York, England
York has been called a “layer cake of history.” A local guide used that expression and it struck me as utterly apropos. It’s all a matter of how deep you choose to dig in the soil of this 2000 year old city. There’ no doubt, York has provided archaeologists with plenty of business through the years.
The Romans, who called their city Eboracum, left their legacy and provide the first layer of our historical cake. If anyone resided here prior to the Romans, there seems to be no definite record of it. In the years 71-73, the 9th Legion set up a new fort on the site of modern day York, to subdue the rowdy bunch to the north.
Bits and pieces of the Roman era still remain, particularly in the Yorkshire Museum located off Museum Street. As it turned out, the road where by hotel sat was first built by the Romans, making it nearly 2000 years old and still in everyday use! After learning that fact, I had a new admiration for that narrow strip of cobbled stones.
Not to be outdone, the Vikings also left their mark on York, although their section of the history cake is relatively thin. Once excavated, it was found the Viking city dates to the year 948. Their name for the town was Jorvik and apparently they found it an ideal base for trade, with its fast-flowing rivers giving easy access to distant lands.
Documents were found which mention individuals with graphic names such as Erik Bloodaxe, Thorfin Skullsplitter and Ivar the Boneless. Nevertheless, these Vikings were not considered any more warlike than other people living at that time.
At the Jorvik Viking Centre, you’ll penetrate beneath the modern day streets to see what remains of the Viking settlement.
Just to set the record straight, Vikings never wore horned helmets. Many helmets from that period have been found throughout Europe and according to the experts at the Viking Centre, none have ever been found with horns. Another myth laid to rest!
Having a personal preference for all things “Medieval” (yet another layer of our cake), York certainly did not disappoint. The Merchant Adventurers Hall is a rare gem. A merchant adventurer was actually someone who risked his own money in the uncertain business of overseas trade. They used the hall to transact business, to meet socially, to look after the poor and for religious services.
York Minister (cathedral) is the most visited site in the city. Historians say a house of worship has stood on this spot since 627 and that’s a very long time. Be sure to join a guided tour, to gain a full appreciation for this immense church. Work on the structure, which started around 1220 took 250 to complete. Young stonemasons of that time began working on the minister as early as age ten or twelve. Odd to think many of them spent their entire working lives on the project, without ever seeing it’s completion.
The stained glass of the Minister is awe-inspiring. The Great East Window is one of the largest sections of Medieval stained glass in the world, measuring roughly the same size as a tennis court! Wisely, church officials had the foresight to remove the stained glass during both World Wars. According to our guide, they removed it in panels, then transferred it to private country homes, where it was buried for protection.
York is a ghost town, though not in the usual sense of the word. They claim 140 ghosts within the old city walls, making it one of the most haunted cities of the realm. I can never resist “ghost tours” and York offered four different options. I managed two tours and loved every minute. Ghost tours generally take place in the evening and cover an area small enough for the participants to walk. Guides use their story-telling abilities and little else, to spin the yarns of shady and strange deeds of the past.
One of the most well-known ghost stories goes back to the days when the Romans occupied the city. In the 1950s a plumber, working in the cellar, first sighted a band of ghostly Roman soldiers marching through the wall of the Treasurer’s House, a structure built in 1648. This story has been recounted many times in books, articles and television. With high hopes I visited the cellar, but saw unfortunately saw no ancient Romans. The Treasurer’s House is worth a visit regardless, to see their period furnishings.
Although they must put up with tourists and tour buses year round, including many from other parts of the United Kingdom, I found the local people very helpful and friendly.
In a case of old world meeting the new techie world, the cybercafÃ?© which I frequently daily sat on an ancient road called the Swinegate-one of York’s oldest thoroughfares. I wonder what the Romans would think of emailâÂ?¦.?
