York is undeniably a stunning city. With a rich architectural history dating back to medieval times and an ye olde English air, every street you walk down is full of history, with Dickensian reminders at every turn. Old and charming, with quaint cobblestone streets and Gothic buildings, as well as a vibrant hub in tune with the times, one often feels as if visiting York is like stepping back in time but with all the mod cons firmly in hand, And as such, here is our IDEAL guide to York.
GETTING THERE
Coming from far, further or furthest afield? You’re in luck; York is a well connected, modern town. If flying, your best bet is Manchester airport, since there’s a direct train from the airport to central York which runs a couple of times an hour. If you fly into Leeds, you’ll need to get a bus to Leeds station, then another to York. The city is just under two hours from London by train – not so far in the scheme of things – leaving from Kings Cross. If you book directly with Virgin East Coast then you’ll get a free code for the wifi (though it’s pretty patchy),while Grand Central tends to offer cheaper tickets. It may go without saying but you should definitely book train tickets in advance; a popular place and a pretty poor train service nationally.
If you’re driving, don’t get caught out by the city centre’s one way system; try and stay outside the city walls. Taxis are middling expensive and generally only take cash. If you’re thinking of taking one to somewhere within the city walls, it’s probably quicker to walk. Oh and parking is expensive in the city centre, and often very poorly signposted (Fossgate is particularly bad for this – it’s no parking during the day and charged for at night), so if you’re booking somewhere to stay, bear parking in mind.
WHERE TO STAY
York is one of the first stops on a tourist’s itinerary, and as such there are lots of hotels and bed and breakfasts scattered across the city. There’s also a great selection of inns and guest houses in the city centre, particularly near York train station and Minster Cathedral, or in the surrounding countryside if you want to stay out somewhere green. A lot of the cheap B&B’s in York are lovely and quaint, run by families offering home cooked breakfasts and a famous Yorkshire brew to get you up and out in the morning.
WHAT TO DO
The Museum Gardens, (well, in the offices inside St Mary’s Lodge) is where you’ll find a beautiful botanic garden, with medieval and Roman ruins to explore. The Yorkshire Museum covers York’s ancient history. Here you can get a joint ticket with York Castle Museum for a cheaper all-encompassing day.
York Castle Museum is a big place, and you’ll want to put aside at least two hours to explore it. Here you can lose yourself in the last few hundred years of York’s history. Housed in the prison Dick Turpin was kept in, it includes Kirkgate, the world famous Victorian Street.
If the weather’s nice, go for a wander along the city walls. As far as we’re concerned no visit to York is complete without a stroll along part of the two miles of historic walls that have defended the city for thousands of years. It’s a great way to see all the different parts of the city from a vantage point of much vintage.
If you fancy a drink, try the City Screen bar, overlooking the Ouse, or the historic Guy Fawkes Inn which claims, with dubious accuracy, to be the birthplace of the famous gunpowder plotter.
OTHER PLACES TO VISIT
One of Europe’s largest and most stunning Gothic cathedrals, York Minster is reason alone to visit the city. It’s the largest expanse of Medieval stained glass in the country, impressive from inside and out.
The Jorvik Viking Centre has recently reopened following extensive flood damage a couple of years ago. It still offers a ride through a reconstruction of the Viking streets that were excavated on that spot, replete with smells and slightly more up-to-date mannequins and animatronics.
The little Richard III and Henry VII museums are inside the bars in the city walls. They’re run by the same people as Jorvik (York Archeaological Trust) so you can get a joint ticket for them.
Still getting cultural, the much improved Art Gallery is the third York Museums Trust property, so you can get it on the same joint ticket as the Yorkshire Museum and Castle Museum. It’s got some fab permanent exhibitions and a vast collection that allows it to put on some impressive special exhibitions. It houses the national Centre of Ceramic Art, which is more impressive than that sounds.
Keep moving with The National Railway Museum, free and the only museum that doesn’t shut at five. Even if you don’t care about trains it’s a good day out, and if you do care, we’re not sure anyone will be able to peel you out of there!
The Treasurer’s House is a National Trust property. It’s home to the most famous ghosts of this, England’s most haunted city, and also some impressive Edwardian interpretations of Medieval architecture (which is to say, the last guy who had it before the NT put a medieval style hall in because he fancied it).
City Screen‘s not just a bar with a lovely view, but it’s also a lovely cinema that shows a mix of blockbusters and independent films and lets you take a glass of wine in with you.
WHERE TO EAT
Little Betty’s – Everyone knows about Betty’s, and everyone’s seen the queues. Drink your tea like a local here. It’s Georgian rather than Art Nouveau and all the better for it.
Coffee Culture – One of the best places for breakfast in the city.
Paradiso del Cibo – This unassuming looking little Italian is a York favourite. It’s the place where the waiters from the other Italian restaurants go when they want a taste of home. Locals know it as Paolo’s; it’s cheap, cheerful and the food is utterly delicious. If the gregarious Sardinian himself comes round for a chat (which he often does) he may bring you free limoncello if he likes you.
Ambiente – Yorkshire tapas restaurant that combines the best in quality local produce with all your favourite Spanish dishes. So good there’s two of them in York and another in Leeds.
Mumbai Lounge – Like any Yorkshire town, York has more than its fair share of great Indian restaurants (Bengal Brasserie on Goodramgate remains a favourite), but Mumbai Lounge stands out by offering something a little more upmarket.
WHERE TO DRINK
Evil Eye – York is too small to have it’s own Soho, so instead it’s got Evil Eye. Don’t bother with cocktails anywhere else. Also does a good line in pan-Asian food in massive portions.
The House of Trembling Madness – Once upon a time a small beer shop discovered its attic was a gorgeous medieval hall, so they squeezed a tiny bar in and mounted some animals on the wall and turned it into an amazing bar.
The Golden Fleece – Wonky floors and a skeleton propping up the bar can be found in this historic pub. It claims to be the oldest pub in York, but then so do plenty of others.
The Judges Lodgings – Where the judges used to lodge, near the court, and one of the few places in York with a decent amount of outside (though in January you’ll have to be pretty hardy to sit out there, even by Northern standards!)
The Black Swan – There are a lot of swans in York (pubs and birds) so make sure you’ve got the right one (though most of them are pretty nice pubs, so no harm if you don’t!). This one is a 15th century timber-framed building that also lays claim to the “York’s oldest…” title. Comes with a folk club with roaring open fires and traditional pub games.