I took the express train to York. It took 2 hours. Not sure where to go first, I quickly made up my mind upon exiting the train station and seeing York Minster tower above every other building. It would be very difficult to get lost finding it. The queue was about a half hour to get in. A young lady behind me commented that she has always came mid-week and there were no queues, something to remember for next time.
The cathedral is the largest Gothic cathedral in Northern Europe. Being ever expanded, the first recorded church on that site dates to 627. Today it is a beautiful operational church with its massive stained glass windows, impressively high arched ceilings and towers.
I've seen many old cathedrals in my travels, so what made this one different? This one has 2 million pieces of glass over 128 windows. The east window is 23 meters high. It is the largest expanse of medieval stained glass in the world. Impressive!
Also, in the 1960's a great restoration project began to shore up the collapsing Tower. When engineers dug down to repair the foundation they discovered the remains of an ancient Roman Church, with marble columns and mosaics. Today there is a museum showing what they found, as well as a historical time line connecting then to now.
Also on display are numerous Catholic artifacts with explanations of what they are and how and why they are represented in the current Church: the symbols, emblems and clothing.
One can climb the 250+ spiral stone staircase to the top of the Tower. The staircase is very narrow, slippery and uneven. The view from the top is amazing! One can see the entire city and even a few towns miles away. There are signs the point out where to find various points within the city and points beyond. It was very cold and windy, so most of us simply had a quick look then headed back down.
There is a very out of place orb at the far end of the Church, below the 23 meter Great East Window. Inside are replicas of 5 panels of the Great Window with explanations of the finer details that would be missed by simply looking at it, as we all tend to do. Apparently, this exhibit changes monthly. There are also computer stations where one can tap an area of the window they wish to explore in more detail.
There are 2 interactive displays, one for stonemasons and one for glazers, showing how intricate the restoration of thee 2 crafts are. They challenge you to carve a gargoyle (via computer) or to build a stone arch with wooden blocks. All the while reminding you that the are restorations use modern equipment. As one display said, “Now imagine doing all of this in your head first.” Someone had to draw up the original plan and someone had to chip away at the stones by hand. And it all had to fit! This is a replica of some of the stonemasons initials or personal marks that were found during restoration.
Separating the choir from the crossing and nave is the striking 15th century sceen that contains sculptures of the kings of England from William the Conqueror to Henry VI . Above the screen is the organ, which dates from 1832.
Chapter House is an octogonal shaped part of the church. It is off to one side, through a vestibule, and very quiet. There is a bench that runs the circumference of the room where one can sit and simply soak in the beauty of the windows and the marvel of the ceiling. It has no center support, but is held up by the buttressed walls.
It was a wonderful tour only to be topped off with the choir practicing in some secret area. I was ever so fortunate to hear the sounds of angels in a hidden corner.
After the Cathedral, I wandered the crazy crooked streets. The Shambles is one of the most photographed streets in the UK. It is very narrow with all sorts of curio shops in building that look like they were constructed by drunkards. They are very crooked and tend to lean in toward the street. There is one spot where the people on the upper floors could reach out their respective windows and shake hands with the person across the street.
Some of these overhanging timber-framed buildings date back as far as the fourteenth century. It was once known as The Great Flesh Shambles, probably from the Anglo-Saxon Fleshammels (literally 'flesh-shelves'), the word for the shelves that butchers used to display their meat. As recently as 1872 there were twenty-five butchers' shops in the street but now there are none.
It was here that I encountered the guide from the Haunted Tour. He was dressed like an old fashioned doctor or undertaker. He played his character well and had I not had to catch a train, I would definitely have taken his tour.
The reason I had come to York on this particular day was for a Viking Festival. For 30 years Jorvik (York) has been celebrating its Viking history with groups of Viking buffs coming from all over the UK to participate in mock battles, exhibits and markets. There were hundreds of people dressed in Viking attire. Some of them must be truly dedicated, because their hair and beards were very long! The costumes were very authentic and were only missing the dirt and smell that was sure to accompany the real Vikings. Most were brandishing swords, shields, chain mail and helmets. Even their footwear was authentic. There were nearly as many women as men dressed up.
There was a small camp set up with “Vikings” making their wares. The boat builder was there, not building, but explaining the finer points of his sailing vessel. There was a fisherman making a fish trap with reeds. There was jewelry maker making beads. The helmet maker as not making helmets but demonstrating their efficiency by taking his long knife and whacking a helmet with all his might, to show how it would protect your head.
Another area had a Viking Market. Fur and leather hats, shoes, and clothing could all be purchased. There was lots of linen and wool for sale, as well; for those wanting to make their own clothes. There were swords, knives and helmets for sale. And lots of jewelry to adorn the drab woolen garments as well as clasps to hold it all together. This jewelry I mention is not exactly pretty. The beads are misshapen and odd sizes and colors. Amber and hematite were popular. They were strung together as preschoolers would do, no pattern or scheme.
I made my way to Clifford's Tower, which sits on a massive hill in the middle of town. It seemed out of place, with a car park at its base. There was a mock battle taking place at its base on the front side. As I climbed the steps to get into the Tower, I realized this was a great vantage point to view the battle. However, there were security guards telling everyone to go back down if they were not going to enter the Tower. (The battle was a ticketed event.) Fortunately, there was a queue into the Tower so the poor security people could hardly make us face forward while waiting to pay our entry fee.
The Tower was actually a castle at one time, but all that remains are the round outer walls. One could climb to the top and walk the perimeter. Really not much else to see or do.
However, because of the Festival there was a story teller who enlisted the help of children to enact a Viking vs. Saxon battle. It was educational, entertaining and hilarious. The children were a bit over anxious and he had to keep reminding them that they were on the same side. He was the Saxon (or Viking story teller, however the story progressed.) One cute little girl was playing a Viking hero and the storyteller would remind us how vicious she was. She would either giggle or let out a cute roar.
I went into the Viking Museum. Under the Plexiglas floor is an archaeological scene of a Viking home. One can walk over it and imaging being in the actual house. From there, you get into a pod (similar to an amusement park ride) that takes you into a reconstruction of a Viking village. Your head rest doubles as speakers with about 6 language settings. The pod turns you directly in the various directions the narrator is explaining. It is about a 10-15 minute ride and very well done, with life size human looking robots that move and talk.
Exiting the ride brings you to exhibits of actual archaeological finds, tools, skeletons (pointing out the fatal battle damage), clasps and coins.
You can get an authentic Viking coin stamped out right before your eyes. These dyes were to be destroyed every year, similar to modern coins with an new year on the back. There are only 4 surviving dyes ever found. They were found in a scrap pile, waiting to be melted down, for the metal to be reused for something else. Some of the actual coins from those dye are on display.
I ate dinner at Gert & Henry's restaurant, a lovely old Tudor Building. The service was not terrific. The food was good, but not spectacular.
There was a final battle at Clifford's Tower. I thought I could sneak a peak, as I did earlier. However, there were screened barricades up, with people already claiming their spots at any cracks available. It was cold and I had a train to catch anyway, so I went to leave. As I was about to cross the road, a group of Vikings were coming up the street. They were making their way to the battlefield. I stopped to watch them go by, but they kept coming and coming. There were hundreds of them! It was very eerie. It was semi dark. These barbaric looking people coming from the shadows, hardly talking, only walking. Their soft leather shoes hardly making a sound on the street. Their shields rattling a bit, their clothing rasping. It really gave me a bit of a shiver to imagine this scene a thousand years ago, when the Vikings really did invade!
I mistakenly boarded the wrong train, but it all worked out for the best. It was just an earlier direct train to Kings Cross.
