Where to stay
Middletons is a collection of Grade II-listed buildings in a leafy, residential street close to York’s best attractions.
The Bar Convent is one of Britain’s more unusual guest houses, with buildings that are part of a still-working convent and some bedrooms carved out of the novices’ dormitories.
The Guy Fawkes Inn is a pub-with-rooms, in a plum position by York Minster. Part of a tall, early-Georgian terrace in a narrow street, and with Guy Fawkes associations – he was born, it is believed, in the cottage to the rear – it has preserved its historic feel.
The Parisi Hotel is a bright, colourful, 11-room boutique hotel found in one of York’s hippest areas, Walmgate.
Judge’s Lodging is an impressive Georgian townhouse with inn-style hospitality and a range of rooms, from compact and contemporary to grand and stylish.
Seeing & Doing
Approach the York Minster, a gothic beauty (and the largest Medieval cathedral in Northern Europe) via The Shambles, an ancient cobbled street mentioned in the Domesday Book, where the upper storeys of the 14th-century timber houses lean out, almost to within touching distance of each other. Visit York Minster at evensong to listen to one of the UK’s oldest choirs. It takes place every day at 5.15pm, from Monday to Saturday and at 4pm on Sundays.
Holy Trinity Church is medieval gem tucked away behind the bustling shopping street of Goodramgate. The Grade I listed monument is easy to overlook in favour of the Minster towering behind it, but walk through the small, secluded, leafy churchyard and you’ll find a marvellous 15th-century stained glass, a honey-coloured stone interior and the original Georgian box pews.
Treasurer’s House, a National Trust property, is five-minutes walk from York Minster. From the Roman road running through the cellar to the Edwardian servants’ quarters in the attics, its history is perfectly preserved. There are 13 period rooms that tell the story of the house and its most famous owner, the eccentric Frank Green, whose collection of furniture, ceramics, textiles and paintings are well worth seeing. It’s also the sight of a famous ghost sighting. Make sure you visit the gardens.
Keep travelling back in time at York Castle Museum. The 80-year-old museum is best known for its authentic street of salvaged shop fronts, replicating the city’s stores and living rooms from the Georgian era to the 1980s.
To get a panoramic view of the city, climb to the top of nearby Clifford’s Tower opposite the museum. This ancient fortified mound and keep has a gruesome history and is all that remains of the original Norman castle.
CoCa (the Centre of Ceramic Art), which opened as part of the gallery’s refurb, houses the UK’s biggest collection of the British Studio Ceramics movement. Made up largely of gifts from significant private collectors, it highlights the personality and obsessions of its creators.
Fairfax House (museum) is arguably the finest Georgian townhouse in England.
Over on Coppergate, The Jorvik Viking Centre’s olfactory experiences, some more pleasant than others, have always brought to life what was a thriving 19th-century Viking city. Afterwards, lose an hour or two in Browns, an old-school department store and a York institution. There’s also a nail bar and a restaurant with smartly attired waiters serving Sunday lunches and afternoon teas if that’s of interest.
Since you’re arriving by train, you might appreciate the National Railway Museum‘s superb collection of mechanical wonders, which sheds light on the historical importance of Britain’s railways. It’s located behind York’s impressive Victorian railway station. You don’t have to be a train anorak to love it.
For a bit of a laugh, discover York’s winding alleyways on the Bloody Tour of York in the company of “Mad Alice”, a figure of local folklore, who is thought to have been hanged in York Castle in 1823. The tour starts at 6pm every Thursday, Friday and Saturday outside St Williams College, on College Street (an eight-minute walk from Brown’s) and ends around 7.30pm by Clifford’s Tower
Eating & Drinking
Bishopthorpe Road, better known as ‘Bishy Road’, is full of independent shops and restaurants.
Pairings Wine Bar on Castlegate, a chic, cosy deli and wine bar.
Café No.8 Bistro is a cosy trattoria with a secluded garden.
Roots YorkOn Bishopthorpe Road, head to The Fisherman’s Wife for fish and chips or grab a seat by the window at Stanley & Ramona coffee shop and watch the world go by as you sample one of their homemade brownies and speciality teas.
For after-dinner drinks, stroll over to the recently opened Micklegate Social, sister bar of Fossgate Social. It’s in a lovely old corner building and stocks a range of wines, spirits and craft beers.
Round the evening off with drinks at Valhalla, a ‘Norse’ themed music bar and café just round the corner from The Shambles. It was created by Viking fanatics who went to great lengths with the décor – touches include a skull and horn in a glass cabinet, flickering electric candles and hefty oak tables as rugged as Thor himself. Music is mainly rock and there’s a good choice of wines, spirits and local beers.