I'm going to York for a couple of days.
One of my favourite cities.
1.
York has, since Roman times, been defended by walls
of one form or another. To this day, substantial portions
of the walls remain, and York has more miles of intact wall
than any other city in England. They are known variously
as York City Walls, the Bar Walls and the Roman walls
(though this last is a misnomer as very little
of the extant stonework is of Roman origin, and the course
of the wall has been substantially altered since Roman times).
The walls are generally 13 feet (4 m) high and 6 feet (1.8 m) wide.
You can 'walk the walls' for which there is no charge.
2.
The Shambles is a historic street in York, England,
featuring preserved medieval buildings,
some dating back as far as the 14th century.#
The street is narrow, with many timber-framed buildings
with jettied floors that overhang the street by several feet.
It was once known as The Great Flesh Shambles,
probably from the Anglo-Saxon Fleshammels (literally flesh-shelves),
the word for the shelves that butchers used to display their meat.
In 1885, thirty-one butchers' shops were located along the street,
but none remain today. It is now a medieval shopping mall
with tourist-trap prices but no charge for looking! :)
3.
The Three Tuns is a pub on Coppergate, in the city centre.
The building is recorded as having been a pub from at least 1782.
Fair to say it has endured a lot of subsidence over the years!
In 1970, a cache of silver coins was discovered,
and a cache of gold coins was also found
during renovations on the customer service area.
4.
The keep of the medieval Norman castle is commonly referred to as Clifford's Tower.
Originally constructed on the orders of William I.
The first motte and bailey castle on the site was built in 1068
following the Norman conquest of York.
It has a long, interesting and chequered history
5.
The Black Swan is another old favourite pub of mine.
It's had numerous rebuilds and alterations over centuries
but the original building dates back to around 1417.
6.
York Minster is the city's cathedral.
The first record of a church on the site dates to 627.
Yes, 627.
7.
York is home to the National Railway Museum.
A vast collection which includes such iconic steam engines
as the Flying Scotsman and the fabulous Mallard.
Entrance is free!
8.
Micklegate Bar is a four-storey-high gatehouse.
It was the traditional ceremonial gate for monarchs arriving in York,
who, in a custom dating to Richard II in 1389,
would touch the state sword as they entered the city.
regards
Titus
