York – medieval town with the largest collection of locomotives
York is a city where time has stopped. Due to stagnation during the industrial revolution York now boasts dozens of original preserved timbered and brick townhouses. Their charm is enhanced by York Minster, the largest Gothic cathedral in northern Europe.
York is considered a major city throughout the historic Yorkshire, though it has never been a part of either one of three main parts of the county. York has 140,000 inhabitants, it is a home to the Archbishop of York and two universities.
The city lies at the confluence of two rivers – Ouse and Foss – in York Basin (Vale of York), which is a flat agricultural area bounded on the west by the Pennines mountain range, on the north by the North York Moors and to the west by highlands of Yorkshire Wolds.
In the distant past, the entire area was very swampy, and York today is facing frequent flooding. It has an extensive network of flood defenses and large uninhabited areas, due to unsuitability for development.
The city’s history is long and varied. It was founded already in 71 AD and therefore has a rich Roman as well as Viking history. York was the capital of the Roman province of Britannia Inferior, later became the seat of the Archbishop of York.
It was also the center of the Viking Kingdom of Jorvik. Throughout the Middle Ages York was one of the most important cities in England and its relative importance declined until the arrival of the Industrial Revolution. But in retrospect it had its advantages.
Due to economic stagnation the city managed to retrieve many medieval buildings almost intact. New interest in the Middle Ages led in the 19th century to a massive reconstructing program, and so tourists are now coming to this city to sea unique timbered and brick town houses and inns.
The pearl of medieval buildings is the York Minster, a cathedral situated in the city center, which is the seat of the Archbishop of York. Its organ was twice destroyed by fire, the current one was made in 1829. York Minster has three towers.
In the pair on the west side are the bells and chimes. Bell “Great Peter” in the northwest tower weighs 11 tons, in the southwest tower are 14 separate bells and chimes, consisting of 11 smaller bells.
The town centre is still surrounded by the original medieval walls which are five kilometers long and you can enjoy them by following the walking route that leads along the walls.
There are four main city gates (Bootham Bar, Monk Bar, Walmgate Bar and Micklegate Bar), which come from 11th to 14th century.
Besides these, there are still two more gates, but little bit smaller and younger – Fishergate Bar, for pedestrians only, and the Victoria Bar, newly created in the 19th century.
In the past, each gateway had its own function, however the main was undoubtedly the defence, but also to restrict access to the city, or collecting duty.
The typical for the city are narrow medieval streets, the most famous and most attractive are The Shambles. This lane is now lined with shops and cafes, but previously there were only butcher shops. Here you can also find the birthplace of the martyr and saint Margaret Clitherow.
In York, there are numerous medieval Anglican churches and ancient inns. One of them which is the oldest one and still in operation is The Black Swan, situated in the original timber-framed building from the 14th century.
Very interesting is also a Gothic fortress Clifford’s Tower, which stands on an artificial hill of Norman origin. Originally a wooden castle was built between 1068 – 1069 by William the Conqueror. During the 13th century the castle was rebuilt into a stone fortress.
With a rich history of the town you can get to know in one of the many local museums, such as the Castle Museum (museum of history of the city and surroundings), Jorvik Museum (exhibition of Viking settlement) or the Merchant Venturers Hall (Guild Hall traders still functioning and influential organization).
Paradoxically, the most famous local museum has nothing common with the city itself, but it is the main attraction of all trains admirers from around the world. The National Railway Museum is located near the station and manages an extensive collection of railway equipment and the largest collection of locomotives in the world.
Among the most interesting exhibits are the world’s fastest steam locomotive LNER 4468 Mallard and the world famous 4472 Flying Scotsman, which is still deployed in normal operation.
York is a vibrant and prosperous city. Its economy is based primarily on tourism, services, science and research. Even in the 50’s of the 20th century, the main sources of prosperity were chocolate and railways, but it is already a past.
Currently, the biggest employer here is the municipality, the insurance company and Nestle chocolate company.
