York is one of those cities I can visit again and again, but never tire of. Dating from Roman times, York oozes history. Two Roman emperors died there and it later became a Viking capital. Despite its small size, the town packs a lot inside its old city walls. It houses many historic attractions including the National Railway Museum, the Castle Museum and the Jorvic Centre – which introduces the visitor to the sights and smells of Viking York.

We began our most recent visit with a stroll beside the river Ouse, which enabled the city to be a port in olden days. Paths and parklands line the banks now. We made our way towards the centre. Boats were cruising along the river, mainly serving tourists, but we were happy on 2 feet.

Our first stop was Clifford’s Tower. Built by William the Conqueror to subdue the restless locals, it has been a royal mint, a mediaeval fortress and a civil war garrison. The top of the tower affords panoramic views over the city.

After some liquid refreshment, we arrived at one of York’s most famous streets. The Shambles is a narrow thoroughfare flanked by many buildings dating back to the 14^th century. The street is much older and there used to be more than 30 butchers along it, but the beautiful timber framed structures are now home to many unique gift shops. Rather than meat, the smell of freshly made fudge wafted down the Shambles, encouraging me to linger. My wife S, daughter F and our two friends walked on, so I didn’t have time to succumb to the tempting aroma.

Next on the itinerary was the impressive York Minster. The minster is the 2^nd most important cathedral in England, being the seat of the Archbishop of York. It was built between the 11^th and 15^th centuries, although there had been a church on this site since the 7^th century. There are even older Roman remains that can be viewed beneath the cathedral. Next to the cathedral is a lovely little park, providing a green oasis in the heart of the city where we took the opportunity to relax and admire the stunning views of the minster.

Circling around York Minster, we found a bakery which served delicious home-made sandwiches. Sustenance could not be put off any longer, so we purchased some lunch and found another pleasant green on which to enjoy it.

Our trip was finished off with ice creams by the riverside, sold to us from a boat. It had been a pleasant day out, although we had only scratched the surface of what York has to offer.

Factfile:

Location

York is in the north of England, UK, 215 miles from London and 26 miles north east of Leeds

Transport

York has a mainline railway station, with direct services from London (2hrs), Leeds (22 mins), Edinburgh (2h 30 mins) and many other UK cities. It lies at the intersection of the A64 Leeds-Scarborough and A19 Doncaster-Middlesbrough roads

Information

Click the link for information on York. There are many hotels, bars and restaurants in the city