Experiencing the heart of Yorkshire: Roaming in the enormous landscape of purple heather and green pastures in the North York Moors National Park is sure to blow the cobwebs away. The inspiration for romantic literature such as Wuthering Heights and The Secret Garden, the landscape…
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York Attractions
The best way to see York is to go to Exhibition Square (opposite the Tourist Information Centre), where a volunteer guide will take you on a free 2-hour walking tour of the city. You'll learn about history and lore through numerous intriguing stories. Tours run April to September daily at 10:15am and 2:15pm, plus 6:45pm from June to August; from November to March, a daily tour starts at 10:15am. Groups can book by prior arrangement by contacting the Association of Volunteer Guides, De Grey Rooms, Exhibition Square, York YO1 2HB (tel. 01904/640780; www.york.touristguides.btinternet.co.uk).
10 Results
- Historic Site
Clifford’s Tower
This sturdy 13th-century tops a grassy mound. Henry VIII used to display his enemies' bodies here, but today it has a much less grisly use as the administrative head of Yorkshire. If you climb 55 steps up the tower you'll be rewarded with sweeping panoramic views.City Center
- The Performing Arts
Grand Opera House
Operating since 1902, this historic building was converted from a warehouse and adjacent corn exchange. It's now run by the Ambassador Theatre Group, who offer a varied year-round selection of plays, musicals, opera, and ballet, with occasional kids' shows and seasonal pantomime fun.City Center - The Performing Arts
National Centre for Early Music
Based in an 11th-century church, which had been derelict until a major restoration, this organization puts on regular concerts not just of early music, but also of jazz and world. A fabulously atmospheric venue for a unique live music experience. - Park/Garden
RHS Garden Harlow Carr
This Royal Horticultural Society garden was created to complement the Yorkshire landscape of which it is a part, with the emphasis on water, stone, and woodland. Seasonal trails, a log maze, woodland dens, and observation beehives make it an unexpectedly fun place to bring kids.… - Landmark
Roman Walls
York has more miles of intact city walls than anywhere else in England, and they draw in over a million visitors every year. Originally built as defences in Roman times, they've been added to and rebuilt over the centuries.The most notable Roman remain is the Multiangular Tower in… - Attraction
The Wheel Of York
A new addition to York’s scenery, opened in December 2011, take this 53m-high observation wheel for views of the city's historic skyline. From your pod&, look out for icons including the towers of York Minster and the boat-dotted River Ouse.City Center - Cooking Class
The York Dungeon
The York Dungeon delves into the city's dark and haunting past and explores the chilling truth about the suspicious characters who have lived, hidden or died in the city. Watch out for the infamous highwayman Dick Turpin (who was hanged here) and the Viking Ivar the Boneless, who… - Historic Site
Treasurer's House
The Treasurer's House lies on a site where a continuous succession of buildings has stood since Roman times. The main part of the house, built in 1620, was refurbished by Yorkshire industrialist Frank Green at the turn of the 20th century; he used this elegant town house to display… - Religious Site
York Minster
York's superb Gothic cathedral traces its origins from the early 7th century but the present building is from the 13th century, with, like Lincoln's cathedral, three 15th-century towers. The central tower is lantern shaped in the Perpendicular style; on a clear day the fit can climb… - The Performing Arts
York Theatre Royal
Comprising the Main House, smaller studio, and de Grey Rooms, this gorgeous stone theatre dates back to 1744, and was built on the site of the medieval St Leonard's Hospital. You can still see hints of the old hospital inside the modern building. Today, it's popular for its annual…City Center
York Shopping
Several of the main areas to explore include Gillygate for antiques dealers, and St. Mary's Square and its Coppergate pedestrian mall for name brands and chain stores. One of the best streets for shopping is Stonegate, with an array of independent outlets.
Several specialty shops that have ideal gift items include Maxwell and Kennedy, 79 Low Petergate (tel. 01904/610034), a candy store specializing both in Belgian chocolate and Cambridge Wells dark, milk, and white chocolates; and Mulberry Hall, 17 Stonegate (tel. 01904/620736; www.mulberryhall.co.uk), housed in a medieval house from 1436, with 16 showrooms on three floors devoted to the best in British and European porcelain, fine china, crystal, and some antiques. For your furry friends, the Cat Gallery, 27 Stonegate (tel. 01904/611053; www.thecatgallery.co.uk), is Britain's largest feline-themed store.
York Nightlife
One of the city's oldest inns, the Black Swan, Peaseholme Green (tel. 01904/679131), is a fine, timber-framed house that was the home of the lord mayor of York in 1417; the mother of General James Wolfe of Quebec also lived here. In front of a log fire in a brick inglenook, you can enjoy pub meals such as fish and chips, burgers, and steaks. This is one of York's "musical pubs," featuring live folk music on Monday and Thursday, jazz on Wednesday and Sunday, and hip-hop every second and fourth Friday, with a small cover charge starting at £4.
Situated at the base of the Ouse Bridge, a few steps from the edge of the river, the 16th-century Kings Arms Public House, King's Staith (tel. 01904/659435), is boisterous and fun. A historic monument in its own right, it's filled with charm and character and has the ceiling beams, paneling, and weathered brickwork you'd expect. Because of its location by the river, the pub can flood if rain is heavy enough. Expect a virtually indestructible decor, the kind that can (and often does) sit under water for days at a time. In summer, rows of outdoor tables are placed beside the river. Your hosts serve a full range of draft and bottled beers, the most popular of which (Samuel Smith's) is still brewed in Tadcaster, only 16km (10 miles) away. The ghost walk we recommend leaves here every night at 7:30pm.
On a pedestrian street in Old York, Ye Olde Starre Inne, 40 Stonegate (tel. 01904/623063), dates from 1644 and is York's oldest licensed pub. An inn (of one kind or another) has stood on this spot since A.D. 900. The pub (said to be haunted by an old woman, a little girl, and a cat) features cast-iron tables, an open fireplace, oak Victorian settles, and time-blackened beams. The owners added a year-round glassed-in garden so guests can enjoy the view of the minster from their tables.
