CHRIS AND ROSE GUIDED US ON A DAY-TRIP to York in 2011, but with lunch and travel time we just had a sniff of the city. With three full days we should be able to make some memories. We will miss the National Railroad Museum again—all of the free tickets are “sold out.” School holiday, what.
Our Base to explore Olde Yorke
It should be called St. John’s Maze, not St. Johns Mews. Our AirBnB in this part of York was nearly impossible to find despite Caroline’s directions and the best efforts of Gabbi, our SatNav. Once there, however, the location was perfect—a ten-minute walk to the City Walls and towering York Minster.
Daffodils and York City Walls
Styling in his amazing technicolor dreamcoat
A remnant of Roman times
York has more miles of intact walls than any city in England and while they are sometimes called the Roman Walls, very little remains from Roman times. The original walls were demolished and rebuilt by the Danes in the 9th Century and restored again in Victorian times. They are about four meters high and nearly two meters wide with four main “bars” or gates into the city.
Gate at Monk Bar
Robin Hood Tower, a newer construction
A bit of Whimsy
This time of year the City Walls are bordered with daffodils, just perfect for a morning stroll with great views of York Minster Cathedral. It was eye-watering, nose-runningly cold as we walked along the northern wall from what was once the King’s Fishpond all the way to Bootham Bar.
Originally St. William's College St. Mary's Abbey
Golden Slipper Pub York Oratory
We stopped to look at the original Roman fortifications and peeked into gardens of expensive hotel and private yards, one which had statues of Alice and the Mad Hatter. Back at street level we continued past the university to the River Ouse then doubled back to explore a bit of “Olde Yorke.”
