YORK

 

York is not only the County Town of North Yorkshire, but also home to the second-most important church in the Anglican faith, after Canterbury. The Minster is large and impressive.

The town itself, has the remarkable Jorvik museum, which allows you to take a time-ride back to the days of the Viking occupation of York, and which was the first of the 'living' museums of this type. It is also home to the National Railway Museum, and the amazing Castle Museum, where you can wander along a Victorian cobbled street, and in and out of the shops.

There is also the Shambles - a warren of narrow medieval streets and alleys, known as 'snickelways', which has coined its' own term for exploring them - 'snickeling'

Altogether a must-see if you're touring the area.

Clifford's Tower stands on one side of the Castle Green, opposite the Castle Museum.

Built to subdue the rebellious north by William the Conqueror, Clifford’s Tower has been a royal mint, a medieval stronghold and a Civil War garrison. In 1190, one of the worst anti-semitic massacres of the Middle Ages took place on the site of the tower when York’s Jewish community were trapped there by a violent mob and many Jews chose to commit suicide rather than be murdered.

In 1322 the tower gained its present name when Roger de Clifford was executed by Edward II for treason. Clifford was hanged in chains from the tower walls, and ever after the building has been popularly known as 'Clifford's Tower'.

This is the Lendal Bridge in the heart of the city.

Part of the impressive buildings which contain the Castle Museum, built around 3 sides of the green. They were formerly the 18th. century debtor and women's prisons.

Even the ice-cream vans are old! 

The gun outside of the Castle Museum

National Railway Museum

Atanding just outside the city walls, the National Railway Museum is an interesting place to visit, even if you're not a train enthusiast, as it charts the entire history of rail travel, from the first horse-drawn rail wagons to the latest bullet trains.

Outside the museum complex, there are railway tracks, so that working exhibits can connect to the main rail network, and there are also external exhibits, like this crane.