Exploring Historic York

Merchant Adventurers Hall

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Attraction | "Merchant Adventurers' Hall "

The Barley Hall Photo - Merchant Adventurers Hall, York, England

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Set in beautiful gardens in the centre of historic York, the Merchant Adventurers' Hall is a medieval guildhall and was one of the most important buildings in the medieval city. It is open for public use as a fully functioning museum, wedding and hospitality setting and meeting place. There are three main rooms in the Hall where the medieval merchants gathered to conduct business and to socialise. A society built the Hall to provide a building for charity use, warship and business on the banks of the River Foss. The timber-framed Great Hall opened in 1368. It is the largest remaining timber-framed building in the UK used for its original purpose. The roof of the hall consists of two span...Read More

Set in beautiful gardens in the centre of historic York, the Merchant Adventurers' Hall is a medieval guildhall and was one of the most important buildings in the medieval city. It is open for public use as a fully functioning museum, wedding and hospitality setting and meeting place. There are three main rooms in the Hall where the medieval merchants gathered to conduct business and to socialise.

A society built the Hall to provide a building for charity use, warship and business on the banks of the River Foss. The timber-framed Great Hall opened in 1368. It is the largest remaining timber-framed building in the UK used for its original purpose. The roof of the hall consists of two spans supported by a row of large central timber posts. Like the Great Hall a supporting row of timber posts also divides the Undercroft - formerly an almshouse to help the sick and the poor. It provides access to an attached chapel built for the use of the ill and poor as well as members of the society.

By 1430 most members were mercers who set up a trading association or guild. They used the Hall to transact their business affairs, to meet socially, to look after the poor and to pray. Queen Elizabeth I granted the guild the status of the Company of Merchant Adventurers of York in the 16th century. They attempted to control all trade and nobody could open even a shop without their permission. Not everybody was happy to comply.

The Company of Merchant Adventurers still exist as a charitable membership group. They have an extensive set of records, with documents dating from the 13th century and accounts dating back to 1432. The Hall is home to many remarkable collections including silver, furniture and paintings, which provide a glimpse into the rich history of the Hall and the people associated with it. The building is open every day during the summer months and is accessible to all from the Fossgate entrance.

Today the Guild holds the Hall in trust, manages charities, runs the Hall as a museum and plays an important role in the civic and business life of the City of York. Also it hosts meetings and events and holds services in its chapel.

While in York also take in nearby Barley Hall a stunning medieval house, once home to the Priors of Nostell and the Mayor of York. Until the 1980s the house remained hidden but protected by the facade of a derelict office block. During the demolition of the office block the medieval building came to light and its history uncovered.

The restored building now displays its original splendour with stunning high ceilings, beautiful exposed timber frames, and possibly the only horn window in England. Decorated to reproduce what it would have looked like as the Snawsell home around 1483, it boasts a magnificent Great Hall. Visitors to Barley Hall can make themselves at home and sit on the chairs and handle the objects and experience what it would have been like to live in Medieval England.
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Member Rating 5 out of 5 on June 13, 2011

Merchant Adventurers Hall
Fossgate
York, England YO1 9XD
+44 1904 654818

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York

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For 150 years tourists have flocked to York as it has much to offer. We made our way there in March. It is a no hassle place with all the attraction clustered in the city centre in what was the medieval town. For 2000 years York has played a leading role in England’s history. Even without its crowning glory, a cathedral of breath-taking grandeur, it would be a city of outstanding beauty, interest and ageless charm as the shortest of strolls can testify.The 9th Roman Legion founded the city in 71 AD. They erected a wooden fortress on level ground above the River Ouse close to its confluence with the River Foss. The fortress, later rebuilt in stone, covered 50 acres (20 ha) and barracked 6,0...Read More

For 150 years tourists have flocked to York as it has much to offer. We made our way there in March. It is a no hassle place with all the attraction clustered in the city centre in what was the medieval town. For 2000 years York has played a leading role in England’s history. Even without its crowning glory, a cathedral of breath-taking grandeur, it would be a city of outstanding beauty, interest and ageless charm as the shortest of strolls can testify.

The 9th Roman Legion founded the city in 71 AD. They erected a wooden fortress on level ground above the River Ouse close to its confluence with the River Foss. The fortress, later rebuilt in stone, covered 50 acres (20 ha) and barracked 6,000 soldiers. Significant traces of the Roman city have survived, the most spectacular being the base of the Multangular Tower which formed the westward corner of the legionary fortress. York has more miles of intact wall than any other city in England. Most of the remaining walls encircling the medieval town date from the 12th - 14th century.

York declined in the post-Roman era until taken by the Angles in the 5th century. In the 7th century York became the chief city of the Anglian King Edwin of Northumbria. The city came to be the episcopal, and later, royal centre of the Kingdom of Northumbria.

Vikings from Denmark captured the city in 866 AD. Under their rule the city known as Jovik became a major river port, part of the extensive Viking trading routes throughout northern Europe. King Edred drove the last ruler of an independent Jorvik, Eric Bloodaxe, from the city in the year 954 while completing unifying England. In 1973, during excavations in Coppergate to deepen the vaults of a bank, links with the Vikings appeared. They included three timber buildings preserved in the wet peaty subsoil and many examples of Scandinavian craftsmanship.

In 1068, two years after the Norman Conquest of England, the people of York rebelled. Initially the rebellion was successful but on the arrival of William the Conqueror the rebels stood no chance. He at once built two wooden fortresses on mottes, which are still visible, on either side of the river Ouse.

Fire badly damaged the first stone Minster church in the uprising and the Normans later decided to build a new Minster on a new site. Around the year 1080 Archbishop Thomas started building a cathedral that in time became the current Minster. In the Middle Ages York grew as a major wool trading centre and the ecclesiastical capital of the northern province of England. York's location halfway between the capitals of London and Edinburgh means that it has long had a significant position in the nation's transport system. One of the most notable legacies of the period is the Merchant Adventurer’s Hall built by the oldest and most powerful of the city’s many guilds.

In 1644, during the Civil War, the Parliamentarians besieged York, and destroyed many medieval houses outside the city walls. The garrison surrendered but fortunately the terms included a promise the victors would not desecrate the Minster or any of the other churches.

In 1660 with Charles II regaining his father’s throne the garrison from York became unnecessary. In 1688 it left and the city became dominated by the local gentry and merchants, although the clergy were still important. Competition from the nearby cities of Leeds and Hull, combined with silting of the River Ouse, resulted in York losing its dominant position as a trading centre. The city's role, however, as the social and cultural centre for wealthy northerners was on the rise. York's many elegant townhouses, such as the Lord Mayor's Mansion House and Fairfax House (now owned by York Civic Trust) date from this period, as do the Assembly Rooms, the Theatre Royal, and the Racecourse.

The railways saved York from stagnation. Rail travel was still in its infancy when the first train left York in 1839. In 1840 the first train ran direct from York to London. By the 1850s, there were 13 trains a day between the two cities, carrying 341,000 passengers a year. In 1877 a new station, the largest in the country, opened to cope with the numbers. By 1888 there were 294 trains arriving daily.

Tourism boomed: within two years of the first train steaming into York, excursions to the historic city were arriving from Manchester, Nottingham and London. Theatre goers came from miles around to see productions at the Theatre Royal, rebuilt four times in the 19th century. Two Fine Art and Industrial exhibitions in 1860 and 1879, at York Art Gallery, attracted nearly 870,000 people due to the new mass mobility of the railway age. The railways also brought heavy industry to the city for the first time. Fittingly Britain’s railway heritage is on display at the National Railway Museum in York.

As well the Yorkshire Museum, the Castle Museum, the Railway Museum, the Guildhall parts of York itself is almost a museum. The Shambles and Stonegate are among the best preserved medieval streets in Europe.
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Member Rating 5 out of 5 on June 13, 2011

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Jorvik Viking Centre

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The Jorvik Centre Photo - Jorvik Viking Centre, York, England

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Many Vikings travelled here from their Scandinavian homeland during the period from 800 to 1050 AD until wars led to the end of their time. Although they gained a fearsome reputation originally they were full-time fishermen and farmers who spent much of the year at home. Only in the summer months did they rally to the call of a local leader and venture across the sea to raid, trade or seek out new lands to settle.In the late 1970’s, archaeological discoveries at Coppergate in the centre of the medieval town of York led to revelations of the Vikings age in York. Unusual oxygen free conditions in the soil helped preserve many materials that normally rot away. The city’s Archaeological Trust...Read More

Many Vikings travelled here from their Scandinavian homeland during the period from 800 to 1050 AD until wars led to the end of their time. Although they gained a fearsome reputation originally they were full-time fishermen and farmers who spent much of the year at home. Only in the summer months did they rally to the call of a local leader and venture across the sea to raid, trade or seek out new lands to settle.

In the late 1970’s, archaeological discoveries at Coppergate in the centre of the medieval town of York led to revelations of the Vikings age in York. Unusual oxygen free conditions in the soil helped preserve many materials that normally rot away. The city’s Archaeological Trust therefore took the decision to recreate the excavated part of Jórvík, as the Vikings called the town. It created the figures, sounds and smells, as well as pigsties, fish market and latrines, to bring the town of 25th October 975 fully to life using innovative interpretative methods.

The JORVIK Viking Centre opened in 1984 as an educational entertainment exhibition to reveal the age of the northern settlers. An extension in 2011 added two new galleries. When you enter the centre you stroll down to a spacious room with a glass floor. Beneath the floor are the remains of an excavated part of the Viking settlement. Around the rest of the room are video shows, photos and artefacts from the dig for study as you wait for the main attraction.

In a "time car," you travel back through the street market of 975 peopled by faithfully modelled Vikings. You go through a house where a family lived and down to the river to see the ship chandlers at work and the unloading of a Norwegian cargo boat. The cars take six individuals, takes about 20 minutes to complete the time travel, and give a commentary explaining what you are viewing.

You get off the ride into rooms full of characters of Viking life with clips of actors explaining their roles. I was particularly interested in that of the woodturner as I do some woodturning myself. He occupied an important place in the settlement as he produced the cups, plates and bowls. Others though like the metal worker, cobbler and ship wrights were equally important.

Artefacts and human remains excavated have helped explain how the ancient Vikings of Jorvik lived and died. Analysis of the remains revealed the variety of afflictions and diseases they suffered from, and what was in their diet. The new Last Vikings of Jorvik exhibit gallery look at the final battles of the Viking age which shaped the early middle-ages city of York and foreshadowed the arrival of the Normans.

Kids can join the archaeological investigation at DIG. There recreated excavation pits allow amateur explorers to handle real artefacts and decide what their use might have been and how that helps explain the story of how people lived in Roman, Viking, and Medieval times.

The Jorvik Centre is open from 10am to 5pm (last admission) April through November and 10am to 4pm from November to April.
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Member Rating 5 out of 5 on June 13, 2011

Jorvik Viking Centre
15-17 Coppergate Walk
York, United Kingdom YO1 9WT
+44 (1) 904643211

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National Railway Museum

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Attraction | "The World's Largest Railway Museum"

National Railway Museum Photo - National Railway Museum, York, England

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The National Railway Museum in York tells the story of rail transport in Britain and its impact on society. Railways drove the industrial revolution of the 19th century. Where previously goods had to move by horse and cart, canal barge or ship the railways meant factories were no longer tied to the watermills or the coal-seams that provided power. Cheap travel attracted passengers so people become more mobile and a holiday industry sprang up.Prince Philip opened the museum in 1975. One hundred and fifty years after the Stockton & Darlington Railway opened for business. To mark the occasion the museum had acquired several working exhibits from the period. The new museum received over a ...Read More

The National Railway Museum in York tells the story of rail transport in Britain and its impact on society. Railways drove the industrial revolution of the 19th century. Where previously goods had to move by horse and cart, canal barge or ship the railways meant factories were no longer tied to the watermills or the coal-seams that provided power. Cheap travel attracted passengers so people become more mobile and a holiday industry sprang up.

Prince Philip opened the museum in 1975. One hundred and fifty years after the Stockton & Darlington Railway opened for business. To mark the occasion the museum had acquired several working exhibits from the period. The new museum received over a million visitors in its first year.

On the 20 acres (8.1 ha) site are many thousands of items and records of social, technical, artistic and historical interest, displayed mostly in three large halls next to York railway station. It is the largest museum of its type in Britain and has more visitors than any other British museum outside London.

It displays a collection of over 100 locomotives and nearly 200 other items of rolling stock, virtually all of which either ran on the railways of Great Britain or emerged from British workshops. The earliest are wagonway vehicles from about 1815. Many of these hauled coal from the mines.

A replica of Stephenson’s Rocket shows the beginning of regular freight and passenger services. It won a contest as to the best locomotive and a £500 prize. The rocket with advanced engineering for the time won easily and went on to power the Liverpool & Manchester railway.

The Mallard marks a pinnacle of the steam era. It was a development of the famous Flying Scotsman which did such sterling service between London and Edinburgh and became the first to hit a speed of 100mph. It is among the exhibits intended to run occasionally on the National Rail network. Mallard is an eye-catching beauty with curves to tempt more people to travel by train. One day in 1938 Mallard went for a hell-for-leather dash down a long decline with a special carriage logging the speed. It logged a top speed of 126mph and broke the world steam train record.

Just four years after Britain had built the last steam locomotive Japan built its first SHINKANSEN - Bullet Train. These whisked passengers along at speeds of 130mph using electric power and signals in the cab to perform safely. They had a punctuality record that measured in seconds not minutes. The Japanese Railway authorities agreed to ship a Series O train in an epic journey to York. It is the only Bullet Train vehicle outside Japan.

The permanent display includes "Palaces on Wheels", a collection of Royal Train saloons from Queen Victoria's early trains through to those used by Queen Elizabeth II up to the 1970s. On 13th June 1842 Queen Victoria travelled by train for the first time. She declared herself quite charmed and the royal seal of approval was firmly set on rail travel. Since then travelling by train has played an important part in the travelling arrangements of all our monarchs. In this exhibition some of the most sumptuous carriages ever built in Britain are on display.

Other key exhibits normally seen at York include the 1846 Furness Railway No. 3 "Coppernob" locomotive, and the more modern express passenger steam locomotives London and North-Eastern Railway Class A3 No. 4472. A popular exhibit is the ex-Southern Railway Merchant Navy Class No. 35029 sectioned to show the workings of a steam locomotive.

The Chinese Class KF7 4-8-4 locomotive donated in 1981 was built in Britain. It is huge and much too large to have served in Britain but China with its higher bridges and larger tunnels allowed it to run there.
Now again is the time of the train. Numbers travelling by train in Britain are increasing each year and now stands at its previous high. Within Britain the train is competing successfully against the plane.
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Member Rating 5 out of 5 on June 13, 2011

National Railway Museum
Leeman Road
York, England YO26 4XJ
+44 (1904) 62 1261

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York Minster

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York Minster Photo - York Minster, York, England

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The size of York Minister and its architecture are striking. It's over 500 feet wide and has a central tower almost 200 feet high. While you are looking around the Minster bear in mind it took over 250 years to complete and the only tools they had then were simple levers, pulleys and hoists. Many Masons and Carpenters spent their entire working lives helping to erect York Minster. Over the years it has had major repair and restoration works done and on our visit continuing maintenance work was underway.The construction used huge quantities of magnesium limestone. It weathers and cleans itself turning from white when first quarried to the lovely pale golden honey colour which is the colour ...Read More

The size of York Minister and its architecture are striking. It's over 500 feet wide and has a central tower almost 200 feet high. While you are looking around the Minster bear in mind it took over 250 years to complete and the only tools they had then were simple levers, pulleys and hoists. Many Masons and Carpenters spent their entire working lives helping to erect York Minster. Over the years it has had major repair and restoration works done and on our visit continuing maintenance work was underway.

The construction used huge quantities of magnesium limestone. It weathers and cleans itself turning from white when first quarried to the lovely pale golden honey colour which is the colour we see today. York Minster is one of the largest of its kind in Northern Europe along with Cologne Cathedral. The title "Minster" refers to churches built in the Anglo-Saxon period as missionary teaching churches.

The first church on the site was a wooden one built in 627 to christen the Anglo-Saxon King, Edwin of Northumbria. Later a bigger stone one replaced the earlier one. Work on the present Gothic building began in 1230 and was completed in 1472. Gothic style uses pointed arches to enable window sizes to increase and allow more light into the building.

York Minster was a Catholic church before 1534. Now it is Church of England. It is the seat of the Archbishop of York as well as a popular tourist site. As a tourist you can enter the Minster, Undercroft, Treasury and Crypt and Tower - while services are taking place restrictions will apply.

The Nave is the widest Gothic one in the country. Above the great West Window, installed in 1338, look for the heart-shaped carving nicknamed the heart of Yorkshire. The Chapter house, an octagonal building, because of it shape has good acoustics.

The North and South transepts were the first parts of the new church built. The Minster has a Gothic choir and east end, and Early English north and south transepts. Over the Lady Chapel in the east end is the Great East Window. Finished in 1408, it the largest expanse of medieval stained-glass in the world. It depicts the beginning and the end of the world based on the Bible stories and is almost the size of a tennis court. In the north transept is the Five Sisters Window, each lancet being over 16 metres (52 ft) high. The stained-glass Rose Window is something that no visitor can fail to miss. It’s at the front entrance and possibly the most beautiful window in the minster. It tells the story of the houses of York and Lancaster which historically fought each other and finally united.

The Screen is the most impressive screen I've ever seen. Instead of religious figures the screen displays statues of 15 English kings, from William I to Henry VI.

Walking down the stairs of the minster to the Undercroft, Treasury and Crypt you will find skeletons of buildings that were previously on the site of the Minster. Some date from the original Roman fortress on the site others from Viking and medieval times. You can also have a look at the Minister’s collection of treasures.

I’m impressed with the beauty of the Minster, in particular the windows I mentioned earlier, the Screen and the Nave. In my inexperienced opinion York Minster and Westminster Abbey are of equal magnificence. If visiting the Minster you should be aware the Minster is still a place of worship and while these are in progress access controls apply to certain areas. Anybody is welcome to join in any of the daily services though.

If you are energetic climb the Tower - the largest in England. Its 275 steps are steep and the stairway is very narrow but from the top the views are worth the climb for you can see for miles not to mention the medieval streets and horse carriages down below that take you back in time.
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Member Rating 5 out of 5 on June 13, 2011

York Minster
Minster Yard
York, England YO1 7JA
+44 (190) 455 7216

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