A Trip to York, England

I have just come back from my amazing trip to York, and am sharing my highlights. Founded by the Romans in 71 AD and previously being a Viking stronghold (from 866 to 954 AD), York proved to be a city with a hundred things to do, much more than I expected. There is a lot to explore, from the historic York (the thirteenth century cathedral and city walls) to the funky and unusual York (Wizard Tours, and shops dedicated to ghosts and cats). Below, I detail the stops that I made on my trip, and will also recommend food & drink establishments, as well as give some travelling tips.

The Shambles

This is one of the prettiest streets in York with its buildings preserved from the Middle Ages. The Shambles was once the street of butchers’ shops, but now is the place for the insatiably curious packed with all kinds of unusual shops (The Society of Alchemists, York Ghost Merchants, York Vikings, Nutcracker Christmas Shop, etc.), and food and drink parlours (Ye Olde Pie & Sausage Shop, Gelato! ice-cream vendor, etc.). So, walking its path is a magical experience in both figurative and literal sense – as there are also magic/Harry Potter-inspired shops on the street. The Shambles is the equivalent of Diagon Alley located in the real-world or, shall I say, in our ordinary Muggle world.

The Shop That Must Not Be Named on the Shambles is a “must-visit” shop for every Harry Potter fan. There is merchandise there I haven’t noticed in the HP shop at King’s Cross station in London, including flying brooms, special HP tote bags, wizards’ chocolate, matcha tea, and chewy butterbeer candy sold in tiny barrels. There are also many wizardly artefacts, curiosity objects, and things for tabletop décor. The shop really is like a small HP museum. Located at 9¾ Shambles, The Potions Cauldron shop sells such items as magical drinks, enchanted brews and rum, wizards’ gin, and bath salt phial sets, while also providing a special magic potion experience for a price. It has a sister-shop in Edinburgh. The Society of Alchemists was also interesting. It specialises in mystical fragrances, candles and beauty products. It also has a range of products connected to the four elements and Zodiac signs.

The Jorvik Viking Centre

Since its opening in 1983, the Jorvik Viking centre has been repeatedly ranked as one of the most exciting attractions of York. The centre is on the site of the past excavations that determined the presence of numerous Viking remains and artefacts in the area, including workshops, metalworks, textiles and skeletal remains. Now, after the 2001 refurbishment, the museum offers a thrilling ride – you sit in a “time capsule” carriage and view the exhibition – impressive moving mannequins modelled on the faces of the actual Vikings. It is a fun, transporting experience, as, while riding in the carriage, the audio explains each exhibit, and you can actually hear the reproduced Vikings’ speech, as well as smell (at times cooking or manure) and “feel” that time (damp or fire heat).

There is a similar interactive history ride in the Viking Museum in Stockholm called the Ragnfrid’s Saga, but York’s one is cited as better of the two because it does not conflate reality and fantasy.

Fairfax House

This is a hidden gem of a place that I absolutely recommend. It is a magnificent townhouse at Castlegate built around 1763, and purchased by Viscount Charles Gregory Fairfax for his daughter Hon. Ann Fairfax. Ann Fairfax herself could be said to be a woman ahead of her time when she moved into the house. Unmarried at thirty-five, suffering from depression and strongly committed to her Catholic faith, she stood out from the rest and faced criticism as a result. Nevertheless, she was determined to uphold her independence and prove to everyone that she was capable of handling her father’s financial matters. Since the Fairfax family time, the mansion had been many things, including a gentlemen’s club, a dance-studio and a cinema, but it was finally restored to its former glory in the mid-1980s. On the day of my visit, the house could be viewed by candlelight (which does not happen often), and it definitely enhanced the experience as each room took a different aura, that of mystery meeting luxury.

I was impressed by just how much attention to detail went into re-creating every room. There are cups of tea, nightcaps on tables, newspapers left unfolded, and a letter left unfinished on the mantelpiece as though the house owner just popped out for awhile and will be back at any moment. The house does come alive, and is well-curated. Each room has a knowledgeable staff member who will guide you through Ann Fairfax’s usual day and give detailed explanations of each object.

York Castle Museum & York Minster

The York Castle Museum is on the site where William the Conqueror once built his stronghold, and where prison buildings stood in the eighteenth century. Founded by John L. Kirk in 1938, the museum is now one of the “must-visit” attractions in York. It is a paradise for history buffs as it contains recreated period rooms, prison cells and old toys collections (including a collection of arcade amusement machines), and boasts the Sixties and World War One exhibitions. The highlight of the museum has to be the recreation of a Victorian street – the Kirkgate street. It is complete with storefronts, shops you can pop into (for example, a pharmacy or a sweet-shop), and a horse-drawn carriage (see also my post about a similar museum in Edinburgh).

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My last stop was York Minster, a magnificent cathedral in York dating back to the twelfth century. The cathedral holds the record of the largest number of medieval stained glass pieces in the UK, and the earliest mention of it is actually the year 626 when it was a small wooden church. The church ticket includes the entrance to the Chapter House and crypt.

Wandering around York and the cathedral, I thought of literary references, too: the meeting between Magdalen and Captain Wragge at the foot of the city walls in Wilkie Collins’s novel No Name, and the surprising display of magic by Mr Norrell inside the York Cathedral: “Then all the other statues and monuments in the Cathedral began to speak and to say in their stony voices all that they had seen in their stony lives and the noise was…beyond description. For York Cathedral had many little carved people and strange animals that flapped their wings” (Susanna Clarke, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell).

Shopping: I didn’t visit any bookshops in York, but I did find a lovely anime shop where I spent quite some time. It is called Anime Gallery (15-17 Feasegate), and is filled with manga and anime merch. It is perfect for Studio Ghibli fans, and has a Ghibli-inspired café on the second floor. York souvenirs can mean many things, from Yorkshire tea, fudge, gin and craft beer to antiques. I recommend taking a look at an amazing selection of craft beers at House of The Trembling Madness at 48 Stonegate. Few tourists passing by are aware that there is also a great pub with medieval atmosphere and a fireplace just above the shop.

Food & Drink

Valhalla York (at 4 Patrick Pool, York) is a great place to unwind at any time of the day. This is a rustic, Viking-inspired café/bar with a rock vibe (they only play hits from rock and metal music). It serves delicious Viking-inspired platter boards named after Gods in Norse mythology (Vidar, Odin, Thor, etc.), and has a nice selection of craft beers. I especially recommend the divine Dark Ruby, which is Valhalla’s own house cask ale produced specifically for them by Half Moon Brewery based in the south of York (see the picture below).

My next recommendations are Partisan café (112 Micklegate) for breakfast, and restaurant Forest for dinner. The former serves sumptuous dishes even for its breakfast, including plates of shakshouka and eggs St Vincent. The only downside is that I wasn’t impressed with their coffee, but otherwise the place is bubbly and welcoming, albeit busy since they are popular. Forest restaurant at 54 Low Petergate, York was another great find for me. It is housed at Galtres Lodge Hotel, their foresty décor is relaxing, and their dishes are heavenly. I particularly recommend taking their seasonal soup, and for dessert – Dark Chocolate Fondant. Baked on the spot, it is a feast for the senses.

TIP: Many York attractions do require a ticket (and the Viking Centre – a paid advanced booking ticket), but the good news is that you can save money and visit many museums and attractions if you acquire the York Pass (£65 per person per day). It will give you entry to some 40 museums and attractions, with other things being also on discount. This offer does not merely include museums, York Minster and such experiences as chocolate tasting and axe throwing, but also the boat cruise and hop-on hop-off golden bus tour.

Having the York Pass means you don’t have to buy separate tickets for each attraction, and can forget about the price of tickets (including £20 for the Viking Centre, £17 for York Minster, & £17 for York Castle Museum), enjoying all the attractions in one, two or three days (the pass price comes down if you buy more days). And, I think you will have time to visit your chosen museums and attractions because many are located within a short walking distance of each other. For example, the Viking Centre, Fairfax House, and the Van Gogh Immersive Experience in a church are all within a two minute walk radius. You can allocate one or two days for all the paid attractions, and the next two days take it easy by doing shopping and visiting free attractions, such as walking the city wall or visiting the National Railway Museum.