Lions last lived wild in Europe thousands of years ago. Despite this, lions have been popular in European art from the Greeks and Egyptians, right through to the Middle Ages.
Once my sister pointed this out to me, I started taking pictures of the lions I saw. Here’s the best of what I got.
In AD71, the Romans built a fortress in northern Britannia, thus founding the city of York. They called it Eboracum. Even though Eboracum fell into relative obscurity following the Romans’ retreat, they left significant remains behind them.
Some of these remains have survived the intervening 1600 years and can be seen today. Read on to find out where.
The ground floor of the Yorkshire Museum houses the “Yorkshire’s Jurassic World” and “Roman York: Meet the People of the Empire” exhibits. Roman York is full of archaeological finds and information that tells us what life was like in Eboracum.
Some of the highlights are a hoard of Roman coins, a sculpture of Emperor Constantine’s head, a mosaic floor you can walk on, and the Ivory Bangle Lady. This last one is the remains of one of six people who lived in Eboracum. These tell us a lot about the kind of people who lived in York during the Roman period, and there is a large display showing everything we know about these particular people (including facial reconstructions!).
Outside the Yorkshire Museum, the Museum Gardens house the Multangular Tower. This was a defensive tower on the western corner of the Roman fortress, built in the early 3rd century AD. Before that, there was likely a simpler tower made of turf or wood in the same place.
The present Multangular Tower is a lovely, solid looking structure with both Roman and Medieval stonework visible. There is a lovely bit of grass directly in front of it – the perfect place for photos or a picnic.
Photo: Eboracum Fortress Gateway
Of the walls that can be seen today, nothing is Roman. However, significant sections of the walls follow the same lines as the first Roman walls. At a couple of places along the wall, there are marks showing the locations of various landmarks that are no longer there (like the fortress gateway).
The Romans made the original walls with wood, then as York became more important, the wooden walls were replaced by stone. By the time the Vikings arrived, the walls were no good for defence, so they were buried, and new walls built on top.
This coffee shop is built into the wall next to Bootham Bar. Their food and coffee are pretty standard for a British café. However, under a glass panel in the floor, you can see part of the foundations of the York’s Roman fortress.
While the Minster itself isn’t at all Roman, it is on a site once used by the Romans. During serious engineering fixes to the foundations during the 1960s and 70s, workers uncovered many Roman and Medieval items. Now, many of these objects can be found in the undercroft museum.
Roman treasures include fragments of plasterwork, reconstructed mosaics, and a roof tile with an early Christian symbol inscribed on it. There are also displays showing what the Roman fortress that used to be here looked like and exactly where it was in relation to what is there today.
Outside, there is a relatively modern statue of the Emperor Constantine, who was in York at the time he was declared Emperor. And just across the road from the statue stands a column uncovered along with all the stuff in the undercroft.
Found under a pub (aptly called Roman Bath), the Roman Bath Museum is a simple display of the ruins of Eboracum’s bath house. The walkway leads visitors through parts of the caldarium and frigidarium. At the end, there is a space for dressing-up and posing with Roman-themed props (I had so much fun).
The museum is rather small and dingy, but fascinating. Among the informative signs, it is crowded with Roman artifacts and replica items, such as tiles showing the sandal-prints of Roman soldiers.
Before Covid sent the world into disarray, I spent a long weekend in Seville celebrating my sister’s 50th birthday. Discounting travel days, we had two full days to experience the best that Seville had to offer.
My real highlight of the trip was spending so much time with my sisters and their spouses. However, the things below are regularly mentioned on “must do” lists for the city. We did them all and I would recommend them to anyone going to Seville.
The Alcazar is a royal palace (the Spanish royal family still use the upstairs apartments when they’re in Seville) with more than 1000 years of history. Building began in the 10th century under the Moors and continued under different rulers in several different styles.
The buildings are gorgeous (if a bit empty), but the gardens are particularly lovely. Even in winter the trees are covered in bright green leaves. There are fountains and tiled benches tucked around every corner. It’s so pretty.
Next door to the Alcazar is this massive cathedral. It claims to be the largest Gothic Cathedral in the world (but if it’s not, it’s pretty close to it). When construction started, it was going to be a mosque, but after the Reconquista it was turned into a cathedral.
Multiple construction phases have resulted in a gorgeous building showing both Gothic and Baroque architectural styles. The cavernous insides house a wealth of religious art. It is also home to Christopher Columbus’ tomb, if you’re into that kind of thing. Honestly, seeing the building itself and its various chapels and altars are worth the entrance fee.
This beautiful public square in the middle of the Parque de Maria Luisa was created for the 1929 Ibero-American Exposition. The Plaza de Espana consists of a grand semi-circular building surrounding a beautiful paved area and canal. It is absolutely gorgeous in the sunset.
You can rent a small boat and paddle along the canal, or maybe wander the galleries of the renaissance-style building. Alternatively, the plaza is the perfect place for some people watching; just settle yourself in one of the tiled alcoves (each alcove represents a different Spanish province).
Las Setas means “the mushrooms,” an apt name given the structure’s physical appearance. It is a canopy of interlocking birch wood panels that provide shade to the public square beneath. At the top, there is a lovely walkway with the best views of Seville available.
On the entry level there is a small museum displaying the (mostly roman) ruins that were uncovered prior to construction. It’s good, and I highly enjoyed it, but unless you are totally obsessed with Ancient Rome, it can be easily skipped for time.
Originally the appetizers before the main meal, tapas are small portions of food eaten together as a full meal. Just keep ordering (and eating) until you’re full.
Sometimes tapas are served at the bar; sometimes they’re eaten seated at a table. Some people will share a variety of dishes amongst themselves. It’s also acceptable to move from bar to bar during the meal, and tapas bars can often be found alongside other tapas bars. It really depends on exactly where you are.
Apparently, it is normal for people in Seville to eat churros for breakfast on the weekend. They eat them dipped in a thick, rich hot chocolate drink. I did this on a Saturday morning, and it was one of the highlights of the trip. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to find anyplace that sold churros open the next day so we could repeat the experience.
Once you have had fresh Spanish churros, you will never be able to enjoy the inferior churros served anywhere else ever again. They’re that good!
Seville is the capital of the Spanish region of Andalucia, the heartland of flamenco dancing. Perhaps starting in the 18th century, or maybe with gypsies in the 15th century, Flamenco is a high-paced, foot-stomping dance full of spirit.
If you wander around the larger streets and plazas you may be able to watch someone practice/perform flamenco for free (great for those on a budget). However, there are dedicated flamenco bars where you can see quality flamenco for a price. I can’t recommend any flamenco bars myself, but I suggest you check out this post from Miss Travel Clogs.
These are just the highlights of what to do in Seville. There is much more to see and do there. If you only have two days or a weekend in this gorgeous city, you’ll want to prioritise these highlights. Let me know how it goes in the comments (you know, once it’s safe to travel again).
Linlithgow is a gorgeous little town west of Edinburgh and makes a great day trip from Scotland’s capital. There’s palace ruins and an historic church to explore, and cute shops on an old-timey feeling main street.
While I visited on a day trip, I think it would be a lovely place for a quiet getaway. Maybe one day…
Linlithgow is on the train line between Edinburgh and Glasgow, about half an hour from Waverly Station. An off-peak return ticket from either Waverly or Haymarket costs £8.80. Trains run between Edinburgh and Linlithgow every 15-20 minutes (about).
Alternatively, the X38 bus stops in Linlithgow. The bus runs between Edinburgh and Stirling and leaves every 15 minutes until mid-afternoon, at which point it becomes a bit more irregular but still frequent. The trip takes a bit under an hour and apparently costs £6 each way. It seems more sensible to me to take the train.
The Palace (not a castle) has been a roofless ruin since a fire in the 18th century. In its’ day, it seems to have been a favourite among royal wives and if the souvenir guidebook is to be believed, was absolutely stunning. It’s still beautiful, but in a bleak kind of way.
Construction was started in 1424 by King James I of Scotland following a fire that destroyed the previous royal residence in Linlithgow. Later King Jameses continued building but later royals spent very little time at the palace following James VI’s ascension to the English throne.
Its primary claim to fame is as the birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots. She was born here in 1542; we don’t know for sure which room she was born in, but historians have made some good guesses.
Linlithgow Palace was also used as a filming location in season 1 of Outlander. The man in the gift shop sounded almost proud as he told me “Claire vomited just out there” after I bought a postcard.
Next door to Linlithgow Palace, St Michael’s looks like it’s part of the Palace complex. Having been massively damaged in the 15th century fire that destroyed the old royal, the current building dates from the 15th and 16th centuries. It’s much grander than you would expect a parish church to be.
Over the years, the church has had some troubled times. Though repairs have been made when needed, the building still shows small signs of these events. For example, there are marks on the back wall from Oliver Cromwell’s roundheads doing target practice.
The day I was there, there was an overly enthusiastic young man playing Highland Cathedral on the church organ. However, he was playing it way too fast and with the occasional long-drawn-out note. It made it difficult to talk with the volunteer guides.
Note: in winter, St Michael’s closes at 1pm, so I recommend visiting in the morning, before Linlithgow Palace. The walk down to the town is very short, so it’s easy enough to stop for lunch in between.
Usually, local museums of this type tend to be small and poorly put together. The Linlithgow Museum, however, is tidy, free of dust and clutter, and thoughtfully put together. There are three galleries with displays on local industries and life in Linlithgow.
Displays include a life-size statue of Mary Queen of Scots, a set of leather-working tools, and items that belonged to famous people associated with Linlithgow. Interesting fact: the town claims that Montgomery Scott, the engineer from Star Trek, will be born in Linlithgow in the year 2222.
Note: the museum is closed on Tuesdays, so if you really want to visit, go to Linlithgow any other day of the week. Also, the museum is housed in the same building as the library, community police, and other council services.
This is the place that I chose to have lunch. I had the haggis fritters with whiskey sauce (it was so good). It’s technically an entrée, but there was a family at the table next to us and their mains looked massive; I didn’t need that much food.
Inside, it has that cosy, old pub feeling while being large and spacious. There was a fireplace with a roaring fire. Having thoroughly saturated my shoes in the snow outside, I was grateful for such a great place to warm up and dry off a bit.
The name “The Four Marys” comes from Mary Queen of Scot’s four ladies-in-waiting, all of whom were called Mary. The pub has appropriately historical décor with items related to Mary Queen of Scots displayed on the walls. It’s so cool.
True to name, the Old Post Office Bar is housed in the old post office building. I haven’t eaten there myself, but online reviews are largely positive. Looking at their menu, they serve good pub food at reasonable prices.
Alternatively, there is a Tesco’s supermarket at the end of town, just past the train station. In summer, it would be nice to grab a bite to eat there and picnic in the Linlithgow Peel. I was there in winter, and while it was beautiful, it was also covered in snow (not picnic suitable).
The Peel is a royal park with a large loch just under the palace. Large numbers of birds live around the loch (especially in summer) and is protected as a “Site of Special Scientific Interest.” With wildlife and dog-walking locals, I would love to sit and look around on a sunny day.
Please remember to check local restrictions before travelling during a pandemic and follow the rules. Also, if you have any questions about planning your own day-trip to Linlithgow, feel free to ask them in the comments.
With the current travel restrictions, I have been looking back on my 2019/2020 trip to (mostly) the UK and thinking on what I want to do when I get back there. Here are my thoughts on my next (God willing) trip to the UK.
One of my sisters lives near Cambridge and I had planned on seeing quite a bit of the city while staying with her. Unfortunately, I found myself more inclined to stay “home” and relax rather than going out and seeing things.
Next time, I’ll try staying in the city itself. A night at Cambridge’s one hostel might cost a similar amount to the return train ticket between Cambridge and my sister’s place, but hopefully staying in the city would give me the boost of motivation I’d need to get out and see the museums, churches, and university colleges that I want to see.
Planning that last trip, I looked into spending a week in Oxford. As I was going to do Cambridge, Oxford seemed like a natural choice. Afterall, how am I to choose which city I prefer if I haven’t been to them both.
However, all three hostels were relatively expensive and sounded like they had noise problems (two were close to busy clubs). I was trying to avoid hostels where the reviews indicated that they were noisy, “party” hostels (I really do need a good night’s sleep). I’ll go to Oxford when I’m able to afford a room in a hotel or a BnB.
I absolutely love York. I was there for about a week and a half in January, I did everything, and it was awesome. Even though there isn’t much in York that I haven’t done and there are so many other great places to see, I still want to go back. Next time, I would like to time my trip so that I could check out the Jorvik Viking Festival in February or the Eboracum Roman Festival in June.
There are also a couple of small towns/cities near York that would make interesting day trips if I went back. The one that first springs to mind is Whitby. Whitby was once home to James Cook, the captain of the first ship to circumnavigate New Zealand (where I live!!!) and map the coast. There are also some gorgeous looking abbey ruins a medieval church that I would love to walk around.
When planning my last trip, I looked at spending time in Winchester or perhaps Salisbury. Winchester was the capital city of all the greatest Saxon kings, Salisbury is close to a whole bunch of interesting prehistoric stuff, and both cities have gorgeous cathedrals. The big problem was that there were no hostels in either city; I couldn’t afford anything else.
Also, Winchester has lots of literary links. Jane Austen in buried in Winchester Cathedral. Arthur Conan Doyle mentioned Winchester in at least three Sherlock Holmes books. Furthermore, John Keats lived in Winchester for a couple of months, where he wrote a poem and some letters. For more information, check out this page from the Winchester tourism website.
While I had initially wanted to spend the last 10 days of my trip in Edinburgh, the hostel I wanted to stay at had a seven-night maximum stay. I considered spending the remaining days in Stirling but eventually settled on heading back south. It turned out well, though – there was a big storm the day before I left the UK, and if I hadn’t already been in London, I might not have made it to the airport on time.
Still, there are several things in Stirling that I want to see. Afterall, it has played an important part in Scotland’s history (‘he who holds Stirling, holds Scotland’ and all that).
London is such a busy city, I think that I could easily find something new and interesting to do every day even if I lived there for 10 years. There are dozens of museums (I love museums), many of which are free to visit, and I’ve only been to like three or four of them. There’s so much in London that I want to do; I just have to be there to do them.
I have it on good authority (i.e. my sister-in-law) that I would love western England and Wales is beautiful. All in all, there are very few places in the UK that I wouldn’t like to visit. For instance, I recently read a book about Empress Matilda and her step-mother, Adeliza of Louvain, and now I really want to visit Castle Rising in Norfolk.
There are so many places to see and so little time to see them. The above list is just a drop in the bucket. That’s one of the reasons I want to move to Europe. In addition to those places in the UK, I want to see most of Europe, and then there’s the rest of the world. Do you have any favourite places that you think I should add to my list? Tell me in the comments below.
I live in New Zealand, and have done so all my life. It’s not a bad place, and most of my family’s here, but I find it a bit confining. Ideally, I’d pick New Zealand up and move it to the Bay of Biscay or the North Sea or something, but I can’t do that.
The next best thing I can do is move to Europe. The following is a close look at the reasons I want to move to Europe. Let me know what you think in the comments.
New Zealand is gorgeous, and I know there are people who want to move here for the beautiful scenery and outdoor activities. However, it is also very isolated. This has its advantages but makes international travel difficult.
Our closest international neighbour is Australia, and frankly their culture and language is almost exactly the same as ours. I love the idea of being able to jump on a train and be in another country with a less-familiar language and culture in a couple of hours. That cannot be done in New Zealand.
Humans have lived in New Zealand for 1000 years tops. The country’s oldest building wasn’t built until 1822. There is no recorded history prior to the arrival of Europeans 300 years ago; even then, almost nothing notable happened before the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi.
This sucks for people like me who love history – particularly older history. I love wandering around an old cathedral or some medieval church ruins, and there is nothing like that in New Zealand. However, Europe is full of old churches and castles.
Another disadvantage of living in New Zealand is that most Kiwis are monolingual. Everyone speaks English. There are quite a few immigrants (mostly from the Pacific Islands or India) who speak their native languages with their families, and there is a push to have more people learn Maori. Generally, though, Kiwis grow-up speaking English, and that’s it.
A disadvantage of being so isolated is that if you do want to learn another language and gain all the benefits associated with multilingualism, visiting a foreign country and immersing yourself in the language is very difficult. I want to be somewhere that I can easily immerse myself in a different culture and practice a language other than English.
That being said, I don’t want to live somewhere the culture is so foreign that daily life becomes a major problem. Western Europe provides that nice balance of being different but not too different, while also being close to other more different places.
I have two older half-sisters. They, along with their significant others, have lived in the UK for over ten years now. This meant that for most of my growing years I didn’t spend much time with them. Sure, we did really well with social media and the like, but I wasn’t able to get to know them very well.
Last December/January, I spent time with them while I was in Europe, and it turns out, they are awesome! We had lunches together in London, went to Panto, and celebrated a birthday in Spain. They’re fantastic, they understand my desire for travel, and I would love to spend more time with them.
Public transport in New Zealand sucks. Intercity transport is limited to planes and buses, both of which take significant pre-planning to use. Our largest city, Auckland, has a grand total of five train lines with trains that run every half hour at their most frequent. There are buses, but they are slow and not particularly reliable. The capital city, Wellington, has a slightly more comprehensive train network, but it is prone to frequent breakdowns. I could go on forever.
When in London, I fell in love with the Tube network. Literally everywhere in the city is within walking distance of a station. You don’t have to check what time a train leaves because they stop at every station every couple of minutes. And the Oyster Cards take care of payment, so you don’t have to worry about buying tickets or working out what ticket is cheapest.
And intercity trains! Trains run between large cities in Europe more frequently than buses pass my family’s home in Tauranga. It makes daytrips to nearby cities so easy. Just jump on the next train.
This isn’t a huge motivator behind me wanting to move to Europe, but it would definitely be a perk. My mother likes Percy Pig lollies and that English jelly that comes in squishy, concentrated cubes, neither of which can be bought in New Zealand. It would be nice to be able to send her some from time to time.
Short answer: doubts about my mental health.
Long answer: like many teenagers, I left home when I was 18 years old. That year, my mental health struggle started, eventually leading to a diagnosis of depression and the appropriate treatments. My councillor told me that many people aren’t emotionally ready to leave home and separate from their parents that young.
While I am now quite a bit older, that first disastrous attempt at leaving home has left (mental) scars. Yes, I managed three months in the UK and Europe, and could have managed longer. However, that trip had a planned end; I knew that when I got back home, my home would be waiting, exactly as I had left it. If I moved, I would have to pack-up all my stuff for storage, and without me at home, my parents would probably move to a smaller house.
I’m not entirely confident about my ability to cope living overseas. Once the world has this covid situation under control and I have a bit more money in my bank account, hopefully I’ll have enough confidence to make a go at it.
Have you moved to another country far from your home? Or do you dream of moving abroad? What was/is your reason? Let me know in the comments below.
Have you ever done something and been surprised at how physically challenging it was? This happened to me last month. My brother and I did the Kauaeranga Kauri Trail (aka Pinnacles Walk). I almost died!
Then once we were back in civilisation, I had to cancel the Coromandel road trip I had planned for afterwards. Thanks Covid.
I’ve organised this retelling of my adventures by disasters. The disasters were the notable parts of the days concerned and make the most entertaining stories.
The Department of Conservation (DOC) website lists the Pinnacles Walk as intermediate difficulty. This supposedly means it’s a comfortable multi-day tramp suitable for people with average fitness and limited back-country experience. I thought that was me. I’m not overweight; I don’t have a bad back or dicky knee; I thought I had average fitness.
About half an hour into the estimated four-hour walk I was ready to turn around and go home. If it hadn’t been for my brother, I would have done so. The track was very rough (lots of large rocks and other odd surfaces to scramble over) and more uphill than down. My legs felt like jelly (cliché I know, but true).
On the upside, my phone started ringing about half-way up. Turns out there are several spots along the walk with usable cell phone reception, so my brother took the chance to update his snapchat. I never thought there would be reception so far into the middle of nowhere.
We had booked a night at the DOC hut near the top of the trail (thank God! There is no way I would have made it both up and down on the same day). We arrived shortly after sunset and it was dark! When I booked, there had been 39 of 78 beds available, so even with the recent covid-19 developments, we had been expecting there to be lights on and several people around.
All the lights were off. There wasn’t even a warden on duty! We did find a some bags piled together in a corner of the bunkroom so someone else must have been there, but at that stage there was no one to be found. The middle-aged couple who belonged to the bags got in some short time later having been to the Pinnacles lookout.
After setting up our bunks, we went into the kitchen area to cook our dinner. Thankfully, the other couple had stoked up the fire before heading out and it was nice and warm. Other than that, dinner was a complete disaster.
To me, ‘Cooking Facilities’ means more than a couple of gas stoves. Still, it was a DOC hut so I wasn’t expecting much – maybe some worn out pots and a selection of random cutlery. There was none of that. The kitchen literally had gas stoves and sinks – that was it! Which was fine until you consider that everything has to be carted up and down the track.
I had brought a small saucepan (more because I thought we might get lost in the bush than because we’d need it at the hut) which everything (pasta, peas, and cheese sauce sachet) ended up being cooked in. We also didn’t have any plates, so I ate straight from the pot and Sam had his food in the click-clack I had packaged the peas in. The only cutlery we had was an old knife that I had thrown in my bag at the last minute; I ate using that (at least until the nice couple leant me a spoon) and Sam used an old ID card.
With very little to do and exhausted from the walk, I went straight to bed. The dorm had no heating and it was freezing inside. Despite wearing every article of clothing that I had with me, my usually warm sleeping bag was unable to keep me warm enough to sleep. I considered myself lucky to have managed four hours of proper sleep – the rest of the night was spent in a shivering doze.
On the one hand, I wish I had taken another blanket to keep myself warm. On the other, there is no way I would have been able to carry yet another item on the way up; my backpack felt heavy enough as it was.
We had wanted to go up to the Pinnacles lookout in the morning before making our way back. There was no way I was going to walk any further. Sam reckons he’ll go right up to the top one day with some of his friends and get the photos he wanted.
The walk down was much more pleasant than the walk up. For one thing, it was mostly downhill. For another, we had redistributed the stuff in our bags so mine at least was easier to carry. A couple of times we missed the actual track and ended up going down the flood detours which was interesting (the flood detours are much harder to navigate safely than the regular track).
Two days before we set off from home, news broke of the first case of community transmission of Covid-19 in New Zealand in over 100 days. Travel was still allowed around the Coromandel, but I decided to cancel/postpone my plans anyway.
The Coromandel is very near Auckland, and many Aucklanders go to the Coromandel for the holidays and/or own a holiday home there. There was a lot on the media at the time about Aucklanders escaping the higher level of lockdown in Auckland by going to the Coromandel before the roadblocks keeping them from leaving were put in place.
There was quite a bit of bad feeling directed towards these Aucklanders. After all, they might have brought Covid-19 out of Auckland and put the rest of the country at risk, and were using resources that have to be trucked onto the peninsular. I didn’t want to be that out-of-towner with locals thinking that I should have stayed at home.
So I made the decision to cancel the rest of my trip. Hopefully, I’ll be able to complete the trip in November.
Still, I had two fantastic nights and an utterly luxurious day lazing around my motel room in Thames (Rolleston Motel – great place). And before I left Thames, I visited the Thames Museum and did the Goldmine Experience. The trip wasn’t entirely wasted.
Every winter since 2013, the Greerton community yarn-bomb their trees. For those not in the know, yarn bombing is when tree trunks are ‘dressed’ in knitted and crocheted yarn. Each tree is affiliated with a charity; people can vote for their favourite tree and that tree’s charity gets a sizable donation.
This year (2020), the theme is ‘Aotearoa (New Zealand): What it Means to Me.” Designs include an Edmond’s Cookbook, a jar of Marmite, and several rugby themed trees.
This last one’s my favourite. I love all the little bees all over it.
If you’re ever in the area at the right time of year, I suggest that you take an hour or two to wander around Greerton and look at the trees.
York has played a large role in English history, from the time the Vikings invaded in the 9th century to the beginning of the Tudor era. While the Vikings ruled the north of England, it was capital of the Danelaw and England’s second city; the title “Duke of York” traditionally goes to the reigning monarchs second son; and the archbishop of York is the second most important man in the Church of England.
The Middle Ages was York’s heyday. Much of the city’s layout originates from this time, and quite a few buildings are still in use. Read on for my recommendations of the best places to find Medieval York.
The medieval stone walls that were built around York during the 13th century are still mostly in place. They were built on ramparts created when Vikings buried the remains of the Roman walls before building their own walls on top. In the 19th century, the walls were repaired and turned into a public walkway.
Walking the full circuit takes about two hours, but you could easily make a day of it – take it slowly, stop for lunch, and spend some time thoroughly exploring the bars.
The Richard III Experience is a small museum found in the city walls. It is housed in Monk Bar, the largest of the remaining gateways and the only one with a functioning portcullis. Most of the building dates from the early 14th century, and Richard III himself had the uppermost floor added.
Richard III’s reign was short and grisly as he fought to retain power. The Experience takes a thorough look at warfare during this time, with displays of weapons and armour, and even the skeleton of a soldier from the Battle of Towton. It also looks at the case for Richard’s involvement in the disappearance of the Princes in the Tower.
Complimentary to the Richard III Experience, the Henry VII Experience is housed in Micklegate Bar. It tells the story of Henry VII, particularly what happened after the Battle of Bosworth and the kind of relationship he had with the city of York.
All that is left of the two castles built by the Normans in the 11th century is Baile’s Hill (a large mound of dirt with a few trees on it – pretty unremarkable) and Clifford’s Tower. Clifford’s Tower stands at the top of its’ own hill overlooking York Castle Museum. There isn’t all that much to do inside, but it has some gorgeous views.
Clifford’s Tower has played a part in many gruesome medieval events, including a Jewish massacre and the execution of Robert Aske. In fact, its’ name might come from a particularly horrible hanging back when it was still a wooden tower.
Set in the grounds of what was once the richest abbey in Northern England, Yorkshire Museum has a permanent collection of objects from Medieval York. Called “Capital of the North,” most of the objects displayed are Viking or late medieval. Highlights include the Bedale Hoard, St Mary’s Figure of Christ, and the Middleham Jewel.
Aside from the museum itself, the Yorkshire Museum Gardens house what remains of St Mary’s Abbey. In its’ day, St Mary’s Abbey was among the richest, most powerful monasteries in England. Also in the garden, you can find The Hospitium and the ruins of St Leonard’s Hospital, neither of which are as impressive as the abbey ruins but are both medieval.
This late medieval townhouse has been restored and opened as a tourist attraction. It was tenanted during the 15th century by the Snawsell family; the father, William Snawsell, was mayor of York in 1468, after which he became an alderman until shortly before his death.
The restoration was done using medieval techniques and historically accurate materials as far as possible. Most of the house is interactive, so you can sit on chairs, pick-up objects, and try on the few available costumes. It’s great fun and very informative.
It is believed that a small wooden church stood on this site in the 7th century. The Normans built the first stone Cathedral here, and this building has morphed slightly into the Minster we see today – most of the present building dates from the 13th and 14th centuries.
While you’re there, check-out the undercroft museum. This space is used to display the Roman and Medieval objects found buried under the Minster during engineering works in the 1960s and 70s. Medieval highlights include Saxon Gravestones, the Horn of Ulf, and a ring worn by Walter de Gray (a 13th century archbishop).
Not to be confused with the Merchant Taylor’s Hall, the Merchant Adventurers’ Hall is one of York’s Guildhalls. Built during the mid-14th century, it is still used as a meeting place for the Company of Merchant Adventurers of the City of York. The Company used to be a guild of importers; today they manage the hall and several charities.
The building combines a Great Hall (for meetings) with an Undercroft (for charity) and a Chapel (for religion). The Great Hall is particularly spectacular, with a double ceiling; also look out for the Evidence Chest, a 14th century box used to store the guild’s important documents.
There are also several smaller rooms (perhaps used for more intimate gatherings) with various items from the Hall’s history on display, including silverware, artworks, and a model Napoleon with a very interesting history. All visitors are given a written guide that explains what everything is and what it was used for.
From outside, the building that houses the JORVIK Viking Centre is disappointing; it looks nothing like you would expect. But once inside, the Viking theme becomes much more apparent.
Visitors are guided into a “capsule” that takes them through a recreation of 10th century York. This recreation is based on what was found during an excavation of the site where the Viking Centre stands today.
Once the ride is over, there is a museum/display area that shows some of the Viking era objects that were uncovered on the site. These include the remains of two people, numerous combs, and a sock. There are also several “Vikings” available to answer questions and show off various aspects of Viking life.
By the 14th century, York had over 40 parish churches. More than a dozen church buildings from the medieval era still stand, and while some have been repurposed, many are still used as places of worship.
Unless you’re really into old churches, I recommend picking two or three churches (in addition to the Minster) and visiting those. They tend to look similar to each other after a while and it can be difficult to pick out something special about each one.
Click here to read my post on Medieval Churches of York.
The Shambles is a narrow lane that is said to be one of the UK’s most picturesque streets. Up until the 19th century, it was home to the city’s butchers – several buildings still have their old meat-hooks and shelves for displaying meat on the front.
Today, it is lined with mostly non-meat-selling shops, including at least four Harry Potter themed shops, specialty food shops, and other stores perfect for buying quality souvenirs. Through a small alleyway on the western side of the Shambles, there is an open-air market that is also quite nice to wander around, and much less crowded.
Enjoyed this post? Please share on Social Media or leave a comment. Been to York and carried out your own search for the medieval era? How did it go?
York is absolutely littered with old churches, many of them medieval. 14th century York had more than 40 parish churches, plus the cathedral/minster and several monasteries. Many of them are still standing and can be visited. Read on for my comprehensive list of York’s Medieval churches, along with some honourable mentions.
York Minster is the huge cathedral at the northern corner of the old city. It is the largest Gothic Cathedral in Northern Europe (don’t take my word on that – I haven’t gone to all the Gothic cathedrals in Northern Europe and measured them).
There may have been a wooden church on this site in York from the 7th century, but construction on the first stone cathedral here started in the 11th century. That cathedral was significantly remodelled from 1220 onwards and became the magnificent building that we see today.
The Minster is the only medieval church on this list that visitors have to pay to enter. While it’s not overly cheap, it is well worth paying for. You cannot go to York without visiting York Minster.
This is one of the more out of the way churches in the centre of York. It is located along a quiet stretch of North Street between Lendal and Ouse bridges; access from the Lendal Bridge end is difficult, so I recommend finding your way along from Micklegate.
All Saints North Street claims to have one of the best collections of medieval stained glass in England. This collection includes the Corporal Acts of Mercy window (showing a local wealthy merchant helping the sick and poor) and the Pricke of Conscience window (based on a middle English poem).
Looking down along one of the first streets in York to be paved, All Saints has a tall lantern tower that can be seen from all around the city; presumably the light used to guide travellers towards the city.
This church has a long history, with firm evidence for it having existed since at least the 10th century. It seems to have been a wealthy church with local leaders and merchants as parishioners and once housed a valuable holy relic. Enter the nave and look up – the stunning blue-panelled ceiling dates from the 15th century.
Towering over St Helen’s Square, this church in the centre of York is dedicated to the mother of Emperor Constantine. There is a stained-glass window in the church with glass from the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries – two of the panels show images that probably represent St Helen and Constantine. Another interesting feature is a memorial to some particularly long-lived sisters.
Much of the church has been rebuilt several times over the centuries, most recently during the Victorian era. The oldest part still there is the font, which dates from the 12th century. There is still some 13th century stonework, but most of the building dates from the 14th and 15th centuries.
Founded in the 11th century, this church was extended in the 13th century and had significant buildings works done in the 15th century. In 1730 it became York’s official civic church, and the National Gazetteer of 1868 called it one of the most beautiful churches in York.
Unfortunately, St Martin-le-Grand was bombed during the Second World War. The remains were rebuilt into a memorial to the victims of war. The south wall is original, as is the window at the west end of the building (it was removed to keep it safe during the war and built into the reconstruction). Today, it is a very calm place to take some time out in the middle of the busy city centre.
The first part of this church to be built was the tower, which dates from just following the Norman Conquest. Shortly afterwards, the nave was built for the growing congregation. As the room at the base of the tower is presently used as a prayer and meeting space, it claims to be the longest continually used worship space in York.
St Denys is a French saint who reportedly carried his decapitated head for several miles. It is worth visiting because of this story alone, even if the church wasn’t so interesting. The building was originally quite a bit larger but part of the land subsided when the King’s Fishpool was drained and a sewer built nearby.
The Norman-style entrance doorway is one of the oldest features, dating from the 1160s-ish. There are also some 12th century carved heads and roundels (thought to be the oldest glass in York). Other notable features include the rest of the stained-glass windows and monuments to the powerful Percy family who lived nearby.
Of all the medieval churches in York, St Denys Walmgate was my favourite.
This church has existed since at least the 12th century. It was never as rich as neighbouring St Denys, and very little of the original building has stood the test of time. The building was largely rebuilt and enlarged during the 14th century, and during the 17th century the steeple collapsed and wasn’t repaired for yonks.
Today, it is home to the National Centre for Early Music (early music being medieval and renaissance era music). If you ask me, St Margaret’s is the best setting for such an organisation.
Tucked out of sight behind a busy row of shops, this is the only church in York that still has its’ box-pews. Most of the building is from the 15th century, but there are pieces from as early as the 12th century still visible.
The atmosphere inside is old-fashioned and authentic. It has uneven floors, several small alcoves, no electric lighting, and a gorgeous churchyard. I was there in January and I could see my breath. If you’re interested in LGBT history, this is the place where Anne Lister and Ann Walker “took sacrament to seal their union” in 1834.
Just outside the Marygate entrance to the Museum Gardens, St Olave’s used to be home to the order that built St Mary’s Abbey. It was founded in the early 11th century and dedicated to the Viking warrior/king who took Christianity to Norway.
Its’ location makes it easy to visit alongside the Yorkshire Museum and Museum Gardens. Outside, the entrance seems small. Inside, it is large and airy, if a bit dim due to the lack of electric lighting. The churchyard is gorgeous, surrounded by the city walls with beautiful trees providing shade.
The history of this plain building starts during the 14th century. The church was closed in 1559 and over the following centuries the building had many uses, including a stable, a brothel, and a school. Today, it’s back to being a church. It’s small, but they’ve kept many original features, especially outside.
The Lord Mayor of York, William de Bowes, had this church rebuilt in 1430. It has strong links to the family of James Wolfe (aka the Hero of Quebec) leading to it sometimes being called the Cradle of Canada.
It has combined with St Michael le Belfry and now the building is used as church offices. Going inside for a look is difficult, but there’s nothing to see here that you cannot see at another medieval church.
Today the Spurriergate Centre is a chartable trust with an aim to provide community and hospitality with a Christian focus. It is housed in the building that used to house St Michael’s Church; the first stone church here was built in the 12th century and much of the current building is 14th and 15th century.
St Martin’s Church dates back to the 11th century, though much of the remaining building is from the 14th and 15th centuries. In 1585, St Martin’s combined with St Gregory’s to become St Martin-cum-Gregory. The church now houses a branch of the Stained-Glass Centre.
The Stained-Glass Centre holds lectures and workshops about stained-glass making techniques and history. The building of St Martin-cum-Gregory has what is supposedly some great stained-glass windows, but opening is limited and it wasn’t open during the time I was in York.
A church has been here since before the Norman Conquest. Afterwards, it was left in some disrepair until a group of Benedictine monks from France rebuilt it. The Priory was caught up in the Dissolution of the Monasteries and became a regular parish church.
Today, there are some lovely displays at the back showing visitors the history of the church, the Bible, and the Benedictine order. It’s one of the few churches I visited in York that looked set-up to receive visitors (not just open).
So that’s my super comprehensive list of Medieval Churches in York. Have you visited any of these churches? Tell me what you thought. Do you know of any that I’ve missed? Let me know in the comments.
