Day 2. Exploring York

On By Little Miss TravellerIn Historic York, North East, North Yorkshire, United Kingdom, York

After a good night’s sleep at the Roomzzz Aparthotel, we enjoyed our complimentary Grab & Go breakfast before setting out for a second day of city sightseeing.  Mist was just beginning to lift as we strolled along the riverside path outside the hotel towards York Castle Museum just a few minutes walk away.

River Ouse, York
Walking towards the Castle Museum along the banks of the River Ouse in York

It’s a marvellous museum and one I’ve visited previously albeit a long time ago.  Standard adult admission is £12 and included in the York Pass which we were in possession of.

York Castle Museum
York Castle Museum

The museum covers 400 years of York’s history with re-modelled Jacobean rooms through to Victorian prison cells.  An undoubted highlight is Kirkgate, a re-created cobbled street with full size authentic shops and people dressed as local characters.  I vividly remembered this and was looking forward to exploring it once again but it wasn’t to be.  Would you believe it that on the very day of our visit this part of the museum was actually closed to visitors as it was being used for filming!  It was extremely disappointing but all wasn’t lost as we could at least look down on the street from a window in one of the other galleries.

Kirkgate, York Castle Museum
Kirkgate, York Castle Museum

As you can see from my photo, it had been transformed into a winter scene with artificial snow and festive decorations.  We were unable to find out what the filming was for so whether it was for a film, television programme or an advert I’m not sure.  If any of my eagle-eyed readers recognise it sometime in the future, do please let me know.

York Castle Museum Prison Yard
The stocks and gallows in the York Castle Museum prison yard

We then moved on to the cells which were once a Georgian prison where we looked in some of them including that of the highwayman Dick Turpin, the prison’s most notorious inmate.  There was a clever system of projecting ghostly images onto the cell walls and hearing narratives of their chilling stories of life behind bars.  Next, we explored the exercise yard where prisoners had as little as 30 minutes each day to stretch their legs and we inspected the set of stocks and then the gallows where horrifying hangings took place.

The Museum of Broken Relationships at the York Castle Museum
The Museum of Broken Relationships at the York Castle Museum

Back indoors we saw an exhibition on the Swinging 60’s, the decade of flower power, bell bottomed trousers and The Beatles and then completed our tour of the museum with a visit to its temporary exhibition entitled ‘The Museum of Broken Relationships’ which I’d actually already viewed when it was on display in the Helsinki City Museum in 2016.  It’s a poignant collection of stories and symbolic possessions relating to the way we fall out of love illustrated by a lasting memory of a relationship breakdown.

Cliffords Tower, York
Cliffords Tower, York

After spending slightly less time in the York Castle Museum than originally intended due to part of it being closed, we crossed the road and headed off to Cliffords Tower directly opposite.  It’s necessary to climb a steep flight of steps to access the tower as it stands proudly on a high mound.  This is now almost all that remains of York Castle which was built by William the Conqueror but during its existence it served both as a prison and a Royal Mint and is now operated by English Heritage.

Cliffords Tower, York
Interior of Cliffords Tower, York

We inspected the central area and then climbed yet more steps to the open air walkway at the very top which was once used as a vantage point for castle guards but nowadays offers some panoramic views over the city’s rooftops.

Views from the top of Cliffords Tower, York
Views from the top of Cliffords Tower, York

Back at ground level we stretched our legs further by taking a stroll along the city walls.  It’s possible to complete a circular walk of 2.6 miles (4.2km) following the remains of the original walls although these are no longer complete.

Ancient city walls York
Taking a walk along the ancient city walls in York

The walk can be started at numerous access points and we set off from Skeldergate Bridge as it was nearest to Cliffords Tower.  We then followed the city wall path as far as Micklegate Bar so that we could visit the Bar Convent located on Blossom Street just beyond the city gate.

Micklegate Bar, York
Micklegate Bar, York

The Bar Convent is England’s oldest living convent and is still home to the Community of Sisters of the Congregation of Jesus.  A guide was on hand to give visitors a tour of the Convent and he escorted us to the Secret Chapel explaining that as 1686 was a time of great danger for all Catholics in England, land for the Covent was purchased under an alias just outside the city walls.

The Secret Chapel, Bar Convent, York
The Secret Chapel, Bar Convent, York

For over 300 years no-one knew the truth the nuns concealed because if the Sisters of the Bar Convent had been discovered it would have meant punishment and possibly even death for them all.

The Secret Chapel, Bar Convent, York
The Secret Chapel, Bar Convent, York

During building works in the early 20th century an original priest hole was discovered.  This was a secret hiding place that a Catholic priest could use if the convent was raided by the authorities.  A glass concrete floor now covers the priest hole and we were able to peer down into the confined space.

The Atrium Cafe, Bar Convent, York
The Atrium Cafe, Bar Convent, York

Before leaving, we glanced in the wonderful entrance hall with its glass roof and tiled floor which now acts as a cafe / restaurant. It was also interesting to learn that the Bar Convent offers bed and breakfast accommodation, certainly a unique setting for a stay in York and I’m sure an enjoyable one.

The ruins of St. Mary's Abbey, York
The ruins of St. Mary’s Abbey, York

The sun was shining brightly so we took the opportunity of strolling over to the York Museum Gardens containing the medieval ruins of St. Mary’s, a ruined Benedictine abbey and at one time one of the most powerful and wealthy monasteries in England.  Snowdrops were beginning to show their heads and wrapped up with scarves and hats, it felt positively spring-like so we relaxed on one of the park benches for a few minutes breathing in the fresh air.

National Railway Museum, York
National Railway Museum, York

From the gardens we continued along the riverside footpath in a northerly direction as far as York Station via Scarborough Bridge.  It wasn’t actually the station we were heading for though but to the adjacent National Railway Museum which I always feel the urge to pop into whenever I’m visiting York.  Entrance to this splendid museum is free of charge and definitely worth a visit whether you’re into trains or not.

National Railway Museum, York
National Railway Museum, York

Our visit began in the Great Hall, a former engine shed until 1968.  It lay in disuse awhile then new life was breathed into it as it became home to the museum, opening in 1975.  On display is Mallard, designed by Sir Nigel Gresley. This famous engine broke the speed record for steam locomotives in 1938 and it has never been beaten.  Visitors can even relive Mallard’s record breaking run in a simulator experience.

Mallard Steam Locomotive, National Railway Museum, York
Mallard Steam Locomotive, National Railway Museum, York

An original turntable is surrounded by an awe inspiring collection of locomotives from the past 150 years and there’s lots more to see such as a high speed Japanese bullet train (the only one of its kind outside Japan).

Gladstone, National Railway Museum, York
Gladstone, National Railway Museum, York

Moving into the Station Hall we stepped back in time to explore over 100 years of railway life. This vast space is home to luxurious royal carriages including Queen Victoria’s saloon which became known as the palace on wheels.

Heritage signs, National Railway Museum, York
Heritage signs adorn the walls of the National Railway Museum, York

There’s also a vast collection of railway memorabilia including old station signs, art-deco railway posters and station clocks.  As we were leaving the museum, we noticed a land train parked outside the door which shuttles visitors at half hourly intervals between the museum and York Minster.  The usual fare is £3 but this is something else that is included in the York Pass so we hopped on board for a leisurely ride back into the heart of the city.

York Minster
Historic York

We’d spent two wonderful days exploring historic York, and it’s hard to think of anywhere else with so many interesting places to visit so close together.  Without rushing around, we managed to experience so much and would love to return again to see even more.  York is accessible from all parts of the country with trains between York and London taking only one and three quarter hours meaning that visiting the city can easily be combined with a trip to the capital.

During our visit we were guests of Visit York and as always all views and opinions are entirely my own.

If you have enjoyed reading this post you may also like:

Other posts in this series:

Two days in historic York

Similar posts:

Skipton – Gateway to the Yorkshire Dales

A long weekend in Hull

Advertisement

53 thoughts on “Day 2. Exploring York”

  1. Pingback: Day 6. Truro & a visit to Bodmin Jail, Cornwall – Love Travelling Blog

  2. Pingback: Day 1. Historic York – Love Travelling Blog

  3. Pingback: Roomzzz York City – Love Travelling Blog

  4. Pingback: Day 1. A weekend in Norwich – Love Travelling Blog

  5. Pingback: Day 21.  The Church in the Rock and National Museum of Finland, Helsinki – Love Travelling Blog

  6. jasonlikestotravel

    Wonderful read! It has been a good few years since I’ve visited the castle museum, so disappointed to read you didn’t get to enjoy Kirkgate though. Definitely a city I need to return to when things are a little more normal! Hope you’re keeping well.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Thanks for your welcome thoughts Jason. York is a wonderful city and has had such bad luck recently what with the floods and now the pandemic that’s affecting us all. We are all keeping well here thank you and keeping busy. Easter will seem so strange this year as our older son won’t be able to return home. I got him to buy a couple of Easter eggs from me and send me a photo of them. He’s bought me one too so I’ll look forward to sharing it with him when we can eventually get together. How was your flight home? Hope it went well and you weren’t both too sad at having to be apart. I’m optimistic it won’t be for too much longer as like everyone else I long for my old life back and not all this tidying and cleaning I’m doing that I’ve found excuses to put off in the past!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. jasonlikestotravel

        Yeah, I’m sure tourism has taken a hit. It’s great you were still able to exchange Easter eggs despite the circumstances.

        The flight home was really quiet, inevitable really. Haha, I’m sure things will get back to some sense of normality soon. Enjoy your Easter weekend!

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply

  9. Great blog! My boyfriend came back from a 5 day trip to York today. It’s a wonderful place. He missed the railway museum though, it looks interesting. He also said the Roomzzz Apart hotel is closed now due to flooding 😦

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Thanks for taking an interest and commenting on my York posts. It really is a lovely city to visit. I was there a couple of weeks ago before the floods and wondered about the accommodation with its riverside location. Hope the city is back to normal,soon.

      Like

      Reply

    1. It isn’t entirely clear why Cliffords Tower got its present name. … The name may well be a reference to the fact that Roger de Clifford was hanged at the tower in 1322 for opposing Edward II, or to the Clifford family’s claim that they were the hereditary constables of the tower. Hope this helps, Ian.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  18. York is one of my favourite places and I’ve had a travel article about it published in a national magazine.
    Next time you visit, try the Cat Trail around the city (free), and find the shrine of Margaret Clitherow, known as the Pearl of York, in The Shambles. She was martyred for her beliefs; it’s a powerful story.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  23. Great to see your photos. I missed quite a few things while in York, having given over one of my two-and-a-half days there to go out to Castle Howard. I will definitely go back to York and finish off at some time. Loved it.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

Gravatar
WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Cancel

Connecting to %s

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.