The history of York makes it an exciting destination. York, originally Roman Eboracum, was a critical military strongpoint whose strategic location figured prominently in struggles with the Norse warlords and later in the Civil War. At the battle of Stamford Bridge the Norsemen were defeated by King Harold, but immediately after the battle, his loss at Hastings resulted in his death and the reign of William the Conquerer. The Civil War Battle of Marston Moor, fought while York was under siege in 1644, was a decisive win by Cromwell leading to the fall of Charles I. Today, many parts of York’s past can still be appreciated, from the Jorvik Viking Centre which encloses an excavated Viking village t
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What are snikelways? They are somewhat subjectively defined as "snickets, ginnels, alleyways, courts, yards and footstreets." Mark Jones has compiled an extensive guide to help tourist find and enjoy them. You can join the Snikelways Walk or find them on your own as we did. Each one we tried offered unexpected glimpses and surprises.
A great set of York links is:
http://www.cityofyork.com/yorklink/home.htm.
Quick Tips:
Our appreciation of York began on the city walls near Micklegate Bar as we walked into town from our B&B. We walked along it to the River Ouse. This is a good way to start, especially in the morning before the attractions open. The walls include sections dating from the Roman city of Eboracum, and they were put to hard use during the Civil War. A good web site to prepare for a wall walk is:
http://www.york.gov.uk/walls/mapage.html.
Once inside the wall, the city is walkable for reasonably fit tourists. The Castle Museum and Clifford’s Tower were the next stop. We elected to take the boat tour from the Castle Museum. I would recommend this for families for the novelty, but the course is short and the scenery was not memorable. The Jorvik Viking Centre is not far, and it is truly a find (see separate journal entry).
The Shambles is an opportunity to experience a true medieval street…it was even mentioned in the Domesday Book. We passed through this area and ate at a nearby pub.
We stayed one night at each of two B&Bs just outside the city walls. Our dining experiences were varied, but on the whole, good.
Best Way To Get Around:
York can be easily reached by car or train (rail time from London is under two hours, allow significantly more time for driving). We drove to York and parked at the B&Bs; after that we hoofed it to and within the city. On a rainy night or after a long day of walking, a bus or taxi is a handy alternative to the hassle of driving into downtown and parking. We found the taxis to be relatively inexpensive and much more convenient. Read Less