 & 17:00-23:00 except Fri no lunch, 47 Fossgate, +44 1904 654 155, www.mumbailoungeyork.co.uk).
$$ Loch Fyne Seafood and Grill is a fine fish value with an inviting and affordable menu served in a classic and spacious old hall. While a national chain, it still feels smart and has a caring waitstaff (daily, Foss Bridge House, Walmgate, +44 1904 650 910, www.lochfyneseafoodandgrill.co.uk).
$$$ Il Paradiso del Cibo Pizzeria Ristorante, with its adorable chaos, just feels special. It’s an eccentric little place with tight seating, few tourists, and a fun bustle, run by a Sardinian with attitude (cash only, daily, 40 Walmgate, +44 1904 611 444, www.ilparadisodelciboyork.com).
$$ Khao San Road Thai Bistro hits the spot if you need a Thai fix. It serves small plates for sharing in a festive interior with a convivial feel (daily, Mon-Tue dinner only, 52 Walmgate, +44 1904 635 599, http://khaosanroadyork.co.uk).
$$$ The Barbakan Polish Restaurant is run by a Krakow family offering an inviting little Polish dining room with a passion for homemade cakes (Mon-Sat 9:00-15:00 & 17:00-21:00, Sun 10:00-21:00, 34 Fossgate, +44 1904 672 474, www.deli-barbakan.co.uk).
$$$ Rustique French Bistro has one big room of tight tables and walls decorated with simple posters and an upstairs terrace. The place has good prices (£26 three-course meal) and is straight French—right down to the welcome (daily, across from Fairfax House at 28 Castlegate, +44 1904 612 744, www.rustiquerestaurants.co.uk).
$$ Pairings is a stylish wine bar with small bites, an extensive list of drinks, and a patient and helpful waitstaff. Two travelers can make a meal out of the £23 deli platter (which includes the fun of choosing any three meats or cheeses) and their £14 white or red pairing boards (daily 12:00-23:00, 28 Castlegate, +44 1904 848 909). For wine lovers, this place can also be a fun stop before or after dinner.
$ Spark is a collection of street-food stalls (Greek, Brazilian, Sicilian, Japanese, and more) built into colorfully decorated shipping containers. Sit at picnic tables (with umbrellas and heat lamps) amid potted plants, strings of lights, and whimsical art. Drinks are upstairs (vegan and veggie options, closed Mon, 17 Piccadilly, www.sparkyork.org).
On the Ouse
$ Dyls Café Bar, built into an old tower of Skeldergate Bridge, serves fancy sandwiches, fries, and brunch items on a pretty riverside terrace (covered and heated) and in four tiny, whimsically decorated rooms connected by a tight spiral staircase. They sometimes have live music (daily 10:30-20:30 or later, Skeldergate Bridge, www.dylsyork.co.uk [URL inactive]). The Kings Arms pub, near the Ouse Bridge, is another riverside option (see “Nightlife in York,” earlier).
TEAROOM
$$$ Bettys Café Tea Rooms is a destination restaurant for many. Choose between a Yorkshire Cream Tea (tea and scones with clotted Yorkshire cream and strawberry jam) or a full traditional English afternoon tea (tea, delicate sandwiches, scones, and sweets). While you’ll pay a little extra here, the ambience and people-watching are hard to beat. There’s generally a line, but it moves quickly. (Those just wanting to buy a takeaway pastry can skip the line and go directly to the bakery counter, though that may have a line, too.) They’ll offer to seat you sooner in the bigger and less atmospheric basement, but I’d be patient and wait for a place upstairs—ideally by the window. Travel partners on a budget can enjoy the experience for about half the price by one ordering a “full tea”—£30, with enough little sandwiches and sweets for two to share—and the other a simple cup of tea (weekdays until 17:30, Sat-Sun until 18:00, shop open daily 9:00-18:00, +44 1904 659 142, www.bettys.co.uk, St. Helen’s Square). During World War II, Bettys was a drinking hangout for Allied airmen based nearby. Downstairs near the WC is a mirror signed by bomber pilots—read the story.
York Connections
From York by Train to: Durham (4/hour, 50 minutes), London’s King’s Cross Station (3/hour, 2 hours), Bath (hourly with change in Bristol, 4.5 hours, more with additional transfers), Oxford (hourly direct, 3.5 hours, more with transfers), Cambridge (hourly, 2.5 hours, transfer in Stevenage or Peterborough), Birmingham (2/hour, 2.5 hours), Keswick/Lake District (train to Penrith: roughly 2/hour, 4 hours, 1-2 transfers; then bus, allow about 5 hours total), Manchester Airport (2/hour, 2 hours), Edinburgh (2/hour, 2.5 hours). Train info: +44 3457 484 950, NationalRail.co.uk.
Connections with London’s Airports: Heathrow (allow 4 hours minimum; from airport take Heathrow Express train to London’s Paddington Station, transfer by Tube to King’s Cross, then take train to York; for details on cheaper but slower Tube or bus option from airport to London King’s Cross, see here), Gatwick (allow 4 hours minimum; from Gatwick South, catch Thameslink train to London’s St. Pancras International Station; from there, walk to neighboring King’s Cross Station, and catch train to York).