A Weekend Escape to Eboracum (York)

My eighth grade Latin teacher would be proud of me for using the Roman name for York in this title.  York is a city in northern England in the county of Yorkshire.   A few weekends ago, we decided to explore this historic city with some friends from Canada.  It is a beautiful town halfway between Edinburgh and London.  It's an easy two hour train ride and once again, I found myself enjoying a break from the big city.  York is a city with a history that goes back to the 70's a.d.  (not the 1970's either!)  It has been under the rule of Romans, Saxons, Vikings and Normans.  King George VI once said that the history of York is the history of England.  Battles were fought that helped to determine the fate of the entire nation. 

 We had perfect weather for the weekend and York is an easy town to explore on foot.  York's finest landmark is York Minster which you can see in the background.  It towers over the city and was built as a flagship of the Christian faith at the northern end of the Roman Empire.

a morning row by University students

York was built on the Rivers Ouse and Foss. It also has thousands of University students which come from all over.  We took an afternoon tour of the city and our guide was from Venezuela.  She had come to York eight years ago for an advanced degree in Ancient History and has been living in York since then.






On a tip from a London cab driver, we went to Betty's Cafe for brunch. The specialty was York Rarebit.  Here is our order that we all shared!

The Shambles is a street in old York with timber framed buildings, some dating back as far as the fourteenth century. Some say it is the best preserved medieval street in the world and was mentioned in the Domesday Book of William the Conqueror in 1086. 

near the Shambles, Saturday market

                                                             

a list of cheeses at the open air market

 I love this names of these cheeses.  As you would expect, the British cheeses are of all varieties and excellent.   It's hard to walk in to a grocery store and not come out with a new variety every time.  The name of the last cheese on the list is quite interesting although I haven't tried it yet.










The highlight of my trip to York was our visit to York Minster, the incredible Gothic Cathedral in the heart of the city.

York Minster

If you ever read Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett, you'll appreciate the artistry that went into the building of the English cathedrals.  It's absolutely astounding to me how these churches were built in Medieval times.  This is a view of York Minster from our hotel room. You can see how it towers over the entire city.  It's breathtaking.  York Minster was built as the seat of the Archbishop of York and worship has been offered here for about 1,400 years.   A "Mynster" was an Anglo-Saxon word for a missionary church.  York Minster is one the largest Gothic Cathedrals in northern Europe.

the gargoyles await you as you enter the cathedral

                        The Great West Window, also known as the "Heart of Yorkshire" because of the heart shape in the stonework of the top part of the window. It was finished in 1338.
       

the Great West Window

Gargoyles were used to take water from a roof and away from the side of buildings.  The gargoyle's grotesque forms were said to scare off evil spirits.


   

 The painted ceiling of the Chapter House dates from 1798.

We wanted to attend Evensong; however,there was a wedding that afternoon and so there was no Evensong.  We did however, hear the choir practicing for the wedding and see the ushers getting ready for the festivities.

the Grand Organ in the Quire

the front of York Minster

St. Mary's Abbey ruins

The Abbey of St. Mary was once the richest abbey in the north of England.  It was closed and then destroyed under Henry VIII and the only thing that remains today are these walls.

We walked the Roman wall of the old city

One of the Roman gates to enter the old city

                                                                

 Our weekend at York was a success.  We had time to relax, enjoy the beautiful Autumn weather, the company of good friends and take in the history that this city offers.   Of course, no visit to a cathedral city is complete without the ringing of the bells.  They rang continuously for an hour before and after the Saturday wedding and again on Sunday morning.  Enjoy!

A view of the English countryside from the train on the way back to London.