Travelclog York

York is a city that has a played a significant part in England’s history over the last 2000 years. Having not visited the city since 1998, another visit was long overdue. The Clog likes to see itself as one of the more environmentally friendly internet publications and contributed to the general well-being of the city by driving there in the EU6 compliant, Alfa Romeo MiTo TwinAir and using the Askham Bar Park and Ride facility. There are seven park and ride facilities around the perimeter of the city which offer free parking with a £2.70 return ticket on the bus.

The cityscape is dominated by the imposing Gothic Minster and this was the main focus for most of the afternoon. This is the fourth church to sit in the area and was a building project that lasted 252 years from 1220 to 1472. The current Minster sits on the remains of its predecessor, which was built by Thomas of Bayeux between 1080 and 1100.

A sightseeing ticket with guided tour is available for £10 and this offers access to all areas of the church. The guide noted that the reason for the grandeur of the building was to give worshippers the feeling of having stepped into heaven. Considering the primitive conditions that most people lived in around the time that the building opened, it is easy to see how a visit to the Minster would seem to be a step into the celestial realm. There is also the best collection of original medieval glass in any of the great cathedrals with each window depicting different biblical stories and lives of the saints.

As its name would imply, the Great West Window dominates the western end of the Nave. This window is an iconic feature of the church with the heart shape near the top of the structure. The previous Roman Catholic history of the building is evident in this window with the depiction of the Virgin Mary’s coronation. There is also the principal events in the life of Christ from nativity to ascension.

The Crossing and Tower forms the mid-point of the Minster and joins the North and South Transepts. This includes the Five Sister window in the North Transept which is the oldest window in the church from around 1260. There are different interpretations for the unusual name, one of which is that the name is a corruption of ‘Five Cistercians’ as the glass used is common in Cistercian homes.

The South Transept features the famous Rose Window. This area of the church was damaged by the fire of 1984 and the heat cracked 7000 pieces of glass though remained in tact. The window was painstakingly removed and glued together with a clear resin. The windows were strengthened and panels were reassembled and releaded. There are many scenes of the Virgin Mary, Christ and The Prophets throughout this stunning window formation. 

The East Window of the church is undergoing some restoration work that will last until 2016 and in its place is a large photograph. The work on the window will cost around £6 million, a sizeable chunk of the £23 million project to restore the East Front of the building. A display booth showcasing some of the actual panes of glass sits near the base of the window. York is one of the few cities that can claim to have had a Roman Emperor inaugurated in its confines as Constantine took the supreme office in 306 AD, a turn of events that caused changes in the Roman Empire and for the future of Christianity.

The undercroft of the Cathedral has been redeveloped to bring alive the extensive history of the Minster. Part of this features an insight to the Roman past of the site including remains of a wall from one of the garrison buildings. 

This area has been completely redeveloped and presents 2000 years of history of the site in a contemporary fashion. One of the more light-hearted features was the selection of replica mitres and vestments to try for size.

York has some of the best preserved medieval walls in the UK. Many of these were created in Roman times though reconstruction work also took place from the Viking era onwards. One of the city gate posts, Bootham Bar, is located close to the Minster grounds. There are public conveniences built to the side of the gate and these appeared to have last been cleaned in the Roman era. 

Ascending the stairs at the gate onto the wall is the start of a short journey that follows round the perimeter of the Minster grounds. This walk offered some panoramic views of the Minster and other buildings within the campus, before the next gatehouse is reached at Monk Bar.

There are many medieval streets in the city centre, the most famous of which is Shambles, which is mentioned in William the Conquerors’ Domesday Book. This street used to be full of butchers shops and a slaughterhouse, indeed the street name is derived from Fleshshammels, an ancient terms for flesh shelves used by butchers. Today, there are many characterful shops and cafes in this charming little street. 

Next to Shambles is the gloriously named Whip-Ma-Whop-Ma Gate, this has the designation of being York’s shortest street and the unusual name apparently means “What a Street”.

The ancient heritage is never far from view and it was good to walk on the long stretch of ancient wall from around Lendal Bridge until beyond York station.

York is a charismatic and inviting city with a distinguished history that few can match. Whether you come as a pilgrim or tourist, you are likely to be drawn in by its medieval charms and be enchanted by the way that history is brought to life in its ancient streets.