Near Bootham Bar and Recommended B&Bs
Getting Around the North York Moors
▲North Yorkshire Moors Railway
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. And to get a taste of scenically desolate countryside, side-trip to the North York Moors.
York has a rich history. In A.D. 71, it was Eboracum, a Roman provincial capital—the northernmost city in the empire. Constantine was proclaimed emperor here in A.D. 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 here 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 centuries, it was a Danish trading center called Jorvik. The invading and conquering Normans destroyed 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, York’s train station was the world’s largest. During World War II, Hitler chose to bomb York by picking the city out of a travel guidebook (not this one).
Today, York’s 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.
After London, York is the best sightseeing city in England. On even a 10-day trip through Britain, it deserves two nights and a day. For the best 36 hours, follow this plan: Catch the 18:45 free city walking tour on the evening of your arrival (evening tours offered June-Aug only). Splurge on dinner at one of the city’s creative bistros. The next morning, be at the York Castle Museum when it opens (at 9:30)—it’s worth about two hours. Then browse and sightsee the rest of town. Train buffs love the National Railway Museum, and the Yorkshire Museum displays artifacts from the region’s long history. Follow my self-guided tour of the Minster at 16:00 before catching the 17:15 evensong service (Sun at 16:00, usually none on Mon). Finish your day with an early-evening stroll along the wall (wall gates close at dusk) and through the abbey gardens, and consider taking the Haunted Walk for a spooky take on York (Easter-Oct nightly at 20:00).
This schedule assumes you’re here in the summer on a day when there’s an evensong service. Confirm your plans with the TI.
It’s not worth going out of your way to visit the North York Moors (described at the end of this chapter), but it’s handy to zip through that area if you’re traveling between York and Durham.
York has roughly 195,000 people; 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 might take (from a B&B across the old town to the York Castle Museum) is about 25 minutes.
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.
York’s TI, a block in front of the Minster, sells a £1 York Map and Guide. Ask for the free monthly What’s On guide and the York MiniGuide, which includes a map (Mon-Sat 9:00-17:00, Sun 10:00-16:00, 1 Museum Street, tel. 01904/550-099, www.visityork.org). The TI books rooms for a £4 fee and has an Internet terminal (£3/hour). A screen lists upcoming events.
York Pass: The TI sells an expensive pass that covers most sights in York, along with a few regional sights, including the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and Castle Howard (both described in the next chapter); it also gives discounts on the City Sightseeing hop-on, hop-off bus tours. You’d have to be a very busy sightseer to make this pass worth it (£34/1 day, £48/2 days, £58/3 days, www.yorkpass.com).
By Train: The train station is a 10-minute walk from town. Day-trippers can store baggage at the window next to the Europcar office on platform 1 (£5/24 hours, baggage window open Mon-Sat 8:00-20:30, Sun 9:00-20:30).
Recommended B&Bs are a 5-15-minute walk (depending on where you’re staying) or a £6 taxi ride from the station. For specific walking directions to the B&Bs, see here.
To walk downtown from the station, turn left down Station Road, veer through the gap in the wall and then left across the river, and follow the crowd toward the Gothic towers of the Minster. After the bridge, a block before the Minster, you’ll come upon the TI on your right.
By Car: As you near York (and your B&B), you’ll hit the A-1237 ring road. Follow this to the A-19/Thirsk roundabout (next to river on northeast side of town). From the roundabout, follow signs for York, traveling through Clifton into Bootham. All recommended B&Bs are four or five blocks before you hit the medieval city gate (see neighborhood map on here). If you’re approaching York from the south, take the M-1 until it becomes the A-1M, exit at junction 45 onto the A-64, and follow it for 10 miles until you reach York’s ring road (A-1237), which allows you to avoid driving through the city center. If you have more time, the A-19 from Selby is a slower and more scenic route into York.
Festivals: Book a room well in advance during festival times, and on weekends any time of year. The Viking Festival features lur horn-blowing, warrior drills, and re-created battles in mid-February (www.jorvik-viking-centre.co.uk). The Early Music Festival (medieval minstrels, Renaissance dance, and so on) zings its strings in mid-July (www.ncem.co.uk/yemf.shtml). York claims to be the “Ascot of the North,” and the town fills up on horse-race weekends (once a month May-Oct, check schedules at www.yorkracecourse.co.uk); it’s especially busy during the Ebor Races in mid-August. The York Food and Drink Festival takes a bite out of late September (www.yorkfoodfestival.com). And the St. Nicholas Fayre Christmas market jingles its bells in late November. For a complete list of festivals, see www.yorkfestivals.com.
Internet Access: The TI has one Internet terminal (£3/hour, hours and address listed earlier). Evil Eye Lounge has six terminals in a hip bar (£1/30 minutes, Wi-Fi-£1/day, Mon-Sat 10:00-23:00, Sun 11:00-23:00, upstairs at 42 Stonegate, tel. 01904/640-002). The York Public Library’s reference desk, on the first floor up, provides Internet access to visitors (£1/up to 2 hours, Mon-Thu 9:00-20:00, Fri 9:00-18:00, Sat 9:00-17:00, Sun 11:00-16:00, Museum Street, tel. 01904/552-828).
Laundry: The nearest place is Haxby Road Launderette, a long 15-minute walk north of the town center (self-service-about £6/load, about £1.50 more for drop-off service, Mon-Wed and Fri 9:00-17:45, Thu 10:00-18:00, Sat 9:00-17:00, Sun 9:00-16:00, start last loads 1.5 hours before closing, drop off 3 hours before closing, 124 Haxby Road, tel. 01904/623-379). Some B&Bs will do laundry for a reasonable charge.
Bike Rental: With the exception of the pedestrian center, the town’s not great for biking. But there are several fine countryside rides from York, and the riverside New Walk bike path is pleasant. Giant York, just outside Monk Bar, rents bikes and has free cycling maps (£15/day, helmet and map free with this book in 2013, Mon-Sat 9:00-18:00, closed Sun, 13-15 Lord Mayor’s Walk, tel. 01904/622-868, www.giant-york.co.uk). Cycle Heaven is at the train station (£5/hour, £10/half-day, £15/day, Mon-Fri 8:30-17:30, Sat 9:00-18:00, Sun 11:00-17:00, closed Sun off-season, to the left as you face the main station entrance from outside, tel. 01904/622-701). For locations, see the York Hotels map in this chapter.
Taxi: From the train station, taxis zip new arrivals to their B&Bs for £6. Queue up at the taxi stand, or call 01904/638-833; cabbies don’t start the meter until you get in.
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 just about pays for the train ticket that whisks you effortlessly to London. In York, you’ll find these agencies: Avis (Mon-Fri 8:00-18:00, Sat 8:00-13:00, closed Sun, 3 Layerthorpe, tel. 0844-544-6117); Hertz (Mon-Fri 8:00-17:00, Sat 9:00-13:00, closed Sun, at train station, tel. 01904/500-193); Budget (Mon-Fri 8:00-18:00, Sat 8:00-13:00, closed Sun, near the National Railway Museum at 75 Leeman Road, tel. 01904/644-919); and Europcar (Mon-Fri 8:00-18:00, Sat 8:00-16:00, closed Sun, train station platform 1, tel. 0844-846-4003).
Beware: Car-rental agencies close early on Saturday afternoons and all day Sunday—when dropping off is OK, but picking up is only possible by prior arrangement (and for a fee).
Free Walks with Volunteer Guides—Charming locals give energetic, entertaining, and free two-hour walks through York (April-Oct daily at 10:15 and 14:15, June-Aug also at 18:45; Nov-March daily at 10:15 and also at 13:15 on weekends; depart from Exhibition Square in front of the art gallery, tel. 01904/550-098, www.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 say so or they’ll worry, thinking they’ve lost you.
Yorkwalk Tours—These are more serious 1.5- to 2-hour walks with a history focus. They do four different walks—Essential York, Roman York, Secret York, and The Snickelways of York—as well as a variety of “special walks” on more specific topics (£5.50, Feb-Nov daily at 10:30 and 14:15 plus Wed at 18:00, Dec-Jan weekends only, depart from Museum Gardens Gate, just show up, tel. 01904/622-303, www.yorkwalk.co.uk—check website, ask TI, or call for schedule). Tours go rain or shine, with as few as two participants.
Ghost Walks—Supposedly certified by the Guinness Book of World Records as “the world’s most haunted city,” York features a wide variety of evening ghost tours. You’ll see fliers all over town. Most of these crowd-pleasing walks tend to be more about entertainment than genuine scares (goofy characters, jokes and stunts, spooky surprises, audience participation, and magic tricks rather than creepy-crawly goose pimples).
But my favorite is the scariest of them all: Haunted Walk, which has been led for nearly 30 years by brothers-in-law Tony and Leigh. These brilliant storytellers know how to terrify their groups with a plain old well-told ghost story...the quieter, the scarier. The tales they spin (such as the legion of Roman soldiers who marched solemnly through a 20th-century basement, or the orphanage where dead children were stuffed under the floorboards) will have you seeing things in the shadows as you try to get to sleep in your creaky old B&B (£4, Easter-Oct nightly at 20:00, weekends only Nov-Easter, 1.5 hours, just show up, depart from Exhibition Square in front of the art gallery, end in The Shambles, tel. 01904/621-003).
Two companies run hop-on, hop-off bus tours circling York. 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, I’d catch either 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, skipping the last five minutes.
City Sightseeing—This outfit’s half-enclosed, bright-red, double-decker buses take tourists past secondary York sights that the city walking tours skip—the mundane perimeter of town. Once or twice an hour, they run a “Heritage Tour” route with a live guide (£10, £13.50 combo-ticket with YorkBoat cruise—described next, pay driver, cash only, ticket valid 48 hours, Easter-Oct departs every 10-15 minutes, daily 9:00-17:30, less frequent off-season, about 1 hour, tel. 01904/633-990, www.yorkbus.co.uk).
YorkBoat does a lazy, narrated 45-minute lap along the River Ouse (£7.50, £13.50 combo-ticket with City Sightseeing bus tours—see above, April-Sept runs every 30 minutes, daily 10:30-15:00, off-season 4/day; leaves from Lendal Bridge and King’s Staith landings, near Skeldergate Bridge; also 1.25-hour evening cruise at 21:15 for £9.50, leaves from King’s Staith; tel. 01904/628-324, www.yorkboat.co.uk).
More Sights Inside York’s Walls
▲Chocolate: York’s Sweet Story
Across the River, Behind the Train Station
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” comes from the Old English for “monastery,” but is now simply used to imply that it’s an important church. 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 was therefore 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 1.3 million visitors each year.
Cost: £9, includes guided tour; may include entry to the undercroft, treasury, and crypt; tower requires separate ticket.
Hours: The cathedral is open for sightseeing Mon-Sat 9:00-18:30, Nov-March from 9:30, Sun year-round from 12:30. It opens for worship daily at 7:00. Closing time flexes with activities, but last entry is generally at 17:00—check the day’s closing time posted outside the church or call for details. Sights within the Minster have shorter hours (see “Tower Climb” and “In the Undercroft,” later). The Minster may close for special events (check calendar on website); tel. 01904/557-217 or 0844-393-0011, www.yorkminster.org.
Tours: After buying your ticket, go directly to the welcome desk, pick up the worthwhile Welcome to the York Minster flier, and ask when the next free guided tour departs (hourly, Mon-Sat 10:00-15:00, can be more frequent during busy times, none on Sun, one hour, they go even with just one or two people; you can join a tour in progress, or if none is scheduled, request a departure). The helpful Minster guides, some wearing blue armbands, are happy to answer your questions.
Stained-glass enthusiasts can take a special behind-the-scenes tour to learn about the restoration of the Minster’s glass-terpiece, the Great East Window (£7.50; Mon, Wed, and Fri at 14:00; one hour, 10-person maximum).
Evensong: To experience the cathedral in musical and spiritual action, attend an evensong (Tue-Sat at 17:15, Sun at 16:00, visiting choirs occasionally perform on Mon, 45 minutes). When the choir is off on school break (mid-July-Aug), visiting choirs usually fill in (confirm at church or TI). 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. For more on evensong, see here.
Tower Climb: The tower costs £6 and opens at 10:45, with last ascent at 16:15 in summer but as early as 15:15 in winter (no children under 8, not good for acrophobes, closes in bad weather).
In the Undercroft: The undercroft, containing the treasury, crypt, and foundations, has been undergoing renovation and is scheduled to open in spring of 2013 (likely £4, opening times likely similar to tower’s).
Church Bells: If you’re a fan of church bells, you’ll experience ding-dong ecstasy daily except Mon (Sun morning about 10:00, Tue practice 19:30-21:30, and Tue-Sat at 16:45 to announce evensong). 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 actually see the ropes through a little window) while one talented carillonneur plays 22 more bells with a baton-keyboard and foot pedals. On special occasions, you might even catch them playing a Beatles tune.
(See “York Minster” map, here)
Self-Guided Tour: Upon entering, head left, to the back (west end) of the church. Stand in front of the grand west door (used only on Sun) on the Deo Gratias 627-1927 plaque—a place of worship for 1,300 years, thanks to God. Flanking the door, the list of bishops (and other church officials) goes unbroken back to the 600s. The statue of Peter with the key and Bible 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,” using semaphore flag code to spell out a message with golden discs: “Christ is here.”
Grab a chair and enjoy the view down one of the widest Gothic naves in Europe. Looking down the nave, your first impression might be of its spaciousness and brightness. 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 his 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 survived World War II—hidden in stately homes throughout Yorkshire.
Walk to the very center of the church, under the central tower. Look up. Look down. Ask a Minster guide about how gifts and skill saved this 197-foot tower—which weighs the equivalent of 40 jumbo jets—from collapse. (The first tower collapsed in 1407.) Use the neck-saving mirror to marvel at it.
From here, you can survey many impressive features of the church:
In the north transept (to the left as you face the altar), the grisaille windows—dubbed the “Five Sisters”—are dedicated to British women who died in all wars. Made in 1260, before colored glass was produced in England, these contain more than 100,000 pieces of glass.
The south transept (to the right as you face the altar) is the one you entered through. 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, causing locals to say 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) conducted a competition among their 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).
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 dragon on the right of the nave (two-thirds of the way up the wall). 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 on a baptismal font.
Turn 180 degrees and face 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 indeed “slathered in gold leaf,” which sounds impressive, but the gold is very thin...a nugget the size of a sugar cube is pounded into a sheet the size of a driveway.
Step into the choir (or “quire”), 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.
Walk into the north transept. The 18th-century 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 (as Britain kept the Nazis from invading in its “darkest hour”). The Book of Remembrance below the clock contains 18,000 names.
A corridor leads to the Gothic, octagonal Chapter House, the traditional meeting place of the governing body (or chapter) of the Minster. On the pillar in the middle of the doorway, the Virgin holds Baby Jesus while standing on the devilish serpent. The Chapter House, without an interior support, is 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. A model of the wooden construction illustrates the impressive 1285 engineering.
The Chapter House was the site of an important moment in England’s parliamentary history. Fighting the Scots in 1295, Edward I (the “Longshanks” we met earlier) convened the “Model Parliament” here, rather than down south, in London. (The Model Parliament is the name for its early version, back before the legislature was split into the Houses of Commons and Lords.) 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.
Go back out into the main part of the church, turn left, and continue all the way down the nave (behind the choir). The church’s east end 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 currently behind scaffolding. In the meantime, interesting displays explain the ongoing work. Look for the panel of stained glass that is often on display here (it’s sometimes displayed in the Chapter House). The panel is exquisitely detailed—its minute features would be invisible from the floor of the church and therefore would be “for God’s eyes only.” Also, a chart (on the right as you face the window) highlights the core Old Testament scenes in this masterpiece (hard to read from below, even when you can actually see the window). Because of the window’s immense size, there’s an extra layer of supportive stonework, parts of it wide enough to walk along. In fact, for special occasions, the choir can actually sing from the walkway halfway up the window.
The 275-step tower and undercroft are two extra sights to consider, both accessed from the south transept (the tourist entrance). One gets you exercise and a panoramic view; the other is a basement full of history.
The undercroft, consisting of the crypt, treasury, and foundations, should reopen in spring of 2013 following a restoration project. Here you can see an actual bit of the Romanesque church, featuring 12th-century Romanesque art, excavated in modern times. You can also view the roots of the much smaller, but still huge, Norman (Romanesque) church from 1100 that stood on this spot and, below that, the excavations of a Roman fort. Peek also at the modern concrete save-the-church foundations. Everything is well-explained. Also in the undercroft is a treasury collection of pewter vessels, silver, and 12th-century statues.
Outside the Minster entrance and across the street, you’ll find the Roman Column. Erected in 1971, this column commemorates the 1,900th anniversary of the Roman founding of Eboracum (later renamed York). Next to the entrance is a lounging statue of Constantine, who was in York when his father died. The troops declared him the Roman emperor in A.D. 306 at this site, and six years later, he went to Rome to claim his throne. In A.D. 312, Constantine legalized Christianity, and in A.D. 314, York got its first bishop.
Get a taste of Roman and medieval York on this easy stroll along a segment of York’s wall. The walk begins in the gardens just in front of the Yorkshire Museum (described later).
Self-Guided Walk: Start just inside the Museum Gardens Gate, facing into the garden (near the river, where Lendal Street hits Museum Street; gate closes at 20:00).
• The ruined building about 20 yards to the right of the gate is the...
Abbey Hospital: The 13th-century facade of the Abbey hospital is interesting mostly because of the ancient Roman tombs stacked just under its vault. These were buried outside the Roman city and discovered in the last century with the building of the train line.
• Continue into the garden. About 50 yards ahead (on the right) is another remnant of ancient Rome, the...
Multangular Tower: This 12-sided tower (A.D. 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, bigger stones are medieval. After Rome fell, York suffered through two centuries of a dark age. Then the Vikings ruled from 780. 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 Roman wall that defined the ancient garrison town worked for the Norman town, too. From the 1600s on, no such fortified walls were needed in England’s interior.
• Continue about 100 yards (past the Neoclassical building holding the fine Yorkshire Museum on the right—worth a visit and described on here) to York’s ruined...
St. Mary’s Abbey: This abbey dates to the age of William the Conqueror—whose harsh policies of massacres and destruction in this region (called the “Harrowing of the North”) made him unpopular. His son Rufus, who tried to improve relations in the 12th 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 came with the Protestant Reformation and break with Rome, was a power play by Henry VIII. He took over the land and riches of the monasteries. Upset with the pope, he wanted his subjects to pay him taxes rather than give the Church tithes. (For more information, see the sidebar on here.)
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. Stand on 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.
• Now, backtrack about 50 yards, passing the museum, and turn left, walking between the museum and the Roman tower. Continuing between the abbot’s palace and the town wall, you’re walking along a “snickelway”—a small, characteristic York lane or footpath. The snickelway pops out on...
Exhibition Square: With the Dissolution, the Abbot’s Palace became the King’s Manor (from the snickelway, make a U-turn to the left and through the gate). Today, it’s part of the University of York. Because the northerners were slow to embrace the king’s reforms, Henry VIII came here to enforce the Dissolution. He stayed 17 days in this mansion and brought along 1,000 troops to make a statement of his determination. You can wander into the grounds and building. The Refectory Café serves cheap cakes, soup, and sandwiches to students, professors, and visitors like you (Mon-Fri 9:30-15:30, closed Sat-Sun).
Exhibition Square is the departure point for various walking and bus tours. 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 public WC, and Bootham Bar—one of the fourth-century Roman gates in York’s wall—with access to the best part of the city walls (free, walls open 8:00-dusk).
• Climb up and...
Walk the Wall: Hike along the top of the wall behind the Minster to the first corner. York’s 12th-century walls are three miles long. Norman kings built 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. 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. Continue walking for a fine view of the Minster (better when the scaffolding comes down), with its truncated main tower and the pointy rooftop of its chapter house.
• Continue on to the next gate, Monk Bar (skip the tacky museum in the tower house). Descend the wall at Monk Bar, and step past the portcullis to emerge outside the city’s protective wall. Lean against the last bollard and gaze up at the tower, imagining 10 archers behind the arrow slits. Keep an eye on the 12th-century guards, with their stones raised and primed to protect the town. Return through the city wall. When you reach the fork, go left to follow Goodramgate a couple of blocks into the old town center. Hiding off Goodramgate on the right is...
Holy Trinity Church: This church holds rare box pews atop a floor that is sinking as bodies rot and coffins collapse. The church is built in the late Perpendicular Gothic style, with lots of clear and precious stained glass from the 13th to 15th centuries (open Tue-Sat 10:00-16:00, Sun-Mon 12:00-16:00). Enjoy the peaceful picnic-friendly gardens.
• Goodramgate winds up passing...
King’s Square: This lively people-watching zone, with its inviting benches, is prime real estate for buskers and street performers. Just beyond (crossing the square diagonally) is the most characteristic and touristy street in old York: The Shambles (described later). Our walk ends here, at the midpoint between York’s main sights.
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 southeast end.
Note that several of York’s glitzier and most heavily promoted sights (including Jorvik Viking Centre, Dig, Barley Hall, and others) are run by the York Archaeological Trust (YAT). While rooted in real history, YAT attractions are geared primarily for kids and work hard (some say too hard) to make the history entertaining. If you like their approach and plan to visit several, ask about the various combo-ticket options.
▲▲Yorkshire Museum—Located in a lush, picnic-perfect park next to the stately ruins of St. Mary’s Abbey (described 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. The three main collections—Roman, medieval, and natural history—are well-described, bright, and kid-friendly.
Cost and Hours: £7.50, ticket good for one year, kids under 16 free with paying adult, £13 combo-ticket with York Castle Museum, daily 10:00-17:00, within Museum Gardens, tel. 01904/687-687, www.yorkshiremuseum.org.uk.
Visiting the Museum: At the entrance, you’re greeted by an original, early fourth-century A.D. Roman statue of the god Mars. From here, the Roman collection surrounds a large map on the floor of the Roman Empire. You’ll see slice-of-life exhibits about Roman baths, a huge floor mosaic that you can walk on, 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 between Romans and barbarians was a violent one.) These artifacts are particularly interesting when you consider that you’re standing in one of the farthest reaches of the Roman Empire.
The fine seven-minute “History of York” film peels back the many fascinating layers of York’s story, inspiring an appreciation and curiosity about local history. You’ll learn about Margaret Clitherow, who was publicly executed by being crushed to death under her own front door (which had been piled with heavy stones), and about the mysterious disappearance of Rome’s Ninth Legion—once stationed here.
In the basement are exhibits dedicated to the medieval period, when York was England’s second city. One large room is dominated by ruins of the St. Mary’s Abbey complex (described on here; one wall still stands just out front—be sure to see it before leaving). Surrounding the ruins are displays of old weapons, glazed vessels from the 12th and 13th centuries, and a well-preserved 13th-century leather box.
One of the museum’s prized pieces is an eighth-century Anglo-Saxon helmet (known as the York Helmet or the Coppergate Helmet), which shows a bit of barbarian refinement. Examine the delicate carving on its brass trim. The Vikings, who conquered the Anglo-Saxons, also 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 the Viking era. The jewelry collection includes an exquisitely etched 15th-century pendant called the Middleham Jewel—considered the finest piece of Gothic jewelry in Britain. The noble lady who wore this on a necklace believed that it helped her worship and protected her from illness. The back of the pendant, which rested near her heart, shows the Nativity. The front shows the Holy Trinity crowned by a sapphire (which people believed put their prayers at the top of God’s to-do list).
Back upstairs, the small natural history exhibit (titled “Extinct”) features skeletons of the extinct dodo and ostrich-like moa birds, as well as an ichthyosaurus.
Rounding out the collection are occasional temporary exhibits and a “learning level” for kids. On the top floor, a timeline of the city’s history circles all the way around the atrium.
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 feels soulless to adults (who visit with an included audioguide). While it pales in comparison to more authentically “old” sights in town, it could be worth the price for families—especially when bundled with a combo-ticket to other kid-friendly exhibits.
Cost and Hours: £5, kids 5-16-£3, under 5-free, combo-tickets with Jorvik Viking Centre and/or Dig, daily April-Oct 10:00-17:00, Nov-March 11:00-17:00, last entry one hour before closing, 2 Coffee Yard off Stonegate, tel. 01904/610-275, www.barleyhall.org.uk.
▲Chocolate: York’s Sweet Story—Though known mainly for its Roman, Viking, and medieval past, York also has a rich history in chocolate-making (as if this city wasn’t likeable enough already). Throughout the 1800s and 1900s, York was home to three major confectionaries—including Rowntree’s, originators of the noble Kit Kat, a snack “a man could take to work in his pack-up” (but not the peppermint patties; those are from York, Pennsylvania).
Your visit to this well-presented sight begins with a guided tour, during which you watch a film about the history of chocolate and “meet” (through animated talking figures) the major players in York’s confectionary past. After the tour, you’re free to explore the virtual chocolate factory, which includes fun interactive displays, such as an assembly line that lets you turn cocoa beans into a chocolate bar, along with live chocolate-making demos. Though the tour isn’t cheap, it does include a couple of pounds’ worth (currency, not weight) of free chocolate samples.
Cost and Hours: £10, tours run every 10-20 minutes daily 10:00-17:00 (last tour at 17:00), 1 hour, King’s Square, tel. 0845-498-9411, www.yorksweetstory.com.
▲The Shambles—This is the most colorful old street in the half-timbered, traffic-free core of town. Walk to the midway point, at the intersection with Little Shambles. This 100-yard-long street, next to the old market, was once the “street of the butchers” (the name is derived from shammell—a butcher’s cutting block). In the 16th century, it was busy with red meat. On the hooks under the eaves once hung rabbit, pheasant, beef, lamb, and pigs’ heads. Fresh slabs were displayed on the fat sills. People lived above—as they did even in Roman times. All the garbage was 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 the fine 16th-century, half-timbered Tudor buildings. Look above the modern crowds and storefronts to appreciate the classic old English architecture. The soil here wasn’t great for building. Notice how things settled in the absence of a good soil engineer.
Little Shambles leads to the frumpy Newgate Market (popular for cheap produce and clothing), created in the 1960s with the demolition of a bunch of lanes as colorful as The Shambles. A little farther along in the market is a covered lane (one of York’s “snickelways”). Walk through it to return to The Shambles, studying the 16th-century oak carpentry—mortise-and-tenon joints with wooden plugs rather than nails.
For a cheap lunch, consider the cute, tiny St. Crux Parish Hall. This medieval church is now used by a medley of charities that sell tea, homemade cakes, and light meals. They each book the church for a day, often a year in advance. Chat with the volunteers (usually open Tue-Sat 10:00-16:00, closed Mon-Sun, on the left at bottom end of The Shambles, at intersection with Pavement).
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 any waiting time by looking at the exhibits near the entry. The exhibits fill the haunted old St. Saviour’s Church.
Cost and Hours: £5.50, kids 5-16-£5, under 5-free, combo-tickets with Jorvik Viking Centre and/or Barley Hall, daily 10:00-17:00, last tour departs one hour before closing, Saviourgate, tel. 01904/615-505, www.digyork.com.
Merchant Adventurers’ Hall—Claiming to be the finest surviving medieval guildhall in Britain (from 1357-1361), this vast half-timbered building with marvelous exposed beams contains about 15 minutes’ worth of interesting displays about life and commerce in the Middle Ages. 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 old York. Sitting by itself in its own little park, this 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 650 years ago (now a modern charitable organization).
Cost and Hours: £6, includes audioguide; March-Oct Mon-Thu 9:00-17:00, Fri-Sat 9:00-15:30, Sun 11:00-16:00; Nov-Feb Mon-Sat 9:00-15:30, closed Sun; south of The Shambles between Fossgate and Piccadilly, tel. 01904/654-818, www.theyorkcompany.co.uk.
▲▲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)—as much a ride as a museum. Between 1976 and 1981, 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, the dig site was converted into this attraction. Innovative in 1984, the commercial success of Jorvik inspired copycat ride/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—it can be quite informative.
Cost and Hours: £9.25, various combo-tickets with Dig and/or Barley Hall, daily April-Oct 10:00-17:00, Nov-March until 16:00, these are last-entry times, tel. 01904/615-505, www.jorvik-viking-centre.co.uk.
Crowd-Beating Tips: This popular attraction can come with long lines. At the busiest times (roughly 11:00-15:00), you may have to wait an hour or more—especially on school holidays. For £1 extra, you can book a slot in advance, either over the phone or on their website. Or you can avoid the worst lines by coming early or late in the day (when you’ll more likely wait just 10-15 minutes).
Visiting Jorvik: First you’ll walk down stairs (marked with the layers of history you’re passing) and explore a small museum. Under the glass floor is a re-creation of the archaeological dig that took place right here. Surrounding that are a few actual artifacts (such as a knife, comb, shoe, and cup) and engaging videos detailing the Viking invasions, longships, and explorers, and the history of the excavations. Next to where you board your people-mover is the largest Viking timber found in the UK (from a wooden building on Coppergate). Don’t rush through this area: These exhibits offer historical context to your upcoming journey back in time. Viking-costumed docents are happy to explain what you’re seeing.
When ready, board a theme-park-esque people-mover for a 12-minute trip through the re-created Viking street of Coppergate. It’s the year 975, and you’re in the village of Jorvik. You’ll glide past reconstructed houses and streets that sit atop the actual excavation site, while the recorded commentary tells you about everyday life in Viking times. Animatronic characters jabber at you in Old Norse, as you experience the sights, sounds, and smells of yore. Everything is true to the original dig—the face of one of the mannequins was computer-modeled from a skull dug up here.
Finally, you’ll disembark at the hands-on area, where you can actually touch original Viking artifacts. You’ll see several skeletons, carefully laid out and labeled to point out diseases and injuries, along with a big gob of coprolite (fossilized feces that offer archeologists invaluable clues about long-gone lifestyles). Next, a gallery of everyday items (metal, glass, leather, wood, and so on) provides intimate glimpses of that redheaded culture. Take advantage of the informative touchscreens. The final section is devoted to swords, spears, axes, and shields. You’ll also see bashed-in skulls (with injuries possibly sustained in battle) and a replica of the famous Coppergate Helmet (the original is in the Yorkshire Museum).
▲Fairfax House—This well-furnished home, supposedly the “first Georgian townhouse in England,” is perfectly Neoclassical inside. Each room is staffed by wonderfully pleasant docents eager to talk with you. They’ll explain how the circa-1740 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. For example, stuccoed philosophers look down on the library, while the goddess of friendship presides over the drawing room. Taken together, this house provides fine insights into aristocratic life in 18th-century England.
Cost and Hours: £6, £4 souvenir guidebook, Tue-Sat 10:00-16:30, Sun 12:30-16:00, Mon by guided tour only at 11:00 and 14:00—the tours are worthwhile, closed Jan-mid-Feb, near Jorvik Viking Centre at 29 Castlegate, tel. 01904/655-543, 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—the site of the gruesome 1190 mass-suicide of local Jews (they locked themselves inside and set the castle afire rather than face death at the hands of the bloodthirsty townspeople; read the whole story on the sign at the base of the hill). If you go inside, you’ll see a model of the original castle complex as it looked in the Middle Ages, and can climb up to enjoy fine city views from the top of the ramparts—but neither is worth the cost of admission.
Cost and Hours: £4; April-Oct daily 10:00-18:00; Nov-March Sat-Sun 10:00-16:00, closed Mon-Fri; last entry 15 minutes before closing, tel. 01904/646-940.
▲▲▲York Castle Museum—One of Europe’s most fascinating museums, this is a Victorian home show, possibly the closest thing to a time-tunnel experience England has to offer. The one-way plan assures that you’ll see everything, including remakes of rooms from the 17th to 20th centuries, the domestic side of World War II, a giant dollhouse from 1715, Victorian toys, and a century of swimsuit fashions.
Cost and Hours: £8.50, ticket good for one year, kids under 16 free with paying adult, £13 combo-ticket with Yorkshire Museum, daily 9:30-17:00, cafeteria at entrance, tel. 01904/650-335, 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).
Information: The museum’s £4 guidebook isn’t necessary, but it makes a fine souvenir. The museum proudly offers no audioguides, as its roaming guides are enthusiastic about talking—engage them.
Self-Guided Tour: The exhibits are divided between two wings: the North Building (to the left as you enter) and the South Building (to the right).
Follow the one-way route through the complex, 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. The Spotless exhibit examines the mundane but essential task of cleaning throughout history, from the invention of the modern WC to the evolution of the washing machine. The excellent From Cradle to Grave exhibit traces the rites of passage of a typical lifetime during the Victorian Age. For example, most women mourned their husbands for two and a half years, reflected by the color of their clothes. (Queen Victoria herself famously went one better, and swaddled herself in black for four decades after the death of her beloved Prince Albert; for more on Victoria, see sidebar on here.) The Hearth and Home exhibit showcases fireplaces and kitchens from the 1600s to the 1980s, and the Barn Gallery explains farming in Yorkshire.
Next, stroll down the museum’s re-created Kirkgate, a street from the Victorian era, when Britain was at the peak of its power. It features old-time storefronts, including a chemist, sweet shop, school, and two grocers (one for the well-to-do, the other for the working class), along with roaming live guides in period dress. Around the back is a slum area depicting how the poor lived in those times.
Circle back to the entry and cross over to the South Building, with military-themed exhibits. Look for displays about the Merchant Adventurers (traders and buccaneers on the high seas), Elizabethan soldiers of York, Yorkshire’s role in the English Civil War (tracing the events of 1642-1651), and a powerful exhibit called Seeing It Through in York, explaining both the military and civilian experience here during World War II. Downstairs are the Costume Gallery, with 250 years of clothes and textiles, and the Toy Gallery, which takes you from dollhouses to Atari and Transformers. (Note that the areas containing the military, toy, and costume exhibits may be closed for renovation during your visit.)
Cross through the castle yard. A detour to the left leads to a working 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 York Castle Prison, which re-creates the experiences of actual people who were thrown into the clink here. Videos, eerily projected onto the walls of individual cells, show actors telling tragic stories about the cells’ one-time inhabitants.
▲▲National Railway Museum—If you like model railways, this is train-car heaven. The thunderous museum shows 200 illustrious years of British railroad history. This biggest and best railroad museum anywhere is interesting even to people who think “Pullman” means “don’t push.”
Cost and Hours: Free but donations appreciated, daily 10:00-18:00, tel. 0844-815-3139, www.nrm.org.uk.
Getting There: It’s about a 15-minute walk from the Minster (southwest of town, up the hill behind the train station). From the train station itself, the fastest approach is to go all the way to the back of the station (using the overpass to cross the tracks), exit out the back door, and turn right up the hill. To skip the walk, a cute little “road train” shuttles you more quickly between the Minster and the Railway Museum (£2 each way, runs daily Easter-Oct, leaves museum every 30 minutes 11:00-16:00 at the top and bottom of the hour; leaves town—from Duncombe Place, 100 yards in front of the Minster—at :15 and :45 minutes after the hour).
Visiting the Museum: Pick up the floor plan to locate the various exhibits, which sprawl through several gigantic buildings on both sides of the street. Throughout the complex, red-shirted “explainers” are eager to talk trains.
The museum’s most impressive room is the Great Hall (head right from the entrance area; it’s across the street). Fanning out from this grand roundhouse is an array of historic cars and engines, starting with the very first “stagecoaches on rails,” with a crude steam engine from 1830. You’ll trace the evolution of steam-powered transportation, from the Flying Scotsman (the first London-Edinburgh express rail service), 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 original Flying Scotsman may not be on display, as it’s sometimes on excursions or under maintenance; for the latest on its status, check www.nrm.org.uk/flyingscotsman.) 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. The simulator lets you choose between various types of trains to take for a virtual ride (£3/ride).
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. The Warehouse is 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, train posters, and more info on the Flying Scotsman.
Crossing back to the entrance side, continue to the Station Hall, with a collection of older trains, including ones that the royals have used to ride the rails (including Queen Victoria’s lavish royal car). Behind that are the South Yard and the Depot, with actual, working trains in storage.
Riverside Walk or Bike Ride—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 is a fine place for today’s visitors to walk or bike. This hour-long walk along a bike path is a great way to enjoy a dose of countryside away from York. Start from the riverside under Skeldergate Bridge (near the York Castle Museum), and walk away from town for a mile until you hit the modern Millennium Bridge (check out its thin, modern, stainless-steel design). Cross the river and walk back home, passing through Rowntree Park (a great Edwardian park with lawn bowling for the public, plus family fun including a playground and adventure rides for kids). Energetic bikers can continue past the Millennium Bridge 18 miles to the market town of Selby.
With its medieval lanes lined with classy as well as tacky little shops, York is a hit with shoppers. I find the antiques malls interesting. Three places within a few blocks of each other are filled with stalls and cases owned by antiques dealers from the countryside. The malls sell the dealers’ bygones on commission. Serious shoppers do better heading for the country, but York’s shops are a fun browse: The Antiques Centre York (Mon-Sat 9:00-17:30, Sun 9:00-16:00, 41 Stonegate, tel. 01904/635-888, www.theantiquescentreyork.co.uk), the Red House Antiques Centre (Mon-Fri 9:30-17:30, Sat 9:30-18:00, Sun 10:30-17:30, a block from Minster at Duncombe Place, tel. 01904/637-000, www.redhouseyork.co.uk), and Cavendish Antiques and Jewellers (Mon-Fri 9:30-17:30, Sat 9:30-18:00, Sun 10:00-17:00, 44 Stonegate, tel. 01904/621-666 www.cavendishjewellers.co.uk).
You’ll find thrift shops run by various charity organizations from the beginning of Goodramgate by the wall to just past Deangate. Good deals abound on clothing, purses, accessories, children’s toys, books, CDs, and maybe even a guitar. If you buy something, you’re getting a bargain and at the same time helping the poor, elderly, or even a pet in need of a vet (hours vary, but stores generally open between 9:00 and 10:00 and close between 16:30 and 17:00, with shorter hours on Sun). On Goodramgate alone you’ll find shops run by the British Heart Foundation, Save the Children, and Oxfam (selling donated items as well as free-trade products such as coffee, tea, culinary goods, stationery items, and jewelry and purses made in developing countries and purchased directly from the producers and artisans).
Theatre Royal—A full variety of dramas, comedies, and works by Shakespeare entertains the locals in either the main theater or the little 100-seat theater-in-the-round (£10-22, 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 tel. 01904/623-568, www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk). Those under 25 and students of any age get tickets for only £8.
Ghost Tours—You’ll see fliers, signs, and promoters hawking a variety of entertaining but not-so-spooky after-dark tours. I like the one that’s genuinely frightening—the “Haunted Walk” (described earlier, under “Tours in York”).
Pubs—Atmospheric, half-timbered pubs abound. One of my favorites for old-school York ambience is The Blue Bell. This tiny, traditional establishment with a time-warp Edwardian interior is the smallest pub in York. It has two distinct little rooms—each as cozy as can be (Mon-Sat 11:00-23:00, Sun 12:00-22:30, limited food served at lunch, near the east end of town at 53 Fossgate). The Maltings, just over the Lendal Bridge, has a more up-to-date interior (though still classic pub ambience) and—more importantly—seven real ales on tap. Local beer purists swear by this place (£6-7 pub grub served at lunchtime only, open for drinks nightly, cross the bridge and look down and left to Tanners Moat, tel. 01904/655-387). Downtown and great for lunch or dinner, The House of the Trembling Madness is another fine watering hole—and is above a “bottle shop” selling a stunning variety of beers by the bottle to go (described later, under “Eating in York”).
Movies—The centrally located City Screen Cinema is right on the river, playing both art-house and mainstream flicks. They also have an enticing café/bar overlooking the river that serves good food (13 Coney Street, tel. 0871-902-5726).
I’ve listed peak-season, book-direct prices. Don’t use the TI. Outside of July and August, some prices go soft. B&Bs often charge £10 more for weekends and sometimes turn away one-night bookings, particularly for peak-season Saturdays. (York is worth two nights anyway.) Prices spike up for horse races and Bank Holidays (about 20 nights a season). Remember to book ahead during festival times (see “Helpful Hints,” here) and weekends year-round.
These B&Bs 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 to you, say so when booking. For a good selection, contact them well in advance. B&B owners will generally hold a room with an email or phone call and work hard to help their guests sightsee and eat smartly. Most have permits to lend for street parking. Please honor your bookings—the B&B proprietors here lose out on much-needed business if you don’t show up.
The handiest B&B neighborhood is the quiet residential area just outside the old town wall’s Bootham gate, along the road called Bootham. All of these are within a 10-minute walk of the Minster and TI, and a 5- to 15-minute walk or £6 taxi ride from the station. If driving, head for the cathedral and follow the medieval wall to the gate called Bootham Bar. The street called Bootham leads away from Bootham Bar.
Getting There: Here’s the most direct way to walk to this B&B area from the train station: Head to the north end of the station, to the area between platforms 2 and 4. Shoot through the gap between the men’s WC and the York Tap pub, into the short-stay parking lot. Walk to the end of the lot to a pedestrian ramp, and zig-zag your way down. At the bottom, head left, following the sign for the riverside route. When you reach the river, cross over it on the footbridge. At the far end of the bridge, the Abbey Guest House is a few yards to your right, facing the river. To reach The Hazelwood and Ardmore Guest House (closer to the town wall), walk from the bridge along the river until just before the short ruined tower, then turn inland up onto Marygate. For other B&Bs, at the bottom of the footbridge, turn left immediately onto a path that skirts the big parking lot (parallel to the train tracks). At the end of the parking lot, you’ll turn depending on your B&B: for the places on or near Bootham Terrace, turn left and go under the tracks; for B&Bs on St. Mary’s Street, take the short stairway on your right.
$$$ Hedley House Hotel, well-run by a wonderful family, has 30 clean and spacious rooms. The outdoor hot tub/sauna is a fine way to end your day (Sb-£55-90, standard Db-£80-110, larger Db-£90-130, rates depend on demand, ask for a deal with stay of 3 or more nights, family rooms, good 3-course evening meals for £22, free Wi-Fi, free parking, 3 Bootham Terrace, tel. 01904/637-404, www.hedleyhouse.com, greg@hedleyhouse.com, Greg and Louise Harrand). They also have nine luxury studio apartments—see their website for details.
$$ Abbeyfields Guest House has eight comfortable, bright rooms. This doily-free place lacks B&B clutter and has been designed with care (Sb-£55; Db-£84 Sun-Thu, £89 Fri-Sat; homemade bread, free Wi-Fi, free parking, 19 Bootham Terrace, tel. 01904/636-471, www.abbeyfields.co.uk, enquire@abbeyfields.co.uk, charming Al and Les).
$$ At St. Raphael Guesthouse, young, creative, and energetic Dom and Zoe (and son Ollie) understand a traveler’s needs. You’ll be instant friends. Dom’s graphic design training brings a dash of class to their seven comfy rooms, each themed after a different York street, and each lovingly accented with a fresh rose (Sb-£65 Sun-Thu, £80 Fri-Sat; Db-£78 Sun-Thu, £90 Fri-Sat; these prices promised in 2013 if you mention this book when reserving, free drinks in their guests’ fridge, family rooms, free Internet access and Wi-Fi, 44 Queen Annes Road, tel. 01904/645-028, www.straphaelguesthouse.co.uk, info@straphaelguesthouse.co.uk).
$$ Arnot House, run by a hardworking daughter-and-mother team, is old-fashioned, homey, and lushly decorated with Victorian memorabilia. The three well-furnished rooms even have little libraries (Db-£80 if you book direct, 2-night minimum stay unless it’s last-minute, no children, free Wi-Fi, huge DVD library, 17 Grosvenor Terrace, tel. 01904/641-966, www.arnothouseyork.co.uk, kim.robbins@virgin.net, Kim).
$ Amber House is a small place with three breezy and well-tended rooms. It’s homey, but with some elegant touches—a bit more tasteful and upscale-feeling than others in this price range (Db-£64 Sun-Thu, £72 Fri-Sat; Tb-£90; mention Rick Steves when booking direct for these prices in 2013, free Wi-Fi, free parking, 36 Bootham Crescent, tel. 01904/620-275, www.amberhouse-york.co.uk, amberhouseyork@hotmail.co.uk, John and Linda).
$ Bootham Guest House features gregarious and welcoming Emma. Public spaces are ho-hum, but the eight rooms (six are en-suite, two share a bath) are cheery and stylish (S-£35, Sb-£45, D-£60, Db-£70, Tb-£90, these prices in 2013 if you mention this book when reserving, free Wi-Fi, 56 Bootham Crescent, tel. 01904/672-123, www.boothamguesthouse.com, boothamguesthouse1@hotmail.com).
$ Number 34, run by hardworking Amy and Jason, has five simple, light, and airy rooms at fair prices. It’s a bit masculine-feeling, with modern decor (high season: Sb-£35-45, Db-£62, Tb-£88; off-season: Sb-£35, Db-£58, Tb-£80; mention Rick Steves when reserving to get best rates, ground-floor room, free Wi-Fi, 34 Bootham Crescent, tel. 01904/645-818, www.number34york.co.uk, enquiries@number34york.co.uk).
$ Queen Annes Guest House has nine basic rooms in two adjacent houses (#26 is a bit newer) at the best prices in the neighborhood (ask for the more recently renovated rooms). If you’re looking for plush beds and rich decor, look elsewhere. If you’d simply like an affordable and clean place to sleep, this is it (high season: S-£30, D-£48, Db-£55; off-season: S-£26, D-£44, Db-£48; these prices with this book through 2013, family room, ground-floor room, free Wi-Fi, lounge, 24 and 26 Queen Annes Road, tel. 01904/629-389, www.queen-annes-guesthouse.co.uk, info@queen-annes-guesthouse.co.uk, Phil).
$$ Abbey Guest House is a peaceful refuge overlooking the River Ouse, with five cheerful, beautifully updated, contemporary-style rooms and a cute little garden (Db-£78, four-poster Db with river view-£83, ask for Rick Steves discount when you book direct, free Wi-Fi, free parking, £7 laundry service, 13-14 Earlsborough Terrace, tel. 01904/627-782, www.abbeyghyork.co.uk, info@abbeyghyork.co.uk, delightful couple Gill—pronounced “Jill”—and Alec Saville, and a dog aptly named Loofah).
$$ Number 23 St. Mary’s B&B is extravagantly decorated. Chris and Julie Simpson have done everything just right and offer nine spacious and tastefully comfy rooms, a classy lounge, and all the doily touches (Sb-£50-60, Db-£80-100 depending on room size and season, discount for longer stays, family room, honesty box for drinks and snacks, free Wi-Fi, 23 St. Mary’s, tel. 01904/622-738, www.23stmarys.co.uk, stmarys23@hotmail.com).
$$ Crook Lodge B&B, with seven tight but elegantly charming rooms, serves breakfast in an old Victorian kitchen. The 21st-century style somehow fits this old house (Db-£75-80, cheaper off-season, check for online specials, one ground-floor room, free Internet access and Wi-Fi, parking, quiet, 26 St. Mary’s, tel. 01904/655-614, www.crooklodge.co.uk, crooklodge@hotmail.com, Brian and Louise Aiken).
$$ Airden House rents nine nice rooms, including one with a sauna (Db-£70-80, Tb-£90-96, these prices with 2-night minimum if you mention this book when reserving in 2013, lounge, free parking, 1 St. Mary’s, tel. 01904/638-915, www.airdenhouse.co.uk, info@airdenhouse.co.uk).
$$$ The Hazelwood, my most hotelesque listing, is plush and more formal than a B&B. This spacious house has 14 beautifully decorated rooms with modern furnishings and lots of thoughtful touches. The “standard” rooms have bright, cheery decor and small bathrooms, while the bigger “superior” rooms come with newer bathrooms and handcrafted furniture (Sb-£70; four sizes of Db: mid-week £80, £90, £100, £110—£15 more on weekends; two ground-floor rooms, fluffy robes, free Internet access and Wi-Fi, light breakfast option, homemade biscuits on arrival, £7 laundry service, free parking, garden patio; fridge, ice, and travel library in pleasant basement lounge; 24 Portland Street, tel. 01904/626-548, www.thehazelwoodyork.com, reservations@thehazelwoodyork.com; Ian and Carolyn, along with Sharon and Emma). Ask about their bright top-floor two-bedroom apartment, great for families and those with strong legs (continental breakfast only in apartment).
$ Ardmore Guest House is a fine little three-room place enthusiastically run by Irishwoman Vera, who’s given it a green theme. It’s about 15 minutes’ walk from the station, but only five minutes from Bootham Bar (Sb-£40, smaller Db-£60, larger Db-£75, Tb-£75, discount off-season for 3 or more nights, cash only, free Wi-Fi, 31 Claremont Terrace, tel. 01904/622-562, mobile 079-3928-3588, www.ardmoreyork.co.uk, ardmoreguesthouse@crwprojects.co.uk).
$$$ Dean Court Hotel, a Best Western facing the Minster, is a big, stately hotel with classy lounges and 37 comfortable rooms. A few have views for no extra charge—try requesting one (Sb-£115, small Db-£150, standard Db-£180, superior Db-£210, spacious deluxe Db-£230, cheaper midweek, off-season, and on Sun, check specific rates online, elevator, free Internet access and Wi-Fi, bistro, restaurant, Duncombe Place, tel. 01904/625-082, fax 01904/620-305, www.deancourt-york.co.uk, sales@deancourt-york.co.uk).
$$ Travelodge York Central offers 93 identical, affordable, slightly worn rooms near the York Castle Museum. If you book long in advance on their website, this can be amazingly cheap. River views make some rooms slightly less boring—after booking online, call the front desk to try to arrange a view (rates vary wildly depending on demand—as cheap as £9 for a fully prepaid “saver rate” 2 months ahead, cheapest rates are first-come, first-served; kids’ bed free, continental breakfast-£4.50, elevator, pay Internet access and Wi-Fi, parking-£6.50/day, 90 Piccadilly, central reservations tel. 0871-984-6187, front desk tel. 01904/651-852, www.travelodge.co.uk). A newer second location, Travelodge York Central Micklegate, has 104 rooms at the train station end of the Ouse Bridge (similar rates, Micklegate, tel. 0871-984-6443).
$$ Premier Inn offers 200 rooms in two side-by-side hotels that I hate to recommend, but it’s a workable option if York’s B&Bs have filled up, or if you can score a deep advance discount. They have little character (at one, you enter through a coffee shop), but they offer industrial-strength efficiency and a decent value (Db-£75-120, usually £80-95 Sun-Thu, £90-116 Fri-Sat; check for specials online—occasional deals as low as £29 if you book far enough ahead; up to 2 kids stay free, breakfast-£8, elevator in one building, pay Internet access and Wi-Fi, parking-£8.50, 5-minute walk to train station, 20 and 28-40 Blossom Street, tel. 0871-527-9194 and 0871-527-9196, www.premierinn.com).
$ Ace York is a boutique hostel in a large, classy, nicely renovated Georgian house that provides a much-needed option for backpackers. They rent 136 beds in 2- to 14-bed rooms, most with great views and all with private prefab “pod” bathrooms and thoughtful touches such as reading lights for each bed. They also offer fancier, hotel-quality doubles (£16-31/bed depending on size of dorm and day of week, twin Db-£60-68, king Db-£80-84, family room for up to four-£120-128, includes continental breakfast, four floors, no elevator, air-con, pay Internet access, free Wi-Fi, self-service laundry-£3, TV lounge, game room, bar, lockers, no curfew, 5-minute walk from train station at 88-90 Mickelgate, tel. 01904/627-720, www.acehotelyork.co.uk, reception@ace-hotelyork.co.uk).
York is bursting with inviting eateries. In the last decade or so, the city has become a hot spot for the new British cuisine—every year seems to bring another bistro serving classy dishes made with fresh, local ingredients. There’s also a wide range of ethnic food (including several good choices for Indian, Thai, Italian, Spanish tapas, and so on). The one area where York falters is with good-quality pub grub; while the downtown has plenty of pubs, most serve basic, microwaved food—there’s no top-quality gastropub serving food that’s a cut above. For something beyond the ordinary, locals head to The House of the Trembling Madness (listed later)...or hop in the car to drive to a countryside gastropub in a nearby village.
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 upon which to munch cheaply. On a sunny day, perhaps the best picnic spot in town is under the evocative 12th-century ruins of St. Mary’s Abbey in the Museum Gardens (near Bootham Bar).
Upscale Bistros: As these trendy, pricey eateries are a York forte, I’ve listed four of my favorites: Café No. 8, Café Concerto, The Blue Bicycle, and J. Baker’s. These places are each romantic, laid-back, and popular with natives (so reservations are wise for dinner). All have several creative vegetarian options on the menu. Main courses at these places cost about £15-25—not exorbitant by British standards, but not cheap, either.
(See “York Restaurants” map, here)
Café Concerto, a casual and cozy bistro with wholesome food and a charming musical theme, has an understandably loyal following. The fun menu—which hasn’t changed much in years—features updated English favorites with some international options (£9-12 soup, sandwich, and salad meals available before 18:00; otherwise £4-8 starters, £12-17 main dishes; daily 9:00-21:00, weekends until 22:00, smart to reserve for dinner—try for a window seat, also offers take-away, facing the Minster at 21 High Petergate, tel. 01904/610-478).
York Hogroast is a local fixture, serving its delicious and very hearty £3-5 pork sandwiches with a choice of traditional fillings—try the apple (take-away only, two locations: at 82-84 Goodramgate—open Mon-Thu 11:00-21:00, Fri-Sun until 23:00; and 4 Stonegate—open same hours except Fri-Sun until 2:00 in the morning). From the Goodramgate location, grab a sandwich and munch in the yard at the nearby Holy Trinity Church (to your left as you exit, peaceful) or in King’s Square (to your right as you exit, lively with buskers).
Fish-and-Chips: For a fried fish fix, Drakes is a good option (daily 11:00-22:30, 97 Low Petergate, tel. 01904/624-788).
The hot new restaurant strip in York is on Swinegate, right in the heart of town. Along here you’ll find several stylish restaurants, bars, and lounges serving good food. At the jog in the middle of Swinegate, the snickelway called Coffee Lane leads claustrophobically through the middle of the block to Stonegate, where you’ll find more good options.
(See “York Restaurants” map, here)
Strolling this street, you can just take your pick of the various tempting bars and eateries. Some are trendy, with thumping music, while others are tranquil; some have elaborately decorated dining rooms, while others emphasize heated courtyards. This corner of town has two similar, fiercely competitive bar/brasserie/lounges (both open daily and serving £8-12 meals): Oscar’s, right on Swinegate, has a mod interior and good burgers; Stonegate Yard, around the corner on Little Stonegate, has food that’s not quite as good in a delightful, ivy-covered courtyard. Others enjoy the courtyard and Mediterranean food at Lucia (£4 small plates, £7-12 meals, daily, 12-13 Swinegate). The next three places are also on or near Swinegate:
Indian: Of the multiple decent Indian eateries in town, The Indian Lounge is the most appealing—with a modern interior (Bollywood movies on the screen and on the soundtrack) and tasty, fresh food made from good ingredients (£9-13 meals, daily 12:00-14:30 & 17:30-24:00, 26 Swinegate, tel. 01904/639-918).
Vegetarian: El Piano Restaurant, just off Swinegate on charming Grape Lane, is a popular veggie option that serves only vegan, gluten-free, and low-sodium dishes in both £4-6 tapas-style portions and full plates. The dishes have Indian/Asian/Middle Eastern flavors, and the inside ambience is bubble gum with blinking lights; they also have a pleasant patio out back. If you’re eating family-style, three or four plates serve two. Save money at the take-away window (£3 to-go “bamboo boats,” £13 three-dish sampler, £30 two-person sampler, Mon-Sat 11:00-23:00, Sun 12:00-17:00, between Low Petergate and Swinegate at 15-17 Grape Lane, tel. 01904/610-676).
Fish-and-Chips: Mr. Chippy has cheap and handy carry-out fish-and-chips (£3.50-5) near the top of Swinegate; I’d skip their next-door sit-down restaurant with inflated prices, which defeats the purpose of a chippy (Mon-Sat 11:00-19:30, Sun 12:00-17:00, 37-39 Swinegate).
(See “York Restaurants” map, here)
The House of the Trembling Madness, the best pub in town, is easy to miss. Enter through The Bottle, a ground-floor shop selling an astonishing number of different take-away beers (called a “bottle shop” in England). Climb the stairs to find a small but cozy pub beneath a high, airy timbered ceiling. It’s youthful and a bit fashion-forward, yet still accessible to all ages. The food, while not quite achieving “gastropub” status, tries to be locally sourced and is far more creative than standard York pub grub; the chorizo with scrumpy (spicy sausage sautéed in hard apple cider and onions) is delicious (£2-6 snacks, £6-8 meals, daily 10:00-24:00, 48 Stonegate, tel. 01904/640-009).
Evil Eye Lounge serves large portions of delicious, authentic Southeast Asian cuisine. But the creaky, funky, youthful space may be a bit too edgy for some. You can order downstairs at the bar (with a small terrace out back), or head upstairs for table service (£8 meals, food served Mon-Fri 12:00-21:00, Sat 12:00-19:00, 42 Stonegate, tel. 01904/640-002). On Sundays, the Asian cuisine takes a break, and a full multi-course traditional Sunday roast is served instead (good deal at £4 for kids, £7 for adults, £9 for “monsters,” Sun 12:00-16:00, can get busy).
Note that York Hogroast also has a location on Stonegate (described earlier).
(See “York Restaurants” map, here)
Café No. 8 is your best bistro choice on Gillygate, serving modern European and veggie options. Grab one of 12 tables in front or in the back sunroom, or enjoy a shaded little garden out back if the weather’s good. No. 8 feels like Café Concerto (described earlier) but is more romantic, with jazz, modern art, candles, and hardworking Martin bringing it all together. Chef Chris Pragnell uses what’s fresh in the market to shape his menu. The food is simple, elegant, and creative (£6-10 lunches, £6-7 starters, £15-18 dinners, Mon-Fri 12:00-22:00, Sat-Sun 11:00-22:00, 8 Gillygate, tel. 01904/653-074).
The handsome Exhibition Hotel pub has a nice bar area inside, as well as a glassed-in conservatory and beer garden out back that’s great for kids. While the food is nothing special, it’s conveniently located near my recommended B&Bs (£8-11 pub grub, daily 12:00-23:00, until 24:00 on weekends, just outside Bootham Bar at 19 Bootham Street, tel. 01904/641-105).
Supermarket: Sainsbury’s Local grocery store is handy and open late (daily 6:00-24:00, 50 yards outside Bootham Bar, on Bootham).
(See “York Restaurants” map, here)
This neighborhood is across town from my recommended B&Bs, but still central (and a short walk from the York Castle Museum). All three of these places are worth the longer after-dinner stroll.
The Blue Bicycle is no longer a brothel (but if you explore downstairs, you can still imagine when the tiny privacy-snugs needed their curtains). Today, it is passionate about fish. The energy of its happy eaters, its charming canalside setting, and its location just beyond the tourist zone make it worth the splurge. Of my recommended York restaurants, this wins the best ambience award, though the service can be a bit spotty. It’s a velvety, hardwood scene, a little sultry but fresh...like its fish. Reservations are a must (£6-12 starters, £16-24 main dishes, vegetarian and meat options, Mon-Sat 18:00-21:30, Sun 18:00-21:00, Thu-Sun also 12:00-14:30, 34 Fossgate, tel. 01904/673-990).
J. Baker’s is popular for how it turns local produce into highbrow versions of classic dishes. At lunchtime, their “grazing menu” makes it affordable to sample several dishes (available à la carte, or £12 for three courses). At dinnertime, the two earth-tone dining rooms—one downstairs, one upstairs—tend to fill up fast, so reservations are smart. Locals enjoy coming here to celebrate special occasions, but warn that portions can be small (£27 two-course meals, £33 three-course meals, £40 seven-course “grazing” meal, Tue-Sat 12:00-14:30 & 18:00-21:30, closed Sun-Mon, near the end of The Shambles at 7 Fossgate, tel. 01904/622-688). Across the street is the recommended Blue Bell pub (see here).
Melton’s Too is a fun and casual place to eat. This homey, spacious, youthful restaurant (combining old timbers and plastic chairs) serves up elegantly simple meals and a nice a selection of £5-8 tapas, all with a focus on local ingredients. The seating sprawls on several floors: ground-floor pub, upstairs bistro, and top-floor loft (£7 lunches, £11-14 dinners, Mon-Sat 10:30-22:30, Sun 10:30-21:30, just past Fossgate at 25 Walmgate, tel. 01904/629-222).
(See “York Restaurants” map, here)
Italian restaurants—many actually run by Italian families—are a dime a dozen in York. Ask your B&B owner for advice on their favorite, or try one of these three.
Ristorante Bari has perhaps the most touristy location in York, right in the middle of The Shambles—but it also has a loyal local following that has kept it in business for more than 50 years. This family-run place has red rustic chairs and an accessible menu of Italian classics (£7-10 pizzas and pastas, £12-18 main dishes, daily 11:30-14:30 & 18:00-22:00, The Shambles, tel. 01904/633-807).
Mamma Mia is another popular choice for functional, affordable Italian. The casual eating area features a tempting gelato bar, and in nice weather the back patio is molto bella (£8-10 pizza and pasta, lunch served Thu-Mon 11:30-14:00, dinner served daily 17:30-23:00, 20 Gillygate, tel. 01904/622-020).
Ask Restaurant is a cheap and cheery Italian chain, similar to those found in historic buildings all over Britain. But York’s version lets you dine in the majestic Neoclassical yellow hall of its Grand Assembly Rooms, lined with Corinthian marble columns. The food may be Italian-chain dull—but the atmosphere is 18th-century deluxe (£9-12 pizza, pastas, and salads; daily 12:00-23:00, off-season Sun-Thu until 22:00, Blake Street, tel. 01904/637-254). Even if you’re just walking past, peek inside to gape at the interior.
(See “York Restaurants” map, here)
York is famous for its elegant teahouses. These two places serve traditional afternoon tea as well as light meals in memorable settings. In both cases, the food is pricey and comes in small portions—I’d come here at 16:00 for tea and cakes, but dine elsewhere.
Ladies who lunch love Bettys Café Tea Rooms, where you pay £8.50 for a Yorkshire Cream Tea (tea and scones with clotted Yorkshire cream and strawberry jam), or £18 for a full traditional English afternoon tea (tea, delicate sandwiches, scones, and sweets). Your table is so full of doily niceties that the food is served on a little three-tray tower. While you’ll pay a little extra here (and the food’s nothing special), the ambience and people-watching are hard to beat. When there’s a line, it moves quickly (except at dinnertime). Wait for a seat by the windows on the ground level rather than in the much bigger basement (daily 9:00-21:00, “afternoon tea” served all day; on weekends the special £26 afternoon tea includes fresh-from-the-oven scones served 12:30-17:00 in upstairs room with pianist; piano music nightly 18:00-21:00 and Sun 10:00-13:00, tel. 01904/659-142, St. Helen’s Square, fine view of street scene from a window seat on the main floor). Near the WC downstairs is a mirror signed by WWII bomber pilots—read the story.
Grays Court is tucked away behind the Minster, holding court over its own delightful garden just inside the town wall (you’ll look down into its inviting oasis if you walk along the top of the wall). For centuries, this was the residence of the Norman Treasurers of York Minster; today it’s home to a pleasant tearoom, small hotel, and bar. In summer, you can either sit outside, at tables scattered in the pleasant garden; or inside, in the Jacobean gallery, a long wood-paneled hall with comfy sofas upstairs in an old mansion. Ask to see the medieval wall of the original Treasurer’s House behind the oak paneling. Even if you’re not taking tea here, consider dropping by just to poke around the garden (£35 for 2-person afternoon tea, £6 sandwiches, £6-11 light meals, Wed-Sun 9:00-16:00, Fri-Sat until 17:00, closed Mon-Tue, Chapter House Street, tel. 01904/612-613).
From York by Train to: Durham (3-4/hour, 45 minutes), London’s King’s Cross Station (2/hour, 2 hours), Bath (hourly with change in Bristol, 4.5 hours, more with additional transfers), Oxford (1/hour direct, 3.5 hours, more with transfers), Cambridge (roughly hourly, 2.5 hours, change in Peterborough, more with additional transfers), Birmingham (2/hour, 2-2.5 hours), Keswick/Lake District (train to Penrith: roughly 2/hour, 3.5-4 hours, 1-2 transfers; then bus, allow about 4.5 hours total), Manchester Airport (2/hour, 1.75 hours), Edinburgh (2/hour, 2.5-2.75 hours). Train info: tel. 0845-748-4950, www.nationalrail.co.uk.
Connections with London’s Airports: Heathrow (allow 3 hours minimum; from airport take Heathrow Express train to London’s Paddington Station, transfer by Tube to King’s Cross, train to York—2/hour, 2 hours; for details on cheaper but slower Tube or bus option from airport to London King’s Cross, see here), Gatwick (allow 3 hours minimum; from Gatwick South, catch First Capital Connect train to London’s St. Pancras Station; from there, walk to neighboring King’s Cross Station, and catch train to York—at least 2/hour, 2 hours).
In the lonesome North York Moors, sheep seem to outnumber people. Upon this high, desolate-feeling plateau, with spongy and inhospitable soil, bleating flocks jockey for position against scrubby heather for control of the terrain. Although the 1847 novel Wuthering Heights was set 60 miles to the southwest, you can almost imagine the mysterious Heathcliff plodding across this countryside. As you pass through this haunting landscape, crisscrossed by only a few roads, notice how the gloomy brown heather—which blooms briefly with purple flowers at summer’s end—is actually burned back by wardens to clear the way for new growth. The vast, undulating expanses of nothingness are punctuated by greener, sparsely populated valleys called dales. Park your car and take a hike across the moors on any small road. You’ll come upon a few tidy villages and maybe even old Roman roads.
For information on the moors, you can stop at the TI in Pickering (at the south end) and/or the excellent Moors Centre (near Danby, at the north end). Pick up the annual magazine Out and About in the North York Moors. Either place can give you hiking tips and sell you essential maps. Popular walks include a 5.5-mile loop near the Hole of Horcum, the 4.5-mile walk between Goathland and Grosmont, or the brief stroll to the waterfall near Goathland. Most villages have at least one general store where you can buy a basic brochure suggesting local hikes.
If you’re driving, the easiest route across the moors is the A-169, which roughly parallels the steam-train line north to Grosmont; it passes the Hole of Horcum and comes close to Grosmont, before heading east to Whitby. To the west, smaller roads head north through Hutton-le-Hole (with its folk museum) and the village of Rosedale Abbey. While less straightforward—you’ll need a very good map and an even better navigator—this western zone really gets you deep into the moors.
Those relying on public transportation will primarily use the North Yorkshire Moors Railway (explained later) and the sporadic, made-for-hikers Moorsbus. The Moorsbus offers various handy routes to middle-of-nowhere hiking destinations in the North York Moors and out-of-the-way sights such as the Ryedale Folk Museum; however, funding cuts have dramatically reduced its frequency and it may stop running completely by October of 2013 (in 2012, it was running Sun and Bank Holiday Mondays only April-Oct). Check the most recent schedules carefully when planning your trip (tel. 01845-597-000, www.northyorkmoors.org.uk/moorsbus). Various companies operate Yorkshire buses; for most connections, use the route planner at www.yorkshiretravel.net.
These locations are listed roughly from south to north (as you’d approach them coming from York).
This functional town, the southern gateway to the North York Moors, is a major crossroads and a proud hub for this region’s meager public transit. Pickering’s two-hour parking lot, train station, and TI all cluster on the same block. The helpful TI can provide advice for driving and hiking on the moors, and has a room-booking service (March-Oct Mon-Sat 9:30-17:00, Sun until 16:00; Nov-Feb Mon-Sat 9:30-16:00, closed Sun; tel. 01751/473-791, www.discovernorthyorkshire.co.uk, pickeringtic@btconnect.com).
The main reason to visit Pickering is to catch the North Yorkshire Moors Railway steam train into the moors (described next). Pickering is also the jumping-off point for various Moorsbus lines into the moors (lines #M6, #M7, and #M8; for more on this infrequent service, see previous page). Otherwise, you can browse its Monday market (produce, knickknacks) and consider its rural-life museum (Hutton-le-Hole’s is better)—but don’t bother visiting Pickering unless you’re passing through anyway.
With more time, consider stopping by Pickering’s ruined 13th-century Norman castle, built on the site of a wooden castle from William the Conqueror’s 11th-century heyday. Appreciate its textbook motte-and-bailey (stone fort on a grassy hilltop) design, and climb to the top to understand its strategic location (£4; April-Sept Thu-Mon 10:00-17:00, closed Tue-Wed except open daily July-Aug; closed Oct-March, on the ridge above town, tel. 01751/474-989, www.english-heritage.org.uk).
Getting There: Drivers find Pickering right on the A-169, 25 miles north of York (en route to the coast). Or you can catch Coastliner bus #840 from York (every 1-2 hours Mon-Sat, fewer on Sun, 1.5 hours, www.coastliner.co.uk); you can shave a few minutes off the trip by taking the train to Malton, then catching bus #840 from there.
This 18-mile, one-hour steam-engine ride between Pickering and Grosmont (GROW-mont) runs almost hourly through some of the best parts of the moors. Sometimes the train continues from Grosmont on to the seaside town of Whitby; otherwise, you might be able to transfer in Grosmont to another, non-steam train to reach Whitby—check schedules as you plan your trip. (For details on getting to Pickering, see previous paragraph.)
Even with the small and dirty windows (try to wipe off the outside of yours before you roll), and with the track situated mostly in a scenic gully, it’s a good ride. You can stop along the way for a walk on the moors (or at the appealing village of Goathland) and catch the next train (£17 round-trip to Grosmont, £23 round-trip to Whitby, includes hop-on, hop-off privileges; runs daily late March-Oct, and some Dec weekends, no trains Nov and Jan-late March, schedule flexes with season but first train generally departs Pickering at 9:00, last train departs Grosmont about 18:30; trip takes about one hour one-way to Grosmont, allow about 2.75 hours round-trip to come back on the same train; tel. 01751/472-508—press 1 for 24-hour timetable info, www.nymr.co.uk). There’s no baggage storage at any stop on the steam-train line (but you can leave your bag for free at the Pickering TI until 17:00)—pack light if you decide to hike.
This postcard-pretty town, lining up along a river as if posing for its close-up, is an ideal springboard for a trip into the North York Moors. It has some touristy shops and inviting picnic benches, but Hutton-le-Hole’s (pronounced “HOO-ton le hole”) biggest attraction is its engaging folk museum.
The Ryedale Folk Museum illustrates farm life in the moors through reconstructed and furnished 18th-century buildings. At this open-air complex, you’ll wander along a line of shops, including a village store—one-stop shopping (the original Costco) to save locals the long trek into the closest market town. Then you’ll come to a humble cluster of traditional, lived-in-feeling thatch-roof cottages. If the beds are unmade, notice the “mattress” is made of rope stretched across a frame, which could be tightened for a firmer night’s sleep (giving us the phrase “sleep tight”). The museum is most worthwhile during frequent special weekends, when lively costumed docents explain what you’re seeing along the way—check the online schedule or call ahead (£7; mid-March-late Oct daily 10:00-17:30, last entry at 16:30; late Oct-mid-March 10:00-dusk, closes early Dec-mid-Jan; tel. 01751/417-367, www.ryedalefolkmuseum.co.uk).
Getting There: Drivers find it just north of the A-170. From Hutton-le-Hole, you can plunge northward directly into the North York Moors (which begin suddenly as you leave town). Non-drivers will rely on the sporadic Moorsbus to reach Hutton-le-Hole (#M3 from Helmsley, Sun and Bank Holiday Mondays only April-Oct, schedules change frequently—confirm before you set out, www.northyorkmoors.org.uk/moorsbus).
The Hole of Horcum—This huge sinkhole was supposedly scooped out by a giant. While not too exciting, it offers a good excuse to get out of your car and appreciate the moorland scenery (at the Saltergate car park).
Rosedale Abbey—A tranquil village on the west side of the moors (north of Hutton-le-Hole and far from the Hole of Horcum and Goathland), Rosedale Abbey offers a good dose of small-town moor life. Nestled between hills, it also provides pleasing moor views.
Goathland—This village, huddled along a babbling brook, is worth considering for a sleepy stopover, either on the steam-train trip or for drivers (it’s an easy detour from the A-169). Movie buffs will enjoy Goathland’s train station, which was used to film scenes at “Hogsmeade Station” for the early Harry Potter movies (for more on Harry Potter sights, see here). But Brits know and love Goathland as the setting for the beloved, long-running TV series Heartbeat, about a small Yorkshire town in the 1960s. You’ll see TV sets intermingled with real buildings, and some shops are even labeled “Aidensfield,” for the TV town’s fictional name.
This expanded and refurbished visitors center near Danby provides the best orientation for exploring North York Moors National Park. (Unfortunately, it’s at the northern end of the park—not as convenient if you’re coming from York.) The grand old lodge offers excellent exhibits on various moorland topics, informative films about the landscape, an art gallery showcasing works by local artists inspired by these surroundings, a children’s play area, an information desk, plenty of books and maps, guided nature walks, brass rubbing, a cheery cafeteria, and brochures on several good walks that start right outside the front door.
Cost and Hours: Free entry, parking-£2.20/up to 2 hours, £4/day; March-Oct daily 10:00-17:00; Nov-Feb Sat-Sun 11:00-16:00, closed Mon-Fri; café, tel. 01439/772-737, www.northyorkmoors.org.uk.
Getting There: The Moors Centre is three-fourths of a mile from Danby in Esk Valley, in the northern part of the park (follow signs from Danby, which is a short drive from the A-171, running along the northern edge of the park). Danby is where the Moorsbus system (routes #M2, #M3, and #M4) meets the rail network (Danby is on the Northern Line #5, with connections to Grosmont—the terminus for the North Yorkshire Moors Railway described earlier—and Whitby; trains run along here 4/day, less often Sun off-season, 20 minutes from Danby to Grosmont, 40 minutes from Danby to Whitby, www.northernrail.org).