Travel post on York, England, by Amrihtaa Lahoti, India.

UK: Bath, Brighton, London, York

York, England
by Amrihtaa Lahoti, India

York is one of the oldest cities in England with history dating back to 7000BC. The city’s history can be traced by its architecture through Roman, Saxon, Viking and Medieval eras. The city is said to be one of the most picturesque places and a must visit for all the history and photography lovers... and surely it was.

My friend and I decided to visit York as a break from the busy city life. York is around 2 hours away from Kings Cross, London by train. Please do not take this as a day trip as there is much to see and do. We decided to make it a 2 night 3 day trip. However, if you do love the country side, feel free to extend it. York has a range of accommodations to offer, from bed and breakfasts to hotels. We decided on a cozy bed and breakfast called the Coach House, which is five minutes’ walk from the city centre. If you are not driving, make sure your accommodation is close to the city centre.

On our first day, as we arrived in the afternoon, we decided to take a walk around the city and scout the places of interest. The city is filled with small shops selling local produce and tea houses. If you are confused as to what to try, make sure you do try the Yorkshire pudding (its savoury, not sweet), Yorkshire crisps and fudge. York is also known for its beer, and if you are a beer fan then the house of trembling madness is for you. The place houses local beer as well as beer from every part of the world. It is located in an old cottage and the décor follows the theme. The place is always lively and sometimes has long waits for a table.

For the evening, we decided to go on a ghost tour. As we visited in the summer, the tour took place in the day light. However, that did not affect our wonderful guide Mr Richard Rigormortis. The tour starts near the Shambles, the oldest street in York. I would recommend getting to Shambles at least half an hour earlier as the street itself is quite a sight.

The next day, after a full English breakfast, we decided to go to the York Minster. The York Minster is a cathedral, one of the largest of its kind in Northern Europe. I would recommend taking a guided tour. There are two parts to the cathedral, one is the main cathedral itself and the second is the tower. The tower takes about an hour and half and most of your energy as there are around 600 steps. The view from the top of the tower is breath taking. However, if you are not a big fan of climbing the steps, similar views can be seen from the York tower or York eye.

After the York Minster, we made our way to the Fairfax house. The Fairfax house belonged to the Fairfax family and is one of the best examples of the lifestyle in the medieval times. The house has been protected with its original furniture and architecture. On the next street from the Fairfax house is the Yorvick Viking centre. This centre preserves York’s Viking history. I would not recommend going into the centre unless you have a particular interest in the Viking culture. On our way back to the bed and breakfast, we decided to walk through the Museum gardens. The gardens are beautiful, however, due to the rains we could not spend much time there.

Next morning after a good English breakfast, it was time to head back to London.

York Image Gallery Photo viewer