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There are all sorts of events and activities going
on, in York and within 1 hours drive of York, and our Guest
Lounge keeps you
up to date with all the leaflets.
If you are interested in what's going on
during your visit to York, then take a look at the following links...
York Race Fixtures
York Racecourse
Britain's newest steam locomotive, Tornado
York
Voted Britains
Favourite City
YORK
has been voted the nation's favourite British city in a new national poll. The city's
cobbled streets, city walls and historic charm won it pride of place in the Daily
Telegraph Travel Awards, knocking London off its six-year top spot. Edinburgh and
Bath were placed second and third respectively, while London slipped to fourth -
despite winning the award for six years in a row
Gillian Cruddas, chief executive of York Tourism Bureau, said more than four million
visitors each year praised the city's buildings, distinctive shops and character.
"York is very different from London - a more compact, very manageable city and one
that people immediately feel at home in," she said. "This is helped by the fact
that you can arrive by train and in five minutes you are walking around the city
centre surround by evidence of 2,000 years of history."
Mrs Cruddas said to receive the award was a great endorsement of visitor's comments.
She said: "We have an excellent mix of accommodation from luxury hotels, quaint
B and B's and city centre apartments. We were also one of the first cities to have
a pedestrianised centre and this is now used for a whole variety of events and festivals
and street entertainment throughout the year."
Telegraph travel editor Graham Boynton said: "The Telegraph Travel Awards are based
on the genuine opinions and experiences of the UK's most affluent travellers and
holidaymakers."
York -
A City of History
There
are few cities in the North of England, or indeed the whole of Britain, that have
the magical beauty of York. Enjoy outstanding architecture and a history that spans
from early Roman times, combined with bustling shopping streets. Almost completely
medieval, York has many ancient timbered houses and narrow winding streets and the
whole city has an atmosphere of history. In the fourth century it was a strategic
center for the Romans and at that early date was a recognized seat of learning.
Although the industrial revolution has almost entirely bypassed York, it is today
a flourishing city with road and rail links spreading to all parts of Yorkshire.
The
pride of York is the huge and magnificent Minster which towers over the whole city.
Visitors return time and time again to this hauntingly beautiful building - York
Minster. Built on a site of an earlier church and Roman fortress, it has towered
above the city for over 800 years. Being the largest Gothic Cathedral in Northern
Europe it offers an amazing variety of architecture. The foundation structure of
the present church can be clearly seen from the Undercroft where you will also find
ruins from Roman and Norman times as well as Saxon gravestones. It contains England's
greatest concentration of medieval stained glass; the two most famous windows are
the "Five Sisters" windows in the north transept and the Great East window which
covers 2,000 square feet. It is thought to be the largest area of medieval coloured
glass in the world. The first church to be built on this site was a little wooden
building erected in AD 627 for the baptism of King Edwin of Northumbria. The present
Minster, the fifth on the site, took masters of every craft 250 years to build and
was completed and consecrated in 1472. York is frequently called the "City of Churches",
for there are no fewer than 17 pre-Reformation churches within the city boundaries.
However, this is a mere handful when compared with the Middle Ages, when York boasted
50 parish churches, two large abbeys and several smaller religious houses. The spirit
of medieval York lingers on perhaps most of all in the ancient streets where the
upper storeys of the houses lean precariously towards each other across the roadway.
The
names are fascinating - Stonegate, Goodramgate, Whip-ma-Whop-ma-Gate, and Shambles,
the old butchers quarter. The four great Bars or gates of the City, Micklegate,
Bootham, Monk, and Walmgate Bars still command the main roads and are a remainder
of grimmer days when the strength of the city lay in its walls. Today these streets
contain a fascinating variety of shops, among which can be found some of the leading
antique furniture, jewelry and silver specialists of the North of England. Although
very much aware of its long and fascinating history, York is a thriving city with
excellent facilities for entertainment and sport. It is perhaps above all a city
which to wander and make one's own discoveries.
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