York Holiday Guide

Find out what the city of York offers for self-catering holidays with Country Cottages Online’s guide. 

Searching for Holiday Accommodation in York?

Find Holiday Homes in York

 

What Does York Offer for Self-Catering Breaks?

The wonderful city of York opens up a whole new world. There is the old walled city where most of the tourist activity takes place in the roads surrounding the magnificent Minster and the Shambles.  York Minster is the largest cathedral in England which is fitting for the largest county. Stop to admire the enormous stained glass windows and architectural features. Head south from the Minster through squares where street performers display their tricks and into the narrow winding lane of the Shambles, lined with independent shops and specialist outlets.  This used to be the meat market of its day and the old butcher’s hooks can still be seen above the windows.  Stop for tea in a real old-fashioned tea shoppe that presents scones on dainty china plates and tea is served in a matching tea pot. 

 

What are Some of the Best Places to Visit in York?

York is famous for its historic buildings and former merchant’s houses. A handsome example is the Merchant Adventurer’s Hall which is a medieval guildhall for tradesmen.  Walk onwards towards the mound on which Clifford’s Tower stands just outside the walls overlooking the river Ouse. This is a vestige of a castle built by King Henry III. Visit the old prison building and the Castle museum which provides a glimpse of life in York through the ages.

York makes much of its Roman and medieval heritage and the Jorvik Viking Centre allows visitor to take a ride back in time complete with sights, sounds and smells.  Other museums are the Railway museum behind the attractive railway station and the Yorkshire Museum.

Take a walk along the Ouse riverbank to see the smart redeveloped docks, riverside cafés, and the botanical park. The city centre offers a good shopping centre, theatre, cinemas, eateries, clubs and entertainment.  The University of York increases the young population of the town during term time which adds to the vibrant nightlife. The leisure amenities and bright lights of York attract groups converging for lively hen and stag weekends. Visitors are frequently entertained by a group of colourfully dressed men or women parading a semi clad and inebriated potential bride or groom around its streets.

York's Buildings and Historic Streets

You will be able to appreciate the many fine buildings whether you're interested in architecture or not.  York is full of very well-preserved and restored magnificent buildings from the 13th Century onwards.  Clifford's Tower on the mound dates from the 13th Century, the beautifully beamed 14th Century Merchant Adventurers Hall is still in use today. 

Just wandering around the city is a history lesson in itself - one cannot fail but notice the passage of time through the designs of the buildings.    Romans, Vikings, Normans all left their mark. Visit York and prepare to be amazed.

York's Theatre Royal was originally built in 1744 then later remodelled with a Victorian Gothic frontage in the 18th Century although the many changes to the building make it quite difficult to identify original architecture.

Tourists can view York on foot, either independently, or join one of the guided walking tours.  The period buildings of the city provide a convincing backdrop for the Ghost tour. There are also tourist buses and boats where speakers recount tales of York of old and new.

Other interesting cities of Yorkshire are the industrial heritage of Bradford, Leeds, the spa town of Harrogate and nearby charming Knaresborough, the seaside town of Filey where the long distance footpaths, the Cleveland Way and Wolds Way end at Filey Brigg, Haworth and literary Brontë Country, and Helmsley on the edge of the north Yorkshire Moors.

The original huge county of Yorkshire is divided into four smaller entities of North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and East and West Yorkshire for administrative purposes.  It is impossible to get to know Yorkshire in the course of one trip. It is best to develop a  lengthy love affair with Yorkshire conducted in short bursts -  a fresh and exciting new experience each time.

The Forest of Bowland  and the Lake District both have lovely countryside  to visit to the west.  Perhaps another self-catering break later in the year?

So much to do in York ... you will have to make more than one trip to see everything.

 

Discover some of York’s Top Attractions

• Barley Hall - a renovated monastic town house from the 14th and 15th Century that now functions as a "living history" museum with special medieval events and minstrels. Telephone: : 01904 610275
   

• Castle Museum -  museum in the old York prison with realistically reconstructed Victorian and Edwardian street scenes. Take a walk through time and see how the people of York lived. Telephone: 01904 653611
   

• Clifford's Tower - sole medieval remains of York Castle. The tower was built by Henry III.
   

• Fairfax House - a beautifully restored Georgian town house with views of life in the 18th Century.
   

• Jorvik Viking Centre - York's Viking past reconstructed and explained in a theme park type ride and museum.  It involves all the senses - even smells of the 10th Century - and they aren't nice! Good fun, but to do try to avoid the long wait to get in by arriving very early. Telephone: 01904 643211
   

• Merchant Adventurers Hall - half-timbered 13th Century hall which served the business community of the time as a guild and meeting place.  It's one of the largest buildings of this type in England. It's now open to the public as a museum and can be hired for functions.
   

• Shambles - a narrow, rambling medieval street with wonderfully original tiny shops. The name Shambles is said to be derived from the Saxon word 'Fleshammels', which means the 'street of butchers'.  Many of the shops still have deep windowsills on which meat was once displayed for sale. It's close to the market where you can find a bargain or two.
   

• Treasurers House - a restored medieval town house and originally housed the  treasures of York Minster.  Now open to the public as a museum, telephone: 01904 624247
   

• The Grand Opera House - for performances of the classical arts.  Telephone: 01904 671818
   

• The Yorkshire Museum - a traditional museum with Roman, Viking, Anglo-Saxon and medieval collections.  1,000 years of York explained through exhibits. Telephone: 01904 551800
   

• The York Story - a small museum housed in St. Mary's Church  recounts the history of York and its peoples. Good examples of period costume on display.
   

• Theatre Royal -   musicals, comedies, productions of all types for a superb evening's entertainment.  Telephone: 01904 623568
   

• National Railway Museum - The largest railway museum in the world with record breaking Mallard steam locomotive, Queen Victoria's Royal saloon. Telephone: 01904 621261
   

• York City Wall - tread in the footsteps in the ancient Romans for over 2 miles but beware - their ghosts may be right behind you!
   

• York Dungeon - scary stuff from York's history to give kids nightmares! Part of the chain of city dungeons. Telephone: 01904 632655
   

• York Minster - the widest Gothic cathedral in northern Europe with Royal monuments and more history.  Telephone: 01904 557216 There's a road train which leaves the Minster every 30 minutes and goes to the National Railway Museum. Children will enjoy the trip.
   

• York City Art Gallery - Telephone 01904 551861
   

• York Railway Station is another very fine example of handsome and solid Victorian architecture, one of the best in Britain  So don't just pass through it - view it.

On the outskirts of York at the Yorkshire Museum of Farming in Murton is Danelaw Village which manages to produce Romans and Vikings out of the past in character and costume.  Try your hand at ancient crafts and visit the reconstructed Saxon village. Telephone: 01904 489966.

With so much to offer, when will you book a self-catering break to York?