In true British fashion, what is a road trip without a little traffic and road construction to help cause delays? Google Maps recommended a short cut, which I agreed to. To Max’s dismay, we were brought onto a very narrow country road having to pass by large trucks with mirrors too close for comfort. Why Google Maps decided we could save time with the speed limit of 60 mph, who knows? Whomever went that fast down this road must be sent to jail. Finally, we returned back to the dual carriageway or highway and made it to York safely with no car damage.
The surprises continued when we discovered that I had booked the wrong type of room. On the website, there were multiple different room types including a two twin bed room, small double room, and double room. The twin bed room and the small double were available so I booked the small double assuming two people will fit. As we were attempting to check in we were quickly informed that the small double room sleeps one person, as it is a single twin bed. Why not list the room as a twin bed? Luckily for me, since I would be the one delegated to the floor (as I had picked the accommodations) the two twin bed room was still available and we were able to switch!
I chose the bed and breakfast since it was within walking distance of downtown York and had parking included in the rate. Besides the room mix up, I highly recommend the bed and breakfast. The included parking was street parking on certain streets but that was easily found a block away. Each evening, we were able to choose our entree for the next morning with options of fresh coffee or tea, multiple breakfast options including full English breakfast or omelette. The location was ideal: less than 10 minute walk from the city center and even closer to one of the wall entrances. Plus, we got to see how couples in the 50s lived in our separate twin beds.
After a quick bite at a local pub, we decided to walk a few sections of the Roman walls, which total 3.4 kilometers long broken up in different gateways that you have to navigate to connect the walls. The walls are maintained by the City of York Council and close around dusk. Being a paranoid person, I kept assuming they would come up and lock the gate sections, leaving us stranded overnight on top of the walls with no exit strategy (despite there being others also walking the walls).
I would recommend dusk or dawn for the walk since it lights up the York Minister during the golden hour.
We were only able to walk one section of the walls before I became too anxious about being locked up. The next morning, I quickly decided to walk the entire section as I am unable to sleep in regardless of what time I go to bed. My favorite way to explore a new city is the very early morning hours solo with few people around and limited traffic. It was a perfect way to explore the walls as the pigeons were my main companions. There is a major downside to being the first walker on the walls in the morning, though – your face becomes a cobweb clearer in certain sections.
A major site to visit is the York Minster which is known as the Sistine Chapel of stained glass. After much googling, we figured out Minster refers to a large important church in Britain – hence York Minster, Westminster Abbey, Southwell Minster.
After you enter the church, the stained glass is all around. There are no words to describe how breathtaking and captivating it is. My favorite section of the church was the information regarding the fire in 1984 that caused mass chaos, and the volunteers who came out offering the firefighters tea. The recovery and recreation of the glass is incredible. It has a section of the largest medieval stained glass recorded in the United Kingdom. If you are up for a hunt, my favorite panel showcases a red dragon.
You can book advanced tickets for entrance into the York Minster and to climb the central tower which is 275 steps to the top. Once we arrived, we realized the tickets are timed out allowing ample time for the climb up the stairs making sure that there are not people competing to go up and down the narrow twisting staircase at the same time. This is way better than other cathedral climbs we have done where you have to pass people in the stairwells.
If you can tolerate small spaces and climbs, the view is well worth it. There are multiple signs to help identify everything that you are seeing including the different sections of the Roman wall.
My favorite viewpoint was in the middle where you walk across a section of the Cathedral’s roofline. On the way down, we paused to take it all in, as no one was waiting to exit. We were serenaded with opera that was being sung down in the courtyard and was amplified up due to the architecture of the York Minster. I would have sat up there all day just staring at all the different elements engrossed in the music if I was allowed.
The sleeper pick for a visitor to York is the Museum Gardens, and it is my favorite of the touristy spots we visited. It is set back off a main street with a small gate. As you walk past the gate it looks like a small garden, but as you walk in it encompasses over 10 acres. It was created in 1830s by the Yorkshire Philosophical Society with beautiful grounds and paths that invite you in. It has a dedicated children’s section which has a set story time for that day and different characters. There was even a large wooden dinosaur puzzle, which I had to complete prior to moving on.
As we continued in, I was surprised to come across medieval ruins of St. Mary’s Abbey. It is crazy that everywhere you go in the United Kingdom there are these old ruins which are second nature to those that live here. Children running and jumping between the old pillar ruins in the grass, signs encouraging picnics, and reading groups to use the grounds.
After the garden, it was time to explore Clifford’s Tower which is a medieval tower built to help control the north by William the Conqueror. Inside are great information panels including voice narrations but my favorite element was the roof deck. The deck provides a great view over York, but I would argue an even better view of a crazy car park on a Sunday afternoon. We spent over 30 minutes just watching the mass chaos of the one way car park with small spots that most have to back their car in. One car literally took over five minutes attempting a single spot and ended up just giving up and driving off. It helped Max feel encouraged about his parking abilities since the spots here compared to the United States are tiny. I vote 9/10 can not miss during a busy day, if only they sold beverages or snacks it would be a 10/10.
Quickly it became time to explore the magical side of York. We set up a magical cocktail experience that was located off of the Shambles. The Shambles is a narrow cobblestoned street lined with large Medieval buildings overhanging the road with hooks. The hooks were originally for meat to be hung outside from the local butchers with the narrow buildings as a way to keep the meat from drying out in the sun, but has since been turned into Harry Potter fan’s dream with wizard themed shops and knickknack stores galore.
The Potions Cauldron cocktail experience was amusing with no official affiliation with Harry Potter. If you enjoy magic, it is a fun start to an evening with talking portraits, changing colors of the fireplace, and whimsical cocktails. You will experience a buzz if you finish them all, since it is about five shots of hard alcohol before the experience is complete.
