History
of York
History
of York
There have been settlements on
the site of York for at least 2000 years - probably due to its strategic
position at the junction between the rivers Ouse and Foss
Then in AD71 the Romans
arrived and established a walled settlement called Eboracum here. The town was of strategic importance to
the Romans due to its proximity to the Empire's northern boundary.
As
a result the Eboracum had a significant part to play in the Romans' occupation
of northern England and was visited by several emperors, notably Constantine the
Great.
After the Romans had left, the Anglo-Saxons founded the
town of Eoforwic
on the site of Eboracum. At the time England was divided into numerous separate
kingdoms and so Eoforwic became the capital city of the kingdom of Northumbria.
The king of Northumbria
converted to Christianity in the 7th century, and soon after a wooden church was
built in Eoforwic. The town soon became renowned as a centre for religion, an
association that remains to this day. In
867 Eoforwic was captured and burnt to the ground by the Danish Vikings. The
Vikings then built the city of Jorvik
on the site, which became the capital city of the Viking Empire in northern
England. The Danes were a sea-going race and so Jorvik quickly
became established as an important trading port. The legacy of the Vikings can
still be seen today in many of York's street names - many of York's streets are
suffixed with the word "gate", which is derived from the Viking word
for street. And indeed it is the Viking
name for the town that then became Anglicised to the present day name of York. By
the 10th century the Viking Empire had been united with the English kings of
southern England, however relations remained tenuous and so York was the site of
several uprisings and battles. In 1070 William the Conqueror
put an end to York's rebellion by burning the city, an event known as the
"Harrying of the North". York was soon rebuilt by the Normans, this
time with two castles and a new cathedral, the famous York
Minster York
again became an important port under Norman rule, and the city prospered from
the wool trade in particular. Again, the city's position on the junction of two
rivers played a vital role in York's establishment as an important trading post.
The city's famous stone Walls
were built in the 13th century, indicating its growing importance as a centre of
commerce. Today many parts of this wall still survive, and it is considered to
be one of the best-preserved examples of medieval fortifications in the whole of
Europe. By
the 15th century York's power was on the wane as London established itself as
the capital of the whole of England. But York was still to play a significant in
Britain's development. Most famously York played a
central role in the War of the Roses. In the early 15th century the English
throne belonged to a series of kings from the house of Lancaster but in 1455 the
house of York took the throne from the Lancastrians. The next 25 years saw a
series of bitter power struggles between the two houses of York and Lancaster.
This struggle has become known as the War of the Roses
because the House of Lancaster was symbolised by a red rose whilst the House of
York was symbolised by a white rose. The War of the Roses only ended when Henry
VII (the first Tudor king) took the throne in 1485. In
addition, during the Civil War of the 17th century York was the site of one of
the war's most significant battles. The city was a royalist stronghold and so
was put under siege for several months by the Parliamentarians.
The
royalists were defeated at the Battle of Marston Moor and so the city fell to
the Parliamentarians in 1642, setting the stage for the Parliamentarians overall
victory in the war. It seemed inevitable that the
victorious Parliamentarians would ransack the whole city of York for it had long
been loyal to the throne. But luckily the leader of the
Parliamentarians was a local man, Sir Thomas Fairfax, and he managed to protect
York from destruction. Most importantly this meant that the Minster
has remained largely intact to this day with most of its treasures still in
place. With
industrialisation the railways reached York in 1839 and it quickly became a
thriving town once again. Its strategic position as a halfway point between
London and Edinburgh naturally brought a great deal of trade to the town.
But
interestingly enough, whilst many towns prospered from heavy industries such as
iron, steel or shipbuilding, York prospered from the nation's craving for
chocolate! For York is the home of both Terry and Rowntree-Nestle chocolate
manufacturers, and to this day chocolate remains one of the main commercial
interests of the city. The other main industry is of
course tourism, with over a million tourists flocking to York every year, making
it one of the UK's most visited cities. York's
continued historical importance over the years has meant that it has earned
itself the nickname "the
capital of the north"
- an apt title, for a trip to York is an absolute must for any visitor to
northern England.
At
the end of Castlegate there is a huge mound, on top of which is Clifford's
Tower, the only remaining part of York
Castle.
The
mound dates from the 11th century when William the Conqueror built a castle in
York shortly after his victory at the Battle of Hastings. However, the castle
was wooden and it was soon burnt down by rebellious locals.
A
replacement was built, but it too was wooden and was subsequently burnt down
during some anti-Semitic riots in 1190. In one of York's more horrific past
episodes, 150 Jews committed suicide in this second castle by setting fire to it
- there is now a plaque commemorating them.
The
stone Tower that you see today dates from around 1270 and was built by Henry de
Reyns who also built Westminster Abbey in London. As you will notice there is no
roof to the tower for it was destroyed by fire in 1684, some say deliberately.
Today
the Tower is a picturesque ruin that is worth visiting for the excellent views
you can get from the rampart. There is also a series of panels dotted around the
grounds, which tell of the history of the Tower.
To
the east of the Tower, you will find the excellent Castle
Museum which tells of everyday life in York through the ages.
Opening
hours to Clifford's Tower vary according to season, so check in advance. Entry
is around £1.50 for adults.
York
Dungeon
Located on Clifford Street in the city centre, the York
Dungeon recounts the city's more gruesome past. With
all manner of instruments of torture on display and a series of vivid
reconstructions of horrible events, this museum will be enough to send a shiver
down most people's spines - not one for small children or for the faint hearted.
York
Dungeon is open daily from 10am to 5.30pm. Entry costs around £3.50 for adults.
York
Minster
York Minster, or the Cathedral and Metropolitan Church
of St Peter to give it its proper name, is York's most famous tourist
attraction. It is both a Cathedral, meaning that it has an Archbishop, and a
Minster which means that it has its own team of clergy.
There
has been a place of worship on the site of York Minster since at least the 7th
century when the King of Northumbria built a wooden church here. This burnt down
soon after, and over the next 500 years several other churches were built on the
site. Work began on the present
Cathedral in 1220 and it took until 1472 to complete. At 525ft long, 250ft wide
and a massive 196ft high, it is the biggest medieval Cathedral in the whole of
northern Europe, and it totally dominates the skyline of York.
But
it is once you are inside that the awesome proportions become truly apparent.
The Cathedral has an unsurpassed air of loftiness and, despite its size is awash
with light - most would agree it is one of the finest Cathedrals in Britain.
York Minster is particularly exceptional in that it
contains some of the best examples of stained glass in Europe, some of it dating
back to the 12th century. There is a total of 128 windows, with examples of
stained glass from almost every period of history from the 12th century right up
until the present day. The fact that most of the
original stained glass has been preserved is largely due to the fact that when
the city fell to the Parliamentarians during the Civil War in the 17th century,
the leader of the Parliamentarian forces was a local man, Sir Thomas Fairfax.
When it looked as if his troops were going to ransack the city of York and its
Minster, Fairfax managed to stop them. Today it is worth examining
the different windows in the Minster in detail, for it soon becomes apparent
that although the tradesmen took their craft very seriously, the windows contain
a great deal of humour and satire. Some
of the more famous examples of York Minster's glasswork include the Great East
Window ,
which is the biggest intact medieval window in the world; the Five Sisters
Window which, dating from around 1260, is the oldest complete window in the Cathedral;
and the Rose Window which contains over 15,000 individual pieces of glass.
But there is more to York Minster than just glass. For
example the Chapter House contains some excellently preserved carved stonework considered by many to be
one of the best examples of medieval carving in the world.
The Choir Screen dates from the 15th century, and is interesting for its statues of every English
King from William the Conqueror who took the throne in the 11th century to the
fated 15th century Henry VI. You can climb to the top of
the Central Tower for some spectacular views over the city, but the climb is steep and has 275
steps so it is only for the reasonably fit.
And
if you venture below the Cathedral you can visit the Crypt where you can see Roman remains
and the spot where the King of Northumbria's church once stood.
Beneath
the Cathedral there is also the Treasury which has artefacts from as far back as the 11th century. And you can even get a
look at the foundations, which give an interesting insight into the building
techniques that were used in the construction of the Minster.
Over the years the Minster has
suffered several episodes which have threatened its existence, including the
discovery in the 1960s of unstable foundations below the Central Tower .
There have also been several fires, the most recent of which was in 1984.
However
conservation measures and sympathetic restoration work, including the mammoth
task of giving the Central Tower new steel reinforced "feet", have ensured that York Minster is as
inspiring and impressive today as it has ever been.
The Minster is open daily and entry is free, although a
donation is requested. However, there are small fees for the Treasury ,
Crypt ,
Chapel House and entry to the Central Tower
The
Shambles
The Shambles is one of York's
best known streets. Although it is technically a single street running between
King's Square and Pavement, The Shambles is often used to also collectively
refer to the surrounding twisting streets and alleyways.
The
Shambles itself is one of the best preserved medieval streets in Europe, and it
takes you immediately back to what life must have been like in Elizabethan
times. The half-timbered houses jostle together precariously,
and the road is so narrow that is alleged that in some parts of the street if
you stand with your arms outstretched you can touch the houses on either side!
The name of the street is derived from the Saxon word
"Fleshammels" meaning
"the street of the butchers", and indeed this is where the city's
butchers' market thrived for many decades.
As
you walk down take a note of the windowsills of the houses. These tend to be
unusually broad because the windowsills were once used to display the meat that
was butchered here. Today the thing that The
Shambles is famous for is its shops, for this is one of the nicest shopping
areas in the whole city. The butchers' shops have now been replaced with gift
shops, craft stores and all manner of interesting and unusual boutiques.
The
Shambles, and the area around tends to get crowded in summer, which takes the
edge off the quaintness of the street, but it is still a pleasure to wander
around in this part of York.
Orientation
Because much of York dates back hundreds of years, the
city is basically a confusing mass of winding medieval streets.
But
that is part of the charm of York. Even if you have a map you will undoubtedly
get lost, but most people would agree that simply wandering through the narrow
streets and alleys is one of the best ways to see the city.
York
is packed with interesting shops, museums, historic buildings and sights to see,
so you will inevitably come across something interesting - the best advice is to
go with the flow. But for those who need to know
their bearings, the most obvious landmark to start from is the City
Walls , for most of the interesting sights are
contained within them. There
are several walks that take you along the top of the walls, which is a good way
to get a feel for the lay out of the city. And along the way you will come
across several of York's "Bars", the medieval gateways into the city,
some of which are excellently preserved. York's
most famous attraction, the York Minster is situated just inside the
City Walls to the north of the city centre. The twisting streets to the
south of the Minster are known as The Shambles
and are a delight to wander through, with some of the best shops in the city.
To the west of the Minster , just outside the
City
Walls , is the Yorkshire
Museum where you can find out all about
York's colourful history. And nearby is the City Art
Gallery Back
inside the City Walls ,
to the south there are several interesting museums worth visiting, for example
the York Story, Fairfax
House and the Castle
Museum . And for those that prefer
something a little more gruesome, this area is also where you will find the York
Dungeon And
nearby is one of York's most famous tourist attractions, the famous Jorvik
Viking Centre which vividly re-creates the city's Viking past.
Also
within the City Walls is Clifford's
Tower the remains of a 13th century castle, with the excellent Castle
Museum close by. And to the west of the city centre, outside of the City
Walls, is the National Railway
Museum one of the biggest museums in the world purely dedicated
to railways. There
are plenty of other sights to see in and around the city, many of which are
covered in our A-Z of York, so it is worth exploring around York yourself.
In the 1970s Coppergate Walk
became the site of an archaeological dig, now one of the most famous excavations
in Britain. This is because several feet
below street level the archaeologists found a wonderfully preserved part of the
Viking settlement of Jorvik.The
dig gave an unsurpassed insight into everyday Viking life, and the
archaeologists managed to find out everything from what the Viking's houses
looked like to what the inhabitants were eating. Once
the dig was over, it was decided that the finds should be put on permanent
display and the result is the Jorvik Viking Centre, one of the most popular
tourist attractions in York. To view the exhibition you
have to get in a "time-car" which takes you back to 1067 and Viking
York, complete with sounds and smells! A whole Viking village has been
reconstructed so you can see everyday tasks being performed as if it were real.
There is also a museum exhibition of the various finds
from the archaeological dig, which offers a further insight into the past.
All
in all the Centre is superb, being both informative and entertaining - and it is
an absolute favourite for kids. The Jorvik Viking Centre is
open daily, but be warned - in the summer months the queues are enormous so you
should expect a wait. Entry costs around £5 for adults.
For
a more hands-on experience of archaeology, the people who run the Jorvik Centre
also run the Archaeological
Research Centre in St Saviourgate.
Assembly
Rooms
On Blake Street, just to the south-west of York
Minster you will find the fabulous 18th century Assembly Rooms where York's
high society once dined and danced the evenings away.
These rooms were built in the
1730s for the Third Earl of Burlington, and are an excellent example of 18th
century elegance. For example the Central Hall contains over 50 sumptuously
decorated columns and has marble clad walls.
The
Assembly rooms are currently home to a small restaurant, which is open daily.
They are also still occasionally used for evening functions such as balls or
charity events.
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