York: A Delightful Medieval City

Day 2 of our England excursion brought us to the gorgeous Medieval city of York, in Yorkshire. To quote our itinerary, "York is probably the most historic city in England. It started out as the Roman fort know as Eboracum. After the Romans left, it became a thriving Viking settlement called Jorvik. Finally with the Norman Conquest, it became York." The first striking aspect of York is the stone wall that runs around the city. This served to protect the city against sieges, and it is very impressive. 

On a sidenote, my father and I were eager to visit York because it is the setting of one of our favorite novels, Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke. Here is the summary of the novel, taken from Amazon.com: "At the dawn of the 19th century, two very different magicians emerge to change England's history. In the year 1806, with the Napoleonic Wars raging on land and sea, most people believe magic to be long dead in England --- until the reclusive Mr. Norrelll reveals his powers, and becomes a celebrity overnight. Soon, another practicing magician comes forth: the young handsome, and daring Jonathan Strange. He becomes Norrell's student, and they join forces in the war against France. But Strange is increasingly drawn to the wildest, more perilous forms of magic, straining his partnership with Norrell, and putting at risk everything else he holds dear." I want to clarify, the magic in this book is NOT like Harry Potter. It is a lot more sophisticated and subtle. Also, the BBC is currently making this amazing story into a miniseries (finally!) and they filmed on location in York! Dad and I can't wait to see it when it airs.

Book Cover

So excited to see the BBC adaptation! 

When we arrived in York, it was our first priority to visit York Minster. This impressive Cathedral is one of the largest of it's kind in Northern Europe and is the seat of the Archbishop of York, the second most powerful clerical figure in the Church of England, after the Archbishop of Canterbury. My father and I were keen to visit because York Minster plays a vital role in the plot of Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell.  I won't elaborate, in case any of you go on to read the book, but let's just say, really cool things happen here!

Beautiful York Minster

Such fantastic carving!

After visiting York Minster, my parents and I wandered the streets of York. It's a truly lovely city, with wonderfully old buildings, cobblestone streets, and winding roads. Although it's 2014, York has managed to maintain it's medieval charm

I did not know that Guy Fawkes was from York and this pub is where he was born!

Can't you just see the city's rich history?

Occasionally, if you look up above street level, the walls of buildings are decorated with these busts.

Tour de France fever!

Considering York's long and illustrious history, I'd be curious to learn about it's ghosts…

York has a lot to see and offer. History, architecture, food, etc… When in York, The Shambles is a MUST see. This is a medieval street that has managed to survive over the centuries. It is delightfully crooked and the buildings lean in, almost covering the sky, at times. Walking through the Shambles, though now filled with modern shops, you feel like you are back in medieval York.

After wandering the Shambles, we made our way to the York Castle Museum. The site at which the museum is located was the former site of York Castle, built by William the Conqueror in 1068. The castle no longer remains, but one can visit ruins. In the 18th century, a debtor's prison and a female prison was built on the site of the castle. Later, the museum was founded in 1938 by Dr. John L. Kirk, and replaced the prison --- although the prison has been incorporated into the museum.

When we were there, the WWI exhibit was about to launch, but we were early by a couple days. So sad! Still, there was lots of see. The museum, for the most part, gives your an overall idea of the history of York and a sense of how society has changed. There was a large emphasis on the Victorian period.

Recreation of Kirkgate Street (York) during the Victorian Period

Old fashion apothecary shop

Early public health announcements

The museum also honors it's own heritage with a prison museum. The museum has managed to preserve a small wing of what was the former debtor's prison, to give you an idea what life in jail was like. The bare cells, the dim lighting, the dankness of it all….very spooky and unpleasant. There were about 10 cells that you could visit and spend time in. Each cell had a figure projected on the wall and an actor would pretend to be that inmate, discussing their crime and experience in prison. Kind of interesting.

This is supposed to be Dick Turpin, one of Britain's most notorious highwaymen. On March 22, 1739, he was found guilty on two charges of horse theft and sentenced to death by hanging. He was executed on April 7, 1739 at age 33. 

It wasn't all gloom and doom at the museum. My favorite part was the 1960s exhibit. There was a small wing of the museum that was made to resembled York in the 60s and it was filled with such iconic stuff. Twiggy, the Beatles, Peace & Love, the colors, Doctor Who, JFK, the space race…it had everything! Whilst I enjoyed this from a historian's perspective, my dad had a blast because it brought him back to his youth! (Especially the jukebox.) 

My favorite band of all time!

As a Bryn Mawr woman and feminist, this warmed my heart! :D

They had the original 1960s "Doctor Who" playing on a small TV! It was fantastic and I could't stop watching. 

By the time we had finished the museum, it was 3 pm and time for tea. I won't elaborate on that now, because that is my next post, but what I will say is, we had so much fun exploring York. If you find yourself in Yorkshire, I highly recommend visiting this beautiful medieval city. Most of the main attractions are in the city center and everything is within walking distance. Even if you don't have that much time to spend, simply walking around the city and taking in the lovely architecture is delightful!