NEAR BOOTHAM BAR AND RECOMMENDED B&BS
Historic York is loaded with world-class sights. Marvel at the York Minster, England’s finest Gothic church. Ramble The Shambles, York’s wonderfully preserved medieval quarter. Enjoy a walking tour led by an old Yorker. Hop a train at one of the world’s greatest railway museums, travel to the 1800s in the York Castle Museum, head back 1,000 years to Viking times at the Jorvik Viking Centre, or dig into the city’s buried past at the Yorkshire Museum.
York has a rich history. In AD 71 it was Eboracum, a Roman provincial capital—the northernmost city in the empire. Constantine was proclaimed emperor here in AD 306. In the fifth century, as Rome was toppling, the Roman emperor sent a letter telling England it was on its own, and York—now called Eoforwic—became the capital of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Northumbria.
The city’s first church was built in 627, and the town became an early Christian center of learning. The Vikings later took the town, and from the 9th through the 11th century, it was a Danish trading center called Jorvik. The invading and conquering Normans destroyed and then rebuilt the city, fortifying it with a castle and the walls you see today.
Medieval York, with 9,000 inhabitants, grew rich on the wool trade and became England’s second city. Henry VIII used the city’s fine Minster as the northern capital of his Anglican Church. (In today’s Anglican Church, the Archbishop of York is second only to the Archbishop of Canterbury.)
In the Industrial Age, York was the railway hub of northern England. When it was built in 1877, York’s train station was the world’s largest. During World War II, the station suffered an aerial bombardment. (In response to Allied bombing of historic German towns, the Nazis unleashed the “Baedeker raids,” bombing English cities—including York—that were described as the most historic and beautiful in the leading German guidebook of the day.)
Today, York feels like a big, traffic-free amusement park for adults. Its leading industry is tourism. It seems like everything that’s great about Britain finds its best expression in this manageable town. While the city has no single claim to fame, York is more than the sum of its parts. With its strollable cobbles and half-timbered buildings, grand cathedral and excellent museums, thriving restaurant scene and welcoming locals, York delights.
After London, York is the best sightseeing city in England. On even a 10-day trip through England, it deserves two nights and a day. For the best 36 hours, follow this plan: Arrive early enough to catch the 17:15 evensong service at the Minster, then take the free city walking tour at 18:15 (evening tours offered June-Aug only). Enjoy dinner (which you reserved in advance) at one of the city’s bistros. The next morning at 9:00, take my self-guided walk, interrupting it midway with a tour of the Minster. Finish the walk and grab lunch. To fill your afternoon, choose among the town’s many important sights (such as the York Castle Museum or the Railway Museum). Spend the evening enjoying a ghost walk of your choice and another memorable dinner.
This is a packed day; as you review this chapter, you’ll see that there are easily two days of sightseeing fun in York.
There are roughly 200,000 people in York and its surrounding area; about one in ten is a student. But despite the city’s size, the sightseer’s York is small. Virtually everything is within a few minutes’ walk: sights, train station, TI, and B&Bs. The longest walk a visitor could take (from a B&B across the old town to the York Castle Museum) is about half an hour.
Bootham Bar, a gate in the medieval town wall, is the hub of your York visit. (In York, a “bar” is a gate and a “gate” is a street. Blame the Vikings.) At Bootham Bar and on Exhibition Square, you’ll find the starting points for most walking tours and bus tours, handy access to the medieval town wall, a public WC, and Bootham Street (which leads to my recommended B&Bs). To find your way around York, use the Minster’s towers as a navigational landmark, or follow the strategically placed signposts, which point out all places of interest to tourists.
York’s TI is a block in front of the Minster (Mon-Sat 9:00-17:00, Sun 10:00-16:00, 1 Museum Street, tel. 01904/550-099, www.visityork.org). They sell a quality £1 map.
York Pass: The TI sells a £45 one-day pass that covers all the sights in York, the City Sightseeing bus, riverboat ride, and a few regional sights. You’d have to be a very busy sightseer to make this pass worth the cost (it’s good for a calendar day, not 24 hours; multiday options available, www.yorkpass.com).
By Train: The train station is a 10-minute walk from downtown. Day-trippers can pay to store baggage at the small hut next to the Europcar office just off Queen Street—as you exit the station, turn right and walk along a bridge to the first intersection, then turn right (daily 8:00-20:00). Baggage storage is also available near Bootham Bar—see “Helpful Hints,” later.
Recommended B&Bs are a 5- to 15-minute walk or a £7-9 taxi ride from the station. For walking directions to the B&Bs, see here.
To walk downtown from the station, exit straight, crossing the street through the bus stops, and turn left down Station Road, keeping the wall on your right. At the first intersection, turn right through the gap in the wall and then left across the river, and follow the crowd toward the Gothic towers of the Minster. After the bridge, a block before the Minster, you’ll see the TI on your right.
By Car: Driving and parking in York is maddening. Those day-tripping here should follow signs to one of several park-and-ride lots ringing the perimeter. At these lots, parking is free, and cheap shuttle buses go every 10 minutes into the center. (But, oddly, they generally don’t allow overnight parking.)
If you’re sleeping here, park your car where your B&B advises and walk. 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 northwest 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 the 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.
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.jorvikvikingfestival.co.uk). The Early Music Festival (medieval minstrels, Renaissance dance, and so on) zings its strings in early July (www.ncem.co.uk/yemf.shtml). The Great Yorkshire Fringe Festival keeps the city entertained the last two weeks of each July (www.greatyorkshirefringe.com). 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. (Many avoid York during this period, as prices go up and the streets are filled with drunken revelers. Others find that attractive.) The York Food and Drink Festival takes a bite out of late September (www.yorkfoodfestival.com). And the St. Nicholas Fair Christmas market jingles its bells from mid-November through Christmas. For a complete list of festivals, see www.visityork.org/whats-on/festivals.
Wi-Fi: Free Wi-Fi is available in the city center using York’s City Connect network (select the “form” option and create an account to gain access).
Baggage Storage: Yorbag Left Luggage has a tiny office at 20 High Petergate (daily 9:00-19:00, just inside Bootham Bar near the Minster, 10-minute walk to train station, mobile 07561-852-654).
Laundry: Some B&Bs will do laundry for a reasonable charge. Otherwise the nearest place is Haxby Road Launderette, a long 15-minute walk north of the town center (or you can take a bus—ask your B&B for directions, 124 Haxby Road, call ahead for prices and hours—tel. 01904/623-379).
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. Cycle Heaven is at the train station (£10/2 hours, £15/5 hours, £20/24 hours, includes helmet and lock, Mon-Fri 8:30-17:30, Sat 9:00-17:00, Sun 11:00-16:00, closed Sun off-season, to the left as you face the main station entrance from outside, tel. 01904/622-701). For location, see map on here.
Taxi: From the train station, taxis zip new arrivals to their B&Bs for £7-9. Queue up at the taxi stand, or call 01904/623-332; 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 (3 Layerthorpe, tel. 0844-544-6117); Hertz (at train station, tel. 0843-653-503); Budget (near the National Railway Museum behind the train station at 75 Leeman Road, tel. 01904/644-919); and Europcar (off Queen Street near train station, tel. 0371-384-3458). Beware: Car-rental agencies close early on Saturday afternoons and all day Sunday. This is OK when dropping off, but picking up at these times is possible only by prior arrangement (and for an extra fee).
A walking tour in York is worth ▲▲▲.
Charming locals give energetic, entertaining, and free two-hour walks through York (daily at 10:15 and 13:15, June-Aug also at 18:15; 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 let them know, or they’ll worry that they’ve lost you.
York Tour offers two different, more intellectually demanding walks with a history focus (£18, daily at 14:00, 90 minutes; £15, daily at 18:00, 1 hour; meet at Exhibition Square, must book online, mobile 07963-791-937, www.yorktour.com). The evening walk is a nice option for those who appreciate history over ghost stories. Alfred Hickling, who runs York Tour, has a passion for York’s history and also gives private tours (£90/half-day, mobile 07963-791-937 www.yorktour.com).
Each evening, the old center of York is crawling with creepy ghost walks. (York lays claim to being the most haunted city in Europe.) These walks are generally 1.5 hours long, cost £5-7, and go rain or shine. Reservations are usually not necessary. You simply show up at the advertised time and place, your black-clad guide appears, and you follow him or her to the first stop. Your guide gives a sample of the entertainment you have in store, humorously collects the “toll,” and you’re off.
You’ll see fliers and signboards all over town advertising the many ghost walks. Companies come and go, but I find there are three general styles of walks: street theater, historic, and storytelling. Here are three reliably good walks, one for each style (discount for children under 14).
The Terror Trail Walk has entertaining guides with backgrounds in the performing arts. The tours are both thought-provoking and historic. A good mix of horrifying stories, historical (fun) facts, humor, and role-play makes the tour playful and engaging (£5, daily at 18:45, meet in front of Ye Old Shambles Tavern on The Shambles, www.yorkterrortrail.co.uk).
The Bloody Tour of York, led by Mad Alice (an infamous figure in York lore), is an engaging walk with captivating descriptions about the plague, martyred saints, the torturing of regicide-wannabe Guy Fawkes, and other bloody tales. Alice may be mad, but she provides a fine blend of history, violence, and mayhem (£7, Thu-Sat at 18:00, also at 20:00 in April-Oct, no tours Sun-Wed, Dec-Jan by reservation only, meet outside St. Williams College behind the Minster on College Street, www.thebloodytourofyork.co.uk).
The Original Ghost Walk, said to be the first of its kind, dates to the 1970s. The walk covers some of the supposedly haunted places in York, where old dukes, Vikings, and Roman soldiers are still seen at night. The walk has more classic spooky storytelling than comedy, and you may learn that your B&B is haunted—or that sits atop an old graveyard (£5, daily at 20:00, meet outside The Kings Arms at Ouse Bridge, www.theoriginalghostwalkofyork.co.uk).
Tours in a Dish, led by Marion Martinez, makes five stops in three hours that can also serve as lunch. The tour visits small eateries offering both savory and sweet cuisine, mostly modern and eclectic rather than traditional English, where you meet the artisan (£50/person, 2-8 people, departs at 11:30 from the Minster, book online, mobile 07588-773-647, www.toursinadish.com).
City Sightseeing’s half-enclosed, double-decker, hop-on, hop-off buses circle York, taking tourists past secondary sights that the city walking tours skip—the mundane perimeter of town. While you can hop on and off all day, York is so compact that these have no real transportation value. If taking a bus tour, 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 and skipping the last five minutes. In the summer, several departures come with a live guide (£15, pay driver, cash only, ticket valid 24 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).
City Cruise York does a lazy, narrated, 45-minute lap along the River Ouse (£10, April-Sept daily 10:30-16:30, runs every 30 minutes, off-season 4/day, no cruises Dec-Jan; leaves from Lendal Bridge, also 1-hour evening cruise at 19:30 and 21:15 for £12, leaves from King’s Staith near Skeldergate Bridge; tel. 01904/628-324, www.citycruisesyork.com).
Two reliable companies run all-day minibus (16 passenger) tours with various routes covering the nearby North York Moors, Yorkshire Dales, and Whitby on the coast. Tours cost around £40 and are an efficient way to get a taste of this scenic and charming region without the headache and expense of a rental car (Mountain Goat Tours, tel. 01904/405-341, www.mountain-goat.com; and Bob Holiday’s Day Trips from York, tel. 01609/779-933, www.bobholidays.com).
Get a taste of Roman and medieval York on this easy, self-guided stroll. The walk begins in the gardens just in front of the Yorkshire Museum, covers a stretch of the medieval city walls, and then cuts through the middle of the old town. Start at the ruins of St. Mary’s Abbey in the Museum Gardens (see the “York Walk” map).
This abbey dates to the age of William the Conqueror—whose harsh policies (called the “Harrowing of the North”) consisted of massacres and destruction, including the burning of York’s main church. His son Rufus, who tried to improve relations in the 11th century, established a great church here. The church became an abbey that thrived from the 13th century until the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 16th century. The Dissolution, which accompanied the Protestant Reformation and break with Rome, was a power play by Henry VIII. The king wanted much more than just a divorce: He wanted the land and riches of the monasteries. Upset with the pope, he demanded that his subjects pay him taxes rather than give the Church tithes. (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 nearby plaque that reads Crossing beneath central tower, and look up at the air that now fills the space where a huge tower once stood. (Fine carved stonework from the ruined abbey is on display in a basement room of the adjacent Yorkshire Museum.)
• With your back to the abbey, see the fine Neoclassical building housing the Yorkshire Museum (worth a visit and described later, under “Sights in York”). Walk in front of this building and circle left down a tree-covered lane. On your right is a corner of the Roman Wall with the Multangular Tower. After 30 yards, a lane on the right leads through a garden, past yew trees (York means “place of the yew trees”), and through a small gated arch in the wall. Step through the wall and look right for a peek into the ruined tower.
This 12-sided tower (c. AD 300) was likely a catapult station built to protect the town from enemy river traffic. The red ribbon of bricks was a Roman trademark—both structural and decorative. The lower stones are Roman, while the upper (and bigger) stones are medieval. After Rome fell, York suffered through two centuries of a Dark Age. Then, in the ninth century, the Vikings ruled. They built with wood, so almost nothing from that period remains. The Normans came in 1066 and built in stone, generally atop Roman structures (like this wall). The wall that defined the ancient Roman garrison town worked for the Norman town, too. But after the English Civil War in the 1600s and Jacobite rebellions in the 1700s (Britain’s last internal conflicts), fortified walls were no longer needed in the country’s interior.
• Now, return to the tree-covered lane and turn right, walking between the museum and the Roman wall. Continuing straight, the lane goes between the abbot’s palace and the town wall. This is a “snickelway”—a small, characteristic York lane or footpath. The snickelway pops out on...
With Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries, the abbey was destroyed and the Abbot’s Palace became the King’s Manor (from the snickelway, make a U-turn to the left and through the gate). Enter the building under the coat of arms of Charles I, who stayed here during the English Civil War in the 1640s. Today, the building is part of the University of York. Because the northerners were slow to embrace the king’s reforms, Henry VIII came here to personally enforce the Dissolution. He stayed 17 days in this mansion and brought along 1,000 troops to make his determination clear. You can wander into the grounds and building. A few stairs lead to the King’s Manor Refectory café serving cheap cakes, soup, and sandwiches to students, professors, and visitors like you (Mon-Fri 9:30-15:00, closed Sat-Sun).
Exhibition Square is the departure point for various walking and bus tours. The venerable York Art Gallery (£8, minor collection of paintings and ceramics) overlooks it. The square’s centerpiece is a statue of William Etty. With the Industrial Age most great cities had their walls torn down and railway lines laid right through their hearts. With leadership from Etty, York saved its walls and parked the station outside, thus retaining the character that so many visitors enjoy today.
From Exhibition Square you can see the towers of the Minster in the distance. Travelers in the Middle Ages could see the Minster from miles away as they approached the city. Across the street is a pay WC and Bootham Bar—one of the fourth-century Roman gates in York’s wall (this one faced Scotland)—with access to the best part of the city walls (free, walls open 8:00-dusk).
• Climb up the bar.
Hike along the top of the wall behind the Minster to the first corner. (While there may be a padlock on an entry gate, it’s generally open. Just push.) York’s 13th-century walls are three miles long. This stretch follows the original Roman wall. Norman kings built up the walls to assert control over northern England. Notice the pivots in the crenellations (square notches at the top of a medieval wall), which once held wooden hatches to provide cover for archers. The wall was extensively renovated in the 19th century. (Victorians may have saved the walls, but the fortifications were not “medieval” enough for their taste, so they ornamented them with fanciful extras, adding little touches such as Romantic arrow slits.)
At the corner with the benches—Robin Hood’s Tower—you can lean out and see the moat outside. This was originally the Roman ditch that surrounded the fortified garrison town. (Looking at a town map, you can still make out the rectangular footprint of that original occupiers’ green zone.) Continue walking for a fine view of the Minster, with its truncated main tower and the pointy rooftop of its chapter house.
Continue on to the next gate, Monk Bar. This fine medieval gatehouse is the home of the little Richard III Museum (described later, under “Sights in York”).
• Descend the wall at Monk Bar, and step outside the city’s protective wall. Pass the portcullis (last lowered in 1953 for the Queen’s coronation). Take 10 paces and gaze up at the tower. Imagine 10 archers behind the arrow slits. Keep an eye on the 17th-century guards, with their stones raised and primed to protect the town.
Return through the city wall. After a short block, turn right on Ogleforth. (“Ogle” is the Norse word for owl, hence our word “ogle”—to look at something fiercely.)
Walking down 5 Ogleforth, ogle (on your left) a charming little brick house from the 17th century called the Dutch House. It was designed by an apprentice architect who was trying to show off for his master, and was the first entirely brick house in town—a sign of opulence. Next, also of brick, is a former brewery, with a 19th-century industrial feel.
Ogleforth jogs left and becomes Chapter House Street which leads on to the Minster. On your way you’ll pass the 6 Treasurer’s House on the right, where a short detour to a tranquil garden awaits. While admission is charged to visit the stately house (daily 11:00-16:30), it’s free to visit its garden and café. Pass through the ornate iron gate into the hallway and take a sharp left into the garden. Find a bench and pause to enjoy this pint-sized walled oasis before exiting onto Minster Yard with the pointed tower of the octagonal Chapter House looming in front of you.
Then, circle left around the back side of the Minster, past the stonemasons’ lodge (where craftsmen are chiseling local limestone for the church, as has been done here since the 13th century), to the statue of Roman Emperor Constantine and an ancient Roman column.
Step up to lounging 7 Constantine. Five emperors visited York when it was the Roman city of Eboracum. Constantine was here when his father died. The troops declared him the Roman emperor in AD 306 at this site, and six years later, he went to Rome to claim his throne. In AD 312, Constantine legalized Christianity, and in AD 314, York got its first bishop.
The ancient column, across the street from Constantine, is a reminder that the Minster sits upon the site of the Roman headquarters, or principia. The city placed this column here in 1971, just before celebrating the 1,900th anniversary of the founding of Eboracum—a.k.a. York.
• If you want to visit the York Minster now, find the entrance on its west side, ahead and around the corner (see description on here). Otherwise, head into the town center. From opposite the Minster’s south transept door (the door by Constantine), take a narrow pedestrian walkway—which becomes Stonegate—into the tangled commercial center of medieval York. Walk straight down Stonegate, a street lined with fun and inviting cafés, pubs, and restaurants. Just before the Ye Old Starre Inne banner hanging over the street, turn left down the snickelway called Coffee Yard. (It’s marked by a red devil.) Enjoy strolling another of York’s...
This is a made-up York word combining “snicket” (a passageway between walls or fences), “ginnel” (a narrow passageway between buildings), and “alleyway” (any narrow passage)—snickelway. York—with its population packed densely inside its protective walls—has about 50 of these public passages. In general, when exploring the city, you should duck into these—both for the adventure and to take a shortcut. While some of York’s history has been bulldozed by modernity, bits of it hide and survive in the snickelways.
Coffee Yard leads past Barley Hall (look through the big window on the left to see its fine old interior), popping out at the corner of Grape Lane and Swinegate. Medieval towns named streets for the business done there. Swinegate, a lane of pig farmers, leads to the market. Grape Lane is a polite version of that street’s original crude name, Gropec*nt Lane. If you were here a thousand years ago, you’d find it lined by brothels. Throughout England, streets for prostitutes (rife with men groping women) were called by this graphic name. Today, if you see a street named Grape Lane, that’s usually its heritage.
Skip Grape Lane and turn right down Swinegate to a market (which you can see in the distance). The Shambles Market, popular for cheap produce and clothing, was created in the 1960s with the demolition of a bunch of colorful medieval lanes. Despite the rise of suburban shopping malls, it’s good to see a bit of the old commercial zone with its medieval heritage thriving after all those centuries in the heart of York. (The collection of food trucks at the far end is a popular place for a fast, cheap, and memorable little lunch.)
• In the center of the market, tiny “Little Shambles” lane (on the left) dead-ends into the most famous lane in York.
This colorful old street (rated ▲) was once the “street of the butchers.” The name was derived from “shammell”—a butcher’s bench upon which he’d cut and display his meat. In the 16th century, this lane was dripping with red meat. You can still see the hooks—once used to hang rabbit, pheasant, beef, lamb, and pigs’ heads—under the eaves. Fresh slabs were displayed on the fat sills, while people lived above the shops. All the garbage and sewage flushed down the street to a mucky pond at the end—a favorite hangout for the town’s cats and dogs. Tourist shops now fill these fine, half-timbered Tudor buildings. Look above the modern crowds and storefronts to appreciate the classic old English architecture. While fires gutted most old English town centers, York’s old town survives intact. (London would have looked like this before its devastating fire in 1666.) The soil here isn’t great for building; notice how the structures have settled in the absence of a solid foundation.
Turn right and slalom down The Shambles. Just past the tiny sandwich shop at #37, pop in to the snickelway and look for very old woodwork. Study the 16th-century carpentry: mortise-and-tenon joints with wooden plugs rather than nails, and the wattle-and-daub construction (timber frames filled in with rubble and plastered over).
Next door (back on The Shambles) is the shrine of St. Margaret Clitherow, a 16th-century Catholic crushed by Protestants under her own door (as was the humiliating custom when a city wanted to teach someone a lesson). She was killed for refusing to testify about hiding priests in her home. Step into the tiny shrine for a peaceful moment to ponder Margaret, who in 1970 was sainted for her faith.
The Shambles reminds many of Diagon Alley in Harry Potter films. While this lane inspired the set design (and the establishment of several Harry Potter shops at the bottom end of the lane), no filming was ever done here.
At the bottom of The Shambles is the cute, tiny St. Crux Parish Hall, which charities use to raise funds by selling light meals (see “Eating in York,” later). Take some time to chat with the volunteers.
With blood and guts from The Shambles’ 20 butchers all draining down the lane, it’s no wonder The Golden Fleece, just below, is considered the most haunted pub in town.
• Your town walk is finished. From here, you’re just a few minutes from plenty of fun: street entertainment and lots of cheap eating options on King’s Square, good restaurants on Fossgate, the York Castle Museum (a few blocks farther downhill), and the starting point for my Ouse Riverside Walk (see here).
▲▲▲YORK MINSTER
OTHER SIGHTS INSIDE YORK’S WALLS
▲Ouse Riverside Walk or Bike Ride
The pride of York, this largest Gothic church north of the Alps (540 feet long, 200 feet tall) brilliantly shows that the High Middle Ages were far from dark. The word “minster” means an important church chartered with a mission to evangelize. As it’s the seat of a bishop, York Minster is also a cathedral. While Henry VIII destroyed England’s great abbeys, this was not part of a monastery (and Henry needed an ecclesiastical center for his Anglican Church in the north), so it was left standing. It seats 2,000 comfortably; on Christmas and Easter, at least 4,000 worshippers pack the place. Today, more than 250 employees and 500 volunteers work to preserve its heritage and welcome more than a million visitors each year. It costs £11,000 a day to maintain the great church, and they just about break even with the revenue generated by tourism.
Cost: £12, includes guided tour, Undercroft Museum, and crypt; free for kids under age 16. If you buy your ticket online in advance, you can skip the ticket line. Ask a staff member where to enter.
Hours: The cathedral is open for sightseeing Mon-Sat 9:00-18:30, Sun 12:30-15:00. It opens for worship daily at 7:30. Closing time flexes with activities, but last entry is generally at 16:30. Sights within the Minster have shorter hours (listed later). The Minster may close for special events (check calendar on website).
Information: Tel. 01904/557-217 or 0844-393-0011, www.yorkminster.org.
Visitor Information: You’ll get a free map with your ticket. For more information, pick up the inexpensive York Minster Short Guide. Helpful Minster guides stationed throughout are happy to answer your questions (but not on Sundays).
Tower Climb: It costs £5 for 30 minutes of exercise (275 steps) and forgettable views. The tower opens at 9:30 (13:15 on Sun), with ascents every 45 minutes; the last ascent is generally at 17:00, earlier in winter (no children under 8, not good for acrophobes, closes in extreme weather). Get your timed-entry ticket upon arrival, as only 50 visitors are allowed up at once. It’s a tight, spiraling, claustrophobic staircase with an iron handrail. You’ll climb about 150 steps to the top of the transept, step outside to cross a narrow walkway, then go back inside for more than 100 steps to the top of the central tower. From here, you’ll have caged-in views of rooftops and the flat countryside.
Undercroft Museum: This museum focuses on the history of the site and its origins as a Roman fortress (Mon-Sat 10:00-17:00, Sun 13:00-16:00).
Tours: Free, guided hour-long tours depart from the ticket desk every hour on the hour (Mon-Sat 10:00-15:00, can be more frequent during busy times, none on Sun, they go even with just one or two people). You can join a tour in progress.
Evensong: To experience the cathedral in musical and spiritual action, attend an evensong (Tue-Sat at 17:15, Sun at 16:00, Mon spoken service at 17:15, enter at south door). Visiting choirs perform when the Minster’s choir is on summer break (mid-July-Aug). Arrive 15 minutes early and wait just outside the choir in the center of the church. You’ll be ushered in and can sit in one of the big wooden stalls. As evensong is a worship service, attendees enter the church free of charge. For more on evensong, see here.
Church Bells: If you’re a fan of church bells, you’ll experience ding-dong ecstasy Sunday morning at about 10:00 and during the Tuesday practice session between 19:00 and 22:00. These performances are especially impressive, as the church holds a full carillon of 35 bells (it’s the only English cathedral to have such a range). Stand in front of the church’s west portal and imagine the gang pulling on a dozen ropes (halfway up the right tower—you can actually see the ropes through a little window) while a talented carillonneur plays 22 more bells with a keyboard and foot pedals.
Self-Guided TourBefore entering, stand before the great west portal (under the twin towers). You’ll notice this facade has lots of empty niches. These were potential “advertising” spaces, built to entice rich donors, but were never filled. An exception is in the center, where a bishop stands flanked by two wealthy dukes—one who gave stone (on the left, holding a stone) and another who gave timber (on the right, holding a beam).
Upon entering, decide whether you’re climbing the tower. If so, get a ticket (with an assigned time). Also consider visiting the Undercroft Museum (described later) if you want to get a comprehensive history and overview of the Minster before touring the church.
• Entering the church, turn 180 degrees and look back at the...
1 Great West Doors: These are used only on special occasions. Flanking the doors is a list of archbishops (and other church officials) that goes unbroken back to the 600s. The statue of Peter with the key and Bible (between the doors) is a reminder that the church is dedicated to St. Peter, and the key to heaven is found through the word of God. While the Minster sits on the remains of a Romanesque church (c. 1100), today’s church was begun in 1220 and took 250 years to complete. Up above, look for the female, headless “semaphore saints” (from 2004), using semaphore flag code to spell out a message with golden discs: “Christ is here”.
• Grab a chair and enjoy the view down the...
2 Nave: Your first impression might be of its spaciousness and brightness. One of the widest Gothic naves in Europe, it was built between 1280 and 1360—the middle period of the Gothic style, called “Decorated Gothic.” Rather than risk a stone roof, builders spanned the space with wood. Colorful shields on the arcades are the coats of arms of nobles who helped tall and formidable Edward I, known as “Longshanks,” fight the Scots in the 13th century.
The coats of arms in the clerestory (upper-level) glass represent the nobles who helped Edward I’s son, Edward II, in the same fight. There’s more medieval glass in this building than in the rest of England combined. This precious glass (including the Great East Window) survived World War II—hidden in stately homes throughout Yorkshire.
While originally a Roman Catholic church, it has been a Protestant church for 500 years—ever since the Reformation. Thankfully, rather than destroying the church, the practical Anglicans just purged it of its Roman Catholic iconography. You’ll find no hint of the original pope-celebrating elements that ornamented it before the days of Henry VIII.
Walk to the very center of the church, under the 3 central tower. Look up. An exhibit in the undercroft explains how gifts and skill saved this 197-foot tower from collapse. Use the neck-saving mirror to marvel at it.
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 4 dragon on the right of the nave (two-thirds of the way up the wall, affixed to the top of a pillar). While no one is sure of its purpose, it pivots and has a hole through its neck—so it was likely a mechanism designed to raise a lid of a saint’s coffin. Carved out of a piece of Scandinavian oak, it’s considered part of the earlier church built during Viking times. The statue, directly across the nave, is likely of St. George—the slayer of dragons and protector against pagan religious malpractice.
• Facing the altar, turn right and head into the...
5 South Transept: Look up. The new “bosses” (carved medallions decorating the point where the ribs meet on the ceiling) are a reminder that the roof of this wing of the church was destroyed by fire in 1984, caused when lightning hit an electricity box. Some believe the lightning was God’s angry response to a new bishop, David Jenkins, who questioned the literal truth of Jesus’ miracles. (Jenkins had been interviewed at a nearby TV studio the night before, leading locals to joke that the lightning occurred “12 hours too late, and 17 miles off-target.”) Regardless, the entire country came to York’s aid. Blue Peter (England’s top kids’ show at the time) conducted a competition among its young viewers to design new bosses. Out of 30,000 entries, there were six winners (the blue ones—e.g., man on the moon, feed the children, save the whales).
Two other sights can be accessed through the south transept: the 6 Undercroft Museum (explained later) and the tower climb (explained earlier). But for now, stick with this tour; we’ll circle back to the south transept at the end, before exiting the church.
• Head back into the middle of the nave and face the front of the church. You’re looking at the...
7 Choir: Examine the choir screen—the ornate wall of carvings separating the nave from the choir. It’s lined with all the English kings from William I (the Conqueror) to Henry VI (during whose reign it was carved, in 1461). Numbers indicate the years each reigned. It is literally covered in gold leaf, which sounds impressive, but the gold is very thin...a nugget the size of a sugar cube can be pounded into a foil-like sheet the size of a driveway.
Step into the choir, where a service is held daily. All the carving was redone after an 1829 fire, but its tradition of glorious evensong services (sung by choristers from the Minster School) goes all the way back to the eighth century.
• To the left as you face the choir is the...
8 North Transept: In this transept, the grisaille windows—dubbed the “Five Sisters”—are dedicated to British servicewomen who died in war. They were made in 1260, before colored glass was produced in England. Notice that the design has no figures, perhaps inspired by Islamic art seen by Christian Crusaders in the 13th century. The windows were originally much lighter but became darker after countless cracked panes were fixed over the centuries by added leading.
The 18th-century 9 astronomical clock is worth a look (the sign helps you make sense of it). It’s dedicated to the heroic Allied aircrews from bases here in northern England who died in World War II. The Book of Remembrance below the clock contains 18,000 names.
• A corridor leads to the Gothic, octagonal...
10 Chapter House: This was 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. A model of the wooden construction (in the hallway just outside the door) illustrates the impressive 1285 engineering: with a wooden frame from which the ceiling actually hangs.
The fanciful carvings decorating the canopies above the stalls date from 1280 (80 percent are originals) and are some of the Minster’s finest. Stroll slowly around the entire room and imagine that the tiny sculpted heads are a 14th-century parade—a fun glimpse of medieval society. Grates still send hot air up robes of attendees on cold winter mornings.
The Chapter House was the site of an important moment in England’s parliamentary history. In the late 1200s, the Scots under William Wallace and Robert the Bruce were threatening London. Fighting the Scots in 1295, Edward I (the “Longshanks” we met earlier) convened his parliament (a war cabinet) here, rather than down south in London. The government met here through the 20-year reign of Edward II, before moving to London during Edward III’s rule in the 14th century (as then foreign policy was focused on fighting the French—in the Hundred Years’ War—rather than the Scots).
• Return to the main part of the church, turn left, and continue all the way down the nave (behind the choir) to the...
11 East End and Great East Window: This part of the church is square, lacking a semicircular apse, typical of England’s Perpendicular Gothic style (15th century). Monuments (almost no graves) were once strewn throughout the church, but in the Victorian Age, they were gathered into the east end, where you see them today.
The Great East Window, the size of a tennis court, is one of the great treasures of medieval art in Europe. It’s completely original and recently cleaned and restored with its stone tracery, leadings, and painted glass (not stained) looking today as it did when finished in 1408.
Imagine being a worshipper here the day it was unveiled—mesmerized by this sweeping story told in more than 300 panels of painted glass climaxing with the Apocalypse. It’s a medieval disaster movie—a blockbuster back in 1408—showing the end of the world in fire and flood and pestilence...vivid scenes from the book of Revelation. Angels trumpet disaster against blood-red skies. And there it is, the fifth panel up on the far left side...the devil giving power to the Beast of the Apocalypse, a seven-headed, ten-crowned lion, just as it was written in the Bible.
This must have terrified worshippers. A hundred years before Michelangelo frescoed the story of the beginning and end of time at the Sistine Chapel in Rome, this was unprecedented in its epic scale, and done by one man: John Thornton of Coventry.
Because of the Great East Window’s immense size, the east end has an extra layer of supportive stonework, parts of it wide enough to walk along. In fact, for special occasions, the church choir has been known to actually sing from the walkway halfway up the window.
• Looking under the central altar and choir (or going down a flight of steps) you can see the...
12 Crypt: Here you can view the boundary of the much smaller, but still huge, Norman church from 1100 that stood on this spot (look for the red dots, marking where the Norman church ended, and note how thick the wall was). You can also see some of the old columns and additional remains from the Roman fortress that once stood here, the tomb of St. William of York (actually a Roman sarcophagus that was reused), and the modern concrete save-the-church foundations (much of this church history is covered in the Undercroft Museum).
• You’ll exit the church through the gift shop in the south transept. If you’ve yet to climb the tower, the entrance is in the south transept before the exit. Also before leaving, look for the entrance to the...
Undercroft Museum: Well-described exhibits follow the history of the site from its origins as a Roman fortress to the founding of an Anglo-Saxon/Viking church, the shift to a Norman place of worship, and finally the construction of the Gothic structure that stands today. The museum fills a space that was excavated following the near collapse of the central tower in 1967.
Videos re-create how the fortress and Norman structure would have been laid out, and various artifacts provide an insight into each period. Highlights include:
• The actual remains of the Roman fort’s basilica (its hall of justice), which are viewable through a see-through floor including patches of Roman frescoes from what was the basilica’s anteroom.
• The Horn of Ulf, the finest Viking treasure in York. This intricately carved elephant’s tusk was presented to the Minster in 1030 by Ulf, a Viking nobleman, as a symbol that he was dedicating his land to God and the Church. Consider the horn’s travels: From Indian elephant, to Islamic carvers in southern Italy, to a Viking lord, to this church.
• The personal effects of Archbishop Walter de Gray who, in the 13th century, started the current church.
• The York Gospels manuscript, a thousand-year-old text containing the four gospels. Made by Anglo-Saxon monks at Canterbury, it’s the only book in the Minster’s collection that dates prior to the Norman Conquest. It is still used to this day to swear in archbishops.
• This finishes your visit. Before leaving, take a moment to just be in this amazing building. Then, go in peace.
Nearby: As you leave through the south transept, notice the people-friendly plaza created here and how effectively it ties the church in with the city that stretches before you. To your left are the Roman column from the ancient headquarters, which stood where the Minster stands today (and from where Rome administered the northern reaches of Britannia 1,800 years ago); a statue of Emperor Constantine (for more details, see here); and the York Minster Stone Yard, where masons are chiseling stone—as they have for centuries—to keep the religious pride and joy of York standing strong and looking good.
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, and Barley Hall) are run by the York Archaeological Trust (YAT). While rooted in real history, YAT attractions are geared primarily toward kids and work hard (some say too hard) to make the history entertaining. If you like their approach and plan to visit several, ask about the various combo-ticket options.
Located in a lush, picnic-perfect park next to the stately ruins of St. Mary’s Abbey (described in my “York Walk,” earlier), the Yorkshire Museum is the city’s serious “archaeology of York” museum. You can’t dig a hole in York without hitting some remnant of the city’s long past, and most of what’s found ends up here. While the hordes line up at Jorvik Viking Centre, this museum has no crowds and provides a broader historical context, with more real artifacts. The three main collections—Roman, medieval, and natural history—are well described, bright, and kid-friendly.
Cost and Hours: £8, kids under 16 free with paying adult, 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 Roman statue of the god Mars. If he could talk, he’d say, “Hear me, mortals”. There are three sections here: Roman (on this floor), medieval (downstairs), and natural history (a kid-friendly, fossil-based archaeology wing on this floor opposite the Roman stuff).
The Roman collection starts with a large map of the Roman Empire, set on the floor. Then, in a series of rooms, you’ll see slice-of-life exhibits about Roman baths, a huge floor mosaic, 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 medieval collection is in the basement. During the Middle Ages, 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 of the abbey still stands just out front—be sure to see it before leaving). In the center of the rooms is the Vale of York Hoard, displaying a silver cup and the accompanying treasures it held—more than 600 silver coins as well as silver bars and jewelry. A father and son team discovered the hoard (thought to have been buried by Vikings in 927) while out for a day of metal detecting in 2007. You’ll also see old weapons, glazed vessels, and a well-preserved 13th-century leather box.
The museum’s prized pieces, a helmet and a pendant, are housed in this section. The eighth-century Anglo-Saxon helmet (known as the York Helmet or the Coppergate Helmet) shows a bit of barbarian refinement. Examine the delicate carving on its brass trim. The exquisitely etched 15th-century pendant—called the Middleham Jewel—is considered the finest piece of Gothic jewelry in Britain. The noble lady who wore this on a necklace 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).
In addition to the Anglo-Saxon pieces, the Viking collection is one of the best in England. Looking over the artifacts, you’ll find that the Vikings (who conquered most of the Anglo-Saxon lands) wore some pretty decent shoes and actually combed their hair. The Cawood Sword, nearly 1,000 years old, is one of the finest surviving swords from that era.
Uncovered behind a derelict office block in the 1980s, this medieval house has been restored to replicate a 1483 dwelling. It’s designed to resurrect the Tudor age for visiting school groups—but with no historic artifacts other than its half-timbered wall, it feels soulless to adults.
Cost and Hours: £6, combo-tickets with Jorvik Viking Centre and/or Dig, daily 10:00-17:00, Nov-March until 16:00, 2 Coffee Yard off Stonegate, tel. 01904/615-505, www.barleyhall.co.uk.
Built in the late Perpendicular Gothic style, this church has windows made of precious clear and stained glass from the 13th to 15th century. It holds rare box pews, which rest atop a floor that is sinking as bodies of “the stinking rich” rot and coffins collapse. Enjoy its peaceful picnic-friendly gardens.
Cost and Hours: Free, daily 11:00-15:30, 70 Goodramgate, www.holytrinityyork.org.
The last king of England’s Plantagenet dynasty got a bad rap from Shakespeare (the Tudors took over after Richard was killed in 1485, so Shakespeare followed the party line and demonized him as a hunchbacked monster). With the discovery of Richard’s remains in Leicester in 2013, interest in him has skyrocketed, and this exhibit tries to excite visitors with all the blood and gore of that era, but it lacks any historic artifacts. Richard III groupies find it worth the time and money.
Cost and Hours: £3.50, daily 10:00-17:00, Monk Bar, tel. 01904/615-505, http://richardiiiexperience.com.
This lively people-watching zone, with its inviting benches, once hosted a church. Then it was the site for the town’s gallows. Today, it’s prime real estate for buskers and street performers. Just hanging out here can be entertaining. Beyond is the most characteristic and touristy street in old York: The Shambles. Within sight of this lively square are plenty of cheap eating options (for tips, see “Eating in York,” later).
Though known mainly for its Roman, Viking, and medieval past, York also has a rich history in chocolate. Throughout the 1800s and 1900s, York was home to three major confectionaries—including Rowntree’s, originators of the venerable Kit Kat. This chocolate “museum” is childish and overpriced, with no historic artifacts and in a building with no significance. If you visit, you’ll join a tour, which pairs generous samples with the history of York’s confectionary connections—and you’ll have a chance to make your own chocolate lolly.
Cost and Hours: £13, one-hour tours run every 15 minutes daily starting at 10:00, last tour at 16:00, King’s Square, tel. 01904-527-765, www.yorkchocolatestory.com.
This hands-on, kid-oriented archaeological site gives young visitors an idea of what York looked like during Roman, Viking, medieval, and Victorian eras. Sift through “dirt” (actually shredded tires), dig up reconstructed Roman wall plaster, and take a look at what archaeologists have found recently. Entry is possible only with a one-hour guided tour (departures every 30 minutes); pass waiting time by looking at the exhibits near the entry. The exhibits fill the haunted old St. Saviour’s Church.
Cost and Hours: £6.50, combo-tickets with Jorvik Viking Centre and/or Barley Hall, daily 10:00-17:00, Saviourgate, tel. 01904/615-505, www.digyork.com.
The word “adventurers” refers to investors of the day, and this was a kind of merchants’ corporate headquarters/early stock exchange. Claiming to be the finest surviving medieval guildhall in Britain (built from 1357 to 1361), the vast half-timbered building with marvelous exposed beams contains interesting displays about life and commerce in the Middle Ages when the economy revolved around guilds. You’ll see three original, large rooms that are still intact: the great hall itself, where meetings took place; the undercroft, which housed a hospital and almshouse; and a chapel. Several smaller rooms are filled with exhibits about guilds in this 14th-century world trade center. Sitting by itself in its own little picnic-friendly park, the classic old building is worth a stop even just to see it from the outside. Remarkably, the hall is still owned by the same Merchant Adventurers society that built it 660 years ago (now a modern charitable organization).
Cost and Hours: £7, includes audioguide, Sun-Fri 10:00-16:30, Sat until 13:30, inviting café, south of The Shambles between Fossgate and Piccadilly, tel. 01904/654-818, www.merchantshallyork.org.
Take the “Pirates of the Caribbean,” sail them northeast and back in time 1,000 years, sprinkle in some real artifacts, and you get Jorvik (YOR-vik). In the late 1970s, more than 40,000 artifacts were dug out of the peat bog right here in downtown York—the UK’s largest archaeological dig of Viking-era artifacts. When the archaeologists were finished, developers were allowed to build the big Fenwick Department store next door, and the dig site was converted into this attraction, opened in 1984.
Jorvik blends museum exhibits with a 16-minute ride on theme-park-esque “time capsules” that glide through the re-created Viking street of Coppergate as it looked circa the year 975. Animatronic characters and modern-day interpreters bring the scenes to life. Innovative when it first opened, the commercial success of Jorvik inspired copycat rides/museums all over England. Some love Jorvik, while others call it gimmicky and overpriced. If you think of it as Disneyland with a splash of history, Jorvik’s fun. To me, Jorvik is a commercial venture designed for kids, with too much emphasis on its gift shop. But it’s also undeniably entertaining, and—if you take the time to peruse its exhibits and substantial museum with a rich trove of Viking artifacts—it can be quite informative.
Cost and Hours: £13, daily 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—especially during school breaks and mid-July through August. At the busiest times (roughly 11:00-15:00), you may have to wait an hour or more. For £2 extra, you can book a slot in advance, either over the phone or on their website. Or avoid the worst lines by coming early or late in the day.
This well-furnished home, one of the first Georgian townhouses in England, is perfectly Neoclassical inside. Its seven rooms on two floors are each staffed by pleasant docents eager to talk with you. They’ll explain how the circa-1760 home was built as the dowry for an aristocrat’s daughter. The house is compact and bursting with stunning period furniture (the personal collection of a local chocolate magnate), gorgeously restored woodwork, and lavish stucco ceilings that offer clues as to each room’s purpose. 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: £7.50, Tue-Sat 10:00-17:00, Sun 11:00-16:00, Mon by one-hour guided tour only at 11:00 and 14:00, closed Jan-mid-Feb, near Jorvik Viking Centre at 29 Castlegate, tel. 01904/655-543, www.fairfaxhouse.co.uk.
Perched high on a knoll across from the York Castle Museum, this ruin is all that’s left of York’s 13th-century castle. It’s a textbook example of the basic Norman castle “motte-and-bailey” design: a manmade hill with a fort (motte) with a circular stockade (bailey) at its foot. The bailey’s footprint can be seen today, nearly a thousand years later, in the grassy, circular Eye of York courtyard across from Clifford’s Tower (and surrounded by Georgian buildings).
Cost and Hours: £5, daily 10:00-18:00, closes earlier off-season, tel. 01904/646-940, www.english-heritage.org.uk.
Background: Clifford’s Tower is a memorial to medieval anti-Semitism. Throughout European history, moneylenders were often Jews. During bad times, frustrated Christians vented (and wiped clean their debts) by massacring those they called “Christ-killers” in their town.
In 1190, after the coronation of Richard I, anti-Semitism was considered patriotic. (Nobles encouraged angry racism—calling England’s Jews something akin to “rapists and murderers”—to stoke their base.) Taking the convenient cue, the angry mobs of York chased local Jews into the tower. An estimated 150 Jews locked themselves inside and, rather than face forced conversion or death at the hands of the bloodthirsty mob, they committed ritual suicide. The crowd then set the tower ablaze. (Read the whole story on the sign at the base of the hill.) Today, daffodils, with their six-pointed flowers recalling the Star of David, are planted as a memorial on the slopes leading to the tower.
The present tower was built 60 years after the massacre, but historians think the earthen mound may still hold evidence from the tragedy. If you go inside, you’ll see a model of the original castle complex as it looked in the Middle Ages, and you can climb up to enjoy fine city views from the top of the ramparts—but neither is worth the cost of admission.
This fascinating social-history museum is a Victorian home show, one of the closest things to a time-tunnel experience England has to offer. The one-way plan ensures that you’ll see everything, including remakes of rooms from the 17th to 20th century, a re-creation of a Victorian street, a heartfelt WWI exhibit, and eerie prison cells.
Cost and Hours: £10, kids under 16 free with adult, daily 9:30-17:00, roaming guides happily answer your questions (no audioguide), cafeteria at entrance, tel. 01904/687-687, www.yorkcastlemuseum.org.uk. It’s at the bottom of the hop-on, hop-off bus route. The museum can call you a taxi (worthwhile if you’re hurrying to the National Railway Museum, across town).
Visiting the Museum: The exhibits are divided between two wings: the North Building (the former women’s prison, to the left as you enter) and the South Building (former debtors’ prison, to the right).
Follow the one-way route, starting in the North Building. You’ll first visit the Period Rooms, illuminating Yorkshire lifestyles during different time periods (1600s-1950s) and among various walks of life. Toy Stories is an enchanting review of toys through the ages. Next is the Shaping the Body exhibit, detailing diet and fashion trends over the last 400 years. Check out the codpieces, bustles, and corsets that used to “enhance” the human form, and ponder some of the odd diet fads that make today’s craziest diets seem normal. For foodies and chefs, the exhibit showcasing fireplaces and kitchens from the 1600s to the 1980s is especially tasty.
Next, stroll down the museum’s re-created Kirkgate, a street from the Victorian era (1890s), when Britain was at the peak of its power. It features old-time shops and storefronts, including a pharmacist, sweet shop, school, and grocer for the working class, along with roaming live guides in period dress. 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. In the WWI exhibit you can follow the lives of five York citizens as they experience the horrors and triumphs of the war years. One room plunges you into the gruesome world of trench warfare, where the average life expectancy was six weeks (and if you fell asleep during sentry duty, you’d be shot). A display about the home front notes that York suffered from Zeppelin attacks in which six died. At the end you’re encouraged to share your thoughts in a room lined with chalkboards.
Exit outside and cross the castle yard. A detour to the left leads to a flour mill (open sporadically). Otherwise, your tour continues through the door on the right, where you’ll find another reconstructed historical street, this one capturing the spirit of the swinging 1960s—“a time when the cultural changes were massive but the cars and skirts were mini.” Slathered with DayGlo colors, this street scene examines fashion, music, and television (including clips of beloved kids’ shows and period news reports).
Finally, head into the York Castle Prison, which recounts 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.
If you like model railways, this is train-car heaven. The thunderous museum—displaying 200 illustrious years of British railroad history—is one of the biggest and best railroad museums anywhere.
Cost and Hours: Free but £5 suggested donation, daily 10:00-18:00, lockers-£3, café, restaurant, tel. 0333-016-1010, www.railwaymuseum.org.uk.
Getting There: It’s about a 15-minute walk from the Minster (southwest of town, behind the train station). From the TI walk down Museum Street and cross the Lendal Bridge, then take a right and follow the signs. To skip the walk, a cute little “road train” shuttles you more quickly between the Minster and the Railway Museum (£3 one-way, runs daily Easter-Oct, leaves museum every 30 minutes 11:00-16:00 at :00 and :30 past each hour; leaves town—from Duncombe Place, 100 yards in front of the Minster—at :15 and :45 past each hour).
Visiting the Museum: Pick up the floor plan to locate the various exhibits, which sprawl through several gigantic buildings on both sides of the street. Throughout the complex are info stands with staff eager to talk trains and give directions.
The museum’s most impressive room is the Great Hall (head right from the entrance area and take the stairs to the underground passage). 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 a replica of the Rocket (one of the first successful steam locomotives) to the era of the aerodynamic Mallard (famous as the first train to travel at a startling two miles per minute—a marvel back in 1938) and the striking Art Deco-style Duchess of Hamilton. The collection spans to the present day, with a replica of the Eurostar (Chunnel) train and the Shinkansen Japanese bullet train. Other exhibits include a steam engine that’s been sliced open to show its cylinders, driving wheels, and smoke box, as well as a working turntable that’s put into action twice a day. The Mallard Experience simulates a ride on the Mallard.
In the North Shed you find The Works—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 info on the Flying Scotsman (the first London-Edinburgh express rail service, now running all over Britain in private tours).
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. One of these includes Queen Victoria’s lavish royal car and a WWII royal carriage reinforced with armor. Behind the hall are the South Yard and the Depot, with actual working trains in storage. Families and die-hard train fans can hop on a steam train for a 10-minute ride (£4, daily 11:30-16:00, every 30 minutes).
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 is a delightful way to enjoy a dose of countryside away from York. It’s paved, illuminated in the evening, and a popular jogging route any time of day.
Start from the riverside under Skeldergate Bridge (near the York Castle Museum) and walk south away from town for a mile. Notice modern buildings across the river, with their floodwalls. Shortly afterward, you cross the tiny River Foss on Blue Bridge, originally built in 1738. The easily defended confluence of the Foss and the Ouse is the reason the Romans founded York in AD 71. Look back to see the modern floodgate (built after a flood in 1979) designed to stop the flooding Ouse from oozing up the Foss. At the bridge, a history panel describes this walk to the Millennium Bridge.
Stroll until you hit the striking, modern Millennium Bridge. Sit a bit on its reclining-lounge-chair fence and enjoy the vibrations of bikes and joggers as they pass. There’s a strong biking trend in Britain. The British have won many Olympic gold medals in cycling. In 2012, Bradley Wiggins became Sir Bradley Wiggins by winning the Tour de France; his countryman Chris Froome won it in several subsequent years, and Mark Cavendish has won 30 Tour de France stages. You’ll see lots of locals riding fancy bikes and wearing high-tech gear while getting into better shape. (Energetic bikers can continue past the Millennium Bridge 14 miles to the market town of Selby.)
Cross the river and take a right to walk back home. Continue along the river until you come to the skateboard court. Here you can enter Rowntree Park through its fine old gate. This park was financed by Joseph Rowntree, a wealthy chocolate baron with a Quaker ethic of contributing to his community. In the 19th century, life for the poor was a Charles Dickens-like struggle. A rich man building a park for the working class, which even had a swimming pool, was quite progressive. Victorian England had a laissez-faire approach to social issues. Then, like now, many wealthy people believed things would work out for the poor if the government just stayed out of it. However, others, such as the Rowntree family, felt differently. Their altruism contributed to the establishment of a society that now takes care of its workers and poor much better.
Walk directly into the park toward the evocative Industrial Age housing complex capping the hill beyond the central fountain. In the park’s brick gazebo are touching memorial plaques to WWI and WWII deaths. Rowntree also gave this park to York to remember those lost in the “Great War.” Stroll along the delightful, duck-filled pond near the Rowntree Park Café, return to the riverside lane, and continue back into York. You’re almost home.
With its medieval lanes lined with classy as well as tacky little shops, York is a hit with shoppers. I find two kinds of shopping in York particularly interesting: antique malls and charity shops.
Antique Malls: Two places within a few blocks of each other are filled with stalls and cases owned by antique dealers from the countryside (all open daily). The malls, a warren of rooms on three floors with cafés buried deep inside, sell the dealers’ bygones on commission. Serious shoppers do better heading for the country, but if you brake for garage sales you’ll love these: The Antiques Centre York (41 Stonegate, www.theantiquescentreyork.co.uk), and the Red House Antiques Centre (a block from the Minster at Duncombe Place, www.redhouseyork.co.uk).
Charity Shops: In towns all over Britain, it seems one low-rent street is lined with charity shops, allowing locals to both donate their junk and buy the junk of others in the name of a good cause. (Talk about a win-win.) It’s great for random shopping. And, as the people working there are often volunteers involved in that cause, it can lead to some interesting conversations. In York, on Goodramgate (stretching a block or so in from the town wall), you’ll find “thrift shops” run by the British Heart Foundation, Mind, and Oxfam. Good deals abound on clothing, purses, accessories, children’s toys, books, CDs, and maybe even a guitar. If you buy something, you’re getting a bargain and at the same time helping the poor, mentally ill, elderly, or even a pet in need of a vet (stores generally open between 9:00 and 10:00 and close between 16:00 and 17:00, with shorter hours on Sun).
Even more than chocolate, York likes its beer. Many pubs serve inexpensive plates at lunch, then focus on selling beer in the evening. Others offer lunch and early dinner. You can tell by their marketing how enthusiastic they are about cooking versus drawing pints. While I’ve listed good eating pubs under “Eating in York,” later, here are a few pubs I’d recommend to give your beer drinking an atmospheric kick:
The Maltings, just over Lendal Bridge, has classic pub ambience. While local beer purists swear by this place, the owners don’t allow swearing or music...which shapes the clientele. The pub’s fine local and international beers and light-and-mellow vibe are conducive to drinking and talking. They do serve light lunches (simple salads and sandwiches only 12:00-14:00; cross the bridge and look down and left to Tanners Moat, tel. 01904/655-387).
The Blue Bell is one of my favorites for old-school York vibes. This tiny, traditional establishment with a time-warp Edwardian interior is the smallest pub in York. It has two distinct and inviting little rooms (no music, east end of town at 53 Fossgate, tel. 01904/654-904).
The House of the Trembling Madness is another fine watering hole with a cozy atmosphere; it sits above a “bottle shop” that sells a stunning variety of beers by the bottle to go (48 Stonegate).
Evil Eye Lounge, a hit with York’s young crowd, is a creaky, funky, hip space famous for its strong cocktails and edgy ambience. There are even beds to lay in while you drink. You can order downstairs at the bar (with a small terrace out back) or head upstairs (42 Stonegate, tel. 01904/640-002).
The Golden Fleece claims to be the oldest and most haunted coaching inn in York (music nightly at 21:00, 16 Pavement, see listing in “Eating in York,” later).
Riverside Eating and Drinking: On sunny days, there are several pubs with riverside tables just below Ouse Bridge, starting with The King’s Arms, which boasts flood marks inside its door and has a rougher local crowd than other recommended pubs. For a cheap thrill, grab a pint indoors and sit outside at their rustic picnic tables (3 King’s Staith, tel. 01904/659-435).
This spiffed-up theater sporting an 18th-century facade offers a full variety of dramas, comedies, and works by Shakespeare. The locals are proud of the state-of-the-art main theater and little 100-seat theater-in-the-round (tickets £15-35, shows usually Tue-Sat at 19:30, tickets easy to get, on St. Leonard’s Place near Bootham Bar and a 5- to 10-minute walk from recommended B&Bs, booking tel. 01904/623-568, www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk). Those under 18 and students of any age can get tickets for £10-15.
You’ll see fliers, signs, and promoters hawking a variety of entertaining after-dark tours. For a rundown on this scene, see here.
The centrally located City Screen Cinema, right on the river, plays 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). The Art Deco Everyman Cinema is another good option (near the train station on Blossom Street, tel. 0872-436-9060).
July through October are the busiest (and usually most expensive) months. B&Bs often charge more for weekends and sometimes turn away one-night bookings, particularly for peak-season Saturdays. (York is worth two nights anyway.) Prices may spike for horse races and Bank Holidays (about 20 nights a season). Remember to book ahead during festival times (see “Helpful Hints” on here) and weekends year-round.
These places are all small and family-run. They come with plenty of steep stairs (and no elevators) but no traffic noise. Rooms can be tight; if maneuverability is important, say so when booking. For a good selection, contact them well in advance. Most have permits to lend for street parking.
The handiest B&B neighborhood is the quiet residential area just outside the old town wall’s Bootham Bar, 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 from the station. If driving, head for the cathedral and follow the medieval wall to Bootham Bar. The street called Bootham leads away from Bootham Bar.
Getting There: From the train station it’s an easy five-minute walk to the B&B neighborhood: Head to the north end of the station along track 2 (past the York Tap pub and racks of bicycles) and into the short-stay parking lot. You’ll continue essentially straight along the tracks, never taking any stairs, over the river and along a footpath ultimately to a short stairway (on the right) that leads to the base of St. Mary’s Street.
$$ St. Raphael Guesthouse, run by Fran and Jamie, has seven comfy rooms. Each is themed after a different York street, and lovingly accented with a fresh rose and home-baked banana bread. For more space, ask for their small apartment with a private entrance and courtyard (RS%, family rooms, 44 Queen Annes Road, tel. 01904/645-028, www.straphaelguesthouse.co.uk, info@straphaelguesthouse.co.uk).
$$ Alcuin Lodge, run by welcoming Darren and Mark, is a cozy place, with five rooms that feel personal (look for Darren’s grandmother’s vase and dresser) yet up to date (one room with private WC in the hallway just outside; 15 Sycamore Place, tel. 01904/629-837, www.alcuinlodge.com, darren@alcuinlodge.com).
$$ Bronte Guesthouse is a modern B&B with five airy, bright rooms and a lovely back garden. Little extras like a communal fridge stocked with water, ice, and milk and a room for playing cards make it easy to relax (family room available, 22 Grosvenor Terrace, tel. 01904/621-066, www.bronte-guesthouse.com, enquiries@bronte-guesthouse.com, Mick and Mandy).
$$ 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 (2-night minimum preferred, no children, huge DVD library, 17 Grosvenor Terrace, tel. 01904/641-966, www.arnothouseyork.co.uk, kim.robbins@virgin.net, Kim and her cats Pickle and Tabitha).
$$ Bootham Guest House features creamy walls and contemporary furniture that are a break from more traditional York B&B decor. Of the eight rooms, six are en suite, while two share a bath (RS%, 56 Bootham Crescent, tel. 01904/672-123, www.boothamguesthouse.co.uk, boothamguesthouse1@hotmail.com, Andrew).
$ Number 34, run by Jason, has five simple, light rooms at fair prices. It has a clean, uncluttered feeling, with modern decor (RS%, ground-floor room, 5-person apartment next door, 34 Bootham Crescent, tel. 01904/645-818, www.number34york.co.uk, enquiries@number34york.co.uk).
$ Queen Annes Guest House has nine basic rooms in two adjacent houses. While it doesn’t have the plushest beds or richest decor, this is a respectable, affordable, and clean place to sleep (RS%, family room, lounge, 24 and 26 Queen Annes Road, tel. 01904/629-389, www.queen-annes-guesthouse.co.uk, info@queen-annes-guesthouse.co.uk, Phil).
$$ Abbey Guest House is a peaceful refuge overlooking the River Ouse, with five cheerful, beautifully updated, contemporary-style rooms and a cute little garden. A tasty homemade breakfast is served, and the riverview rooms will ramp up your romance with York (RS%, pay laundry service, 13 Earlsborough Terrace, tel. 01904/627-782, www.abbeyguesthouseyork.co.uk, info@abbeyguesthouseyork.co.uk, welcoming couple Jane and Kingsley).
$$ Number 23 St. Mary’s B&B, run by Simon and his helpful staff, has nine extravagantly decorated and spaciously comfortable rooms, plus a classy lounge and all the doily touches (discount for longer stays, family room, honesty box for drinks and snacks, lots of stairs, 23 St. Mary’s, tel. 01904/622-738, www.23stmarys.co.uk, stmarys23@hotmail.com).
$$ Crook Lodge B&B, with six tight but elegantly charming rooms, serves breakfast in an old Victorian kitchen. The 21st-century style somehow fits this old house (one ground-floor room, free parking, quiet, 26 St. Mary’s, tel. 01904/655-614, www.crooklodgeguesthouseyork.co.uk, crooklodge@hotmail.com, David and Caroline).
$$ Airden House rents nine nice, mostly traditional rooms, though the two basement-level rooms are more mod—one has a space age-looking Jacuzzi and a separate room with single bed (RS%, lounge, free parking, 1 St. Mary’s, tel. 01904/638-915, www.airdenhouse.co.uk, info@airdenhouse.co.uk, Emma and Heather).
$$ Alhambra Court is a family-run hotel with 24 charmingly appointed rooms. Relax outside in the quiet courtyard or inside in the two splendidly decorated lounges (elevator, pay laundry service, free parking, 31 St. Mary’s, tel. 01904/628-474, www.alhambracourt.co.uk, stay@alhambracourt.co.uk)
$$$$ Grays Court Hotel is a historic mansion—the home of dukes and archbishops since 1091—that now rents 12 rooms to travelers. While its public spaces and gardens are lavish, its rooms are elegant yet modest. The creaky, historic nature of the place makes for a memorable stay. If it’s too pricey for lodging, consider coming here for its fine-dining $$$$ Bow Room Restaurant serving modern English cuisine (Chapter House Street, tel. 01904/612-613, www.grayscourtyork.com).
$$$ Dean Court Hotel, a Best Western facing the Minster, is a big stately hotel with classy lounges and 37 comfortable rooms. It has a great location and friendly vibe for a business-class establishment. A few rooms have views for no extra charge—try requesting one (elevator, restaurant, Duncombe Place, tel. 01904/625-082, www.deancourt-york.co.uk, sales@deancourt-york.co.uk).
$$$ 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, or you can sign up for yoga or Pilates (ask for a deal with stay of three or more nights, family rooms, good two-course evening meals, in-house massage and beauty services, free parking, 3 Bootham Terrace, tel. 01904/637-404, www.hedleyhouse.com, greg@hedleyhouse.com, Greg and Louise Harrand). They also have three luxury studio apartments—see their website for details.
Budget Chain Hotels: If looking for something a little less spendy than the hotels listed earlier, consider several chains, with central locations in town. These include Premier Inn (two branches side-by-side) and Travelodge (one location near the York Castle Museum at 90 Piccadilly; second location on Micklegate).
¢ Safestay York is a boutique hostel on a rowdy street (especially on Fridays and Saturdays). Located in a big old Georgian house, they rent 158 beds in 4- to 12-bed rooms, with great views, private prefab “pod” bathrooms, and reading lights for each bed. They also offer fancier, hotel-quality doubles (family room for up to four, continental breakfast extra, 4 floors, no elevator, air-con, Wi-Fi in public areas only, self-service laundry, TV lounge, game room, bar, lockers, no curfew, 5-minute walk from train station at 88 Micklegate, tel. 01904/627-720, www.safestay.com/ss-york-micklegate.html, reception-yk@safestay.com).
York is a great food city, with a wide range of ethnic options and foodie bistros. Thanks to the local high-tech industry, the university, and tourism, there’s a demand that sustains lots of creative and fun eateries.
If you’re in a hurry or on a tight budget, picnic and light-meals-to-go options abound, and it’s easy to find a churchyard, bench, or riverside perch where you can munch. On a sunny day, perhaps the best picnic spots in town are under the evocative 12th-century ruins of St. Mary’s Abbey in the Museum Gardens (near Bootham Bar), in the park surrounding the Minster, or in the yard of little Holy Trinity Church (on Goodramgate).
Most bistros have good-quality, creative vegetarian options and offer economical lunch specials and early dinners (generally order by 18:30). After 19:00 or so, main courses cost £16-26 and fixed-price meals (two or three courses) go for around £25. If you’re set on a particular place for dinner, reservations are often smart.
$$$$ Skosh serves a smart local clientele gourmet tapas—modern, creative, and sharable small dishes that are a fusion of English and international cuisine. Its bright dining room is loud and fun, with an open kitchen adding energy to the mix. It’s top quality with no pretense. The four stools at the bar are nice if you like watching the chef at work (£10 plates—three or four per person makes a meal, Wed-Sat 12:00-14:00 & 17:30-22:00, closed Sun-Tue, 98 Micklegate, tel. 01904/634-849).
King’s Square is about as central as can be for sightseers. And from here, you can actually see several fine quick-and-cheap lunch options. After buying your takeout food, sit on the square and enjoy the street entertainers. Or, for a peaceful place to eat more prayerfully, find the Holy Trinity Church yard, with benches amid the old tombstones on Goodramgate (half a block to the right of York Roast Company).
$ York Roast Company is a local fixture, serving their Yorkshire pudding wrap (a kind of old English burrito) and hearty pork sandwiches with applesauce, stuffing, and “crackling” (roasted bits of fat and skin). If Henry VIII wanted fast food, he’d have eaten here (daily 10:00-23:00, order at counter then eat upstairs or take away for the same price, 74 Low Petergate, tel. 01904/629-197, second location at 4 Stonegate).
$ Drakes Fish & Chips across the street from York Roast Company, is a local favorite chippy. While it’s mostly takeout, for £3 extra you can sit and eat in their simple backroom dining area (daily 11:00-22:30, 97 Low Petergate, tel. 01904/624-788).
$ The Cornish Bakery, facing King’s Square, cooks up pasties to eat in or take away (30 Colliergate, tel. 01904/671-177).
$ Shambles Market and Food Court has many food stalls and street-food vendors—like a corral of food trucks—offering fun, nutritious, and ethnic light meals. The Moros stand is particularly popular for its North African plates. This lively scene is wedged between The Shambles and Parliament Street (daily 7:00-17:00, until 16:00 in winter).
$ St. Crux Parish Hall is a medieval church now used by a medley of charities that sell tea, homemade cakes, and light meals (Tue-Sat 10:00-16:00, closed Sun-Mon, at bottom of The Shambles at its intersection with Pavement, tel. 01904/621-756).
$ Harlequin Café, a charming place, is appreciated for its good coffee and homemade cakes, as well as its light meals. It’s up a creaky staircase overlooking King’s Square. On weekend nights it morphs into a gin bar (Mon-Sat 10:00-16:00, Sun 11:00-15:00, 2 King’s Square, tel. 01904/630-631).
$$ The Golden Fleece is a sloppy, dingy place with tilty floors that make you feel drunk even if you aren’t. It’s a good bet for casual pub grub in a characteristic setting, with music nightly at 21:00 (16 Pavement, across the street from the southern end of The Shambles, tel. 01904/625-171).
Groceries: A Marks & Spencer Food Hall is a block away from Shambles Market on Parliament Street (Mon-Sat 8:00-18:30, Sun 10:30-17:00).
$$ Ask Italian Restaurant is part of a cheap and cheery Italian chain, but the food’s fine, the price is right, and you’ll slurp your pasta in the majestic Neoclassical hall of York’s Grand Assembly Rooms, lined with Corinthian marble columns (daily 11:00-22:00, weekends until 23:00; Blake Street, tel. 01904/637-254). Even if you’re just walking past, peek inside to gape at the interior.
$$ Swinegate Bars and Eateries: Strolling this touristy street, you can simply take your pick of the various tempting restaurants and watering holes. Some are trendy, with thumping music, while others are tranquil; some have elaborately decorated dining rooms, while others emphasize heated courtyards.
$$$$ Roots Restaurant feels formal and romantic, with a classy dining room and small gourmet dishes designed to be enjoyed family-style. To fully appreciate esteemed chef Tommy Banks’ modern English cuisine, I’d opt for the £55 tasting menu (lots of fine wine by the glass, lunch from noon, dinner 17:30-21:00, closed Tue, 68 Marygate, no phone, reserve at info@rootsyork.co.uk or www.rootsyork.com).
$$ Café Concerto, a casual and cozy bistro with wholesome food and a charming musical theme, has an understandably loyal following. The fun menu features updated English favorites with some international and vegetarian options (daily 9:30-17:00, facing the Minster at 21 High Petergate, tel. 01904/610-478, www.cafeconcerto.biz).
$$$ Café No. 8 is a romantic and modern little bistro. Grab one of the tables in front or in the sunroom, or enjoy a shaded little garden out back if the weather’s good. Chef Chris Pragnell uses what’s fresh in the market to shape his simple, elegant, and creative modern British menu. There’s an early dinner special Tuesday through Thursday until 18:30 (Mon 12:00-16:00, Tue-Fri 12:00-22:00, Sat 9:00-22:00, Sun until 16:00, 8 Gillygate, tel. 01904/653-074, www.cafeno8.co.uk).
$$ Mamma Mia Italian Restaurant is a popular choice for its pizza, pasta, and a full menu of Italian secondi. The casual, garlicky eating area features a tempting gelato bar, and in nice weather the back patio is molto bello (Tue-Sun 11:30-14:00 & 17:30-23:00, closed Mon, 20 Gillygate, tel. 01904/622-020).
$$ Hole-in-the-Wall Pub is the place if you’re looking for a ye olde pub with good grub and a £10 dinner. They have an extensive menu with light bites, burgers, fish-and-chips, meat pies, and veggie dishes—and it’s a fine spot for a traditional Yorkshire pudding. The atmosphere is your English pub dream come true (daily 11:30-22:00, on High Petergate just inside Bootham Bar, tel. 01904/634-468).
$$$ The Star Inn the City has a quality reputation for modern Yorkshire cuisine and a dressy dining hall. Lunch is served on its enticing riverside terrace, but in the evening that’s for drinks only (daily 12:00-22:00, next to the river in Lendal Engine House, Museum Street, tel. 01904/619-208, www.starinnthecity.co.uk).
$$ The Minster Inn, an Edwardian alehouse serving stone-baked pizzas, tapas, and a good selection of cask ales and wines, is a friendly neighborhood hangout with an open courtyard that’s fun in the summer (daily 12:00-23:00, 24 Marygate, tel. 01904/849-240).
Groceries: Sainsbury is handy for picnic provisions or a simple cheap dinner in your B&B room (daily 6:00-24:00, 50 yards outside Bootham Bar, on Bootham).
This neighborhood is across town from my recommended B&Bs, but still central (and a short walk from the York Castle Museum). These places are all hits with local foodies; reservations are smart for all. The emerging bohemian-chic axis of Fossgate/Walmgate is lined with quality restaurants and has an inviting, untouristy energy.
$$ The Hop York Pizzeria Beerhall is a favorite for its simple approach and winning combo: pizza and beer. The pub pulls real ales in the front, serves wood-fired pies in an inviting space in the back, and offers live music featuring rock and pop covers (daily 12:00-23:00, food served until 21:00—Sun until 20:00, music Wed-Sun at 21:00; 11 Fossgate, tel. 01904/541-466).
$$ Mumbai Lounge Indian Restaurant (named for its top-floor lounge) is a local choice for Indian food (daily 12:00-14:00 & 17:30-23:30, 47 Fossgate, tel. 01904/654-155, www.mumbailoungeyork.co.uk).
$$ Loch Fyne Seafood and Grill is a fine fish value with an inviting and affordable menu served in a classic and spacious old hall. While a national chain, it still feels smart and has a caring waitstaff. Their three-course, £13 lunch special is served until 18:00 (daily 12:00-22:30, Foss Bridge House, Walmgate, tel. 01904/650-910).
$$$ Il Paradiso del Cibo Pizzeria Ristorante, with its adorable chaos, just feels special. It’s an eccentric little place with tight seating, few tourists, and a fun bustle, run by a Sardinian with attitude (cash only, daily 12:00-15:00 & 18:00-22:00, 40 Walmgate, tel. 01904/611-444, www.ilparadisodelciboyork.com).
$$ Khao San Road Thai Bistro hits the spot if you need a Thai fix (daily from 17:00, 52 Walmgate, tel. 01904/635-599).
$$ The Barbakan Polish Restaurant is run by a Krakow family offering an inviting little Polish dining room with a passion for homemade cakes (Mon-Sat 9:00-13:00 & 18:00-22:00, Sun 10:00-21:00, 58 Walmgate, tel. 01904/672-474, www.deli-barbakan.co.uk).
$$$ Rustique French Bistro has one big room of tight tables and walls decorated with simple posters. The place has good prices (£20 three-course meal) and is straight French—right down to the welcome (daily 12:00-22:00, across from Fairfax House at 28 Castlegate, tel. 01904/612-744, www.rustiqueyork.co.uk).
$$ Pairings is a stylish wine bar with small bites, an extensive list of drinks, and a patient and helpful waitstaff. Two travelers can make a meal out of the £23 deli platter (which includes the fun of choosing any three meats or cheeses) and their £14 white or red pairing boards (daily 12:00-23:00, 28 Castlegate, tel. 01904/848-909). For wine lovers, this place can also be a fun stop before or after dinner.
$$ Bettys Café Tea Rooms is a destination restaurant for many. Choose between a Yorkshire Cream Tea (tea and scones with clotted Yorkshire cream and strawberry jam) or a full traditional English afternoon tea (tea, delicate sandwiches, scones, and sweets). With the afternoon tea, 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, the ambience and people-watching are hard to beat. There’s generally a line, but it moves quickly except at dinnertime. (Those just wanting to buy a takeaway pastry can skip the line and go directly to the bakery counter.) They’ll offer to seat you sooner in the bigger and less atmospheric basement, but I’d be patient and wait for a place upstairs—ideally by the window. It’s permissible for travel partners on a budget to enjoy the experience for about half the price by one ordering a “full tea”—£20, with enough little sandwiches and sweets for two to share—and the other a simple cup of tea (daily 9:00-21:00, tel. 01904/659-142, www.bettys.co.uk, St. Helen’s Square). During World War II, Bettys was a drinking hangout for Allied airmen based nearby. Downstairs near the WC is a mirror signed by bomber pilots—read the story.
From York by Train to: Durham (4/hour, 50 minutes), London’s King’s Cross Station (3/hour, 2 hours), Bath (hourly with change in Bristol, 4.5 hours, more with additional transfers), Oxford (hourly direct, 3.5 hours, more with transfers), Cambridge (hourly, 2.5 hours, transfer in Stevenage or Peterborough), Birmingham (2/hour, 2.5 hours), Keswick/Lake District (train to Penrith: roughly 2/hour, 4 hours, 1-2 transfers; then bus, allow about 5 hours total), Manchester Airport (2/hour, 2 hours), Edinburgh (2/hour, 2.5 hours). Train info: Tel. 0345-748-4950, www.nationalrail.co.uk.
Connections with London’s Airports: Heathrow (allow 4 hours minimum; from airport take Heathrow Express train to London’s Paddington Station, transfer by Tube to King’s Cross, then take train to York; for details on cheaper but slower Tube or bus option from airport to London King’s Cross, see here), Gatwick (allow 4 hours minimum; from Gatwick South, catch Thameslink train to London’s St. Pancras International Station; from there, walk to neighboring King’s Cross Station, and catch train to York).