York- invaded by the Romans, Normans, Vikings and two Aussies

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York
Ariana and Lachlan Last weekend was the May Day long weekend in the UK so we decided it was time to venture out of our now comfortable Nottinghamshire and investigate what England has to offer. Just a quick train ride north we found historic York, a city we hadn’t heard much about before arriving in the UK apart from a pudding meant to be eaten with meat and a nursery rhyme about an old Duke.


The York city centre is enclosed by a stone wall which must have been built by Emperor Nasi Goreng to keep the rabbits out (ha!), or more accurately by the Romans to keep intruders out. Obviously they needed it because since 71AD York has been occupied by the Romans, the Anglo-Saxons, the Vikings, William the Conqueror, the Normans… and most recently us! These days you can walk along it from bar to bar- in York a 'bar' is actually a gate through the wall and the 'gates' are actually streets- the English language is a strange thing.


The main attraction and our reason for choosing to visit York last weekend was the York Minster. A Minster as we learnt is a cathedral built in the shape of cross along the east-west axis. As we entered the street to find the huge gothic Minster in the distance we were blown away by its sheer size but as we got closer we grew even more impressed by the intricate stonework covering the entire building. There were gargoyles, kings, angels, stained glass and spires galore. The height of the ceiling as we entered the building was even more impressive and we felt incredibly humbled to be able to enter such a magnificent building let alone climb to the top of it!


Reaching the top of the main tower via 275 (very) narrow stone steps along the steep spiral staircase was a challenge but the view from the top made the claustrophobic feeling disappear long enough to muster the strength to head back down again. Going down into the crypt under the Minster was another first for us and we tried not to let the coffins or the creepy Norman carving of hell like scenes frighten us.


Before visiting what remains of York Castle we made a brief stop at the National Rail Museum (apparently the world’s largest!). There were plenty of steam engines and even an old shinkansen from Japan but the highlight had to be the exceptionally well crafted Royal trains.


Our trip to Yorkshire couldn’t have been complete without trying the renowned Yorkshire pudding which we enjoyed with a hefty serving of Sunday roast at a local pub. The round doughy substance on the side of our plate went surprisingly well with the dish and after washing it down with some local ale we understood the appeal of this part of England.

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Photos

York City Walls
Once meant to stop invaders, the wall is now a way to walk from A to B

York Castle
This is all that remains of the original castle

Clouds gather over York Minster
Spooky!