York
United Kingdom
- Cityscape
- Mediaeval mayhem: a complete shambles
- City life
- Vicars and Vikings, tourists and tic-tac men
Ancient capital of what Yorkshiremen refer to as ‘God’s own county’, the city of York is one of England’s finest and most atmospheric mediaeval centres.
It may have once been second only to London in terms of size and prestige, but it’s now a surprisingly intimate place, in which all its major sights are easily within walking distance of each other. That’s not to say it’s easily navigable – the town planning is straight out of the Middle Ages, and crooked lanes, labyrinthine backstreets and higgledy-piggedly houses bent double with age seem designed to confuse and frustrate the tourists turning maps this way and that in the Shambles or outside the Minster. At the heart of almost every seminal period of English social and political life – the Viking invasion, the Wars of the Roses, the Reformation – York oozes history like AJP Taylor on a particularly hot day, but that’s not to say it’s backward-looking. There’s shopping, restaurants and cultural life that would put many larger cities to shame.
Pictured: Hotel du Vin York
Boutique hotels in York
Our round-up of the hippest hideaways and boutique hotels in York
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Getting there
Planes, trains, automobiles, or maybe even helicopter – we tell you the best way to go.
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Worth getting out of bed for
Highlights the best York has to offer, from art and culture to fun-packed activities; we've even found the most inspiring place to enjoy the views from.
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Eating, drinking & dancing
We've tracked down the best cafés for people-watching, the bars with the coolest cocktails, the most accomplished restaurants and the liveliest local nightlife in York.
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Smith Maps
Here is the map of York; each Mr & Mrs Smith hotel is marked by a flag; click it for more details.
moreLocal knowledge
- Taxis
- There are taxi ranks all over the city centre – with the largest one on St Saviourgate. Call Ace Taxis (01904 638888) or Yorcabs (01904 646424) if you want to book a cab.
- Tipping culture
- Service is not generally included, so tip on the generous side of 10 per cent in cafés and restaurants. Some of the smaller establishments only accept cash.
- Siesta and Fiesta
- Most shops in York close around 6pm, and you won’t find much open on Sundays – except the Minster, of course. Late-night action is tricky to find, too. You might have to resort to your minibar come midnight.
- Packing tips
- Bring comfortable shoes. There are a lot of cobbles in York.
- Recommended reads
- Kate Atkinson’s wonderful Behind the Scenes at the Museum is set in 1950s and 1960s York. The entertaining children’s book Dick Turpin: Legends and Lies by Terry Deary revolves around five strangers watching the infamous highwayman’s execution in York in 1739, while James Sharpe’s Dick Turpin: the Myth of the English Highwayman is a more scholarly treatment of the robber’s last days in the city dungeon. Yorkshire poet Tony Harrison’s The Mysteries, a contemporary adaptation of the mediaeval York Mystery Plays, is well worth checking out.
- Cuisine
- The only thing that gourmands and Yorkshire folk have in common is that they would both drop the ‘h’ when pronouncing ‘haute cuisine’. This is meat and two veg country, where owt fancy is eyed with suspicion – and simplicity and freshness is rightly revered. Yorkshire pudding features heavily – try it in its plate-sized version, filled with North Yorkshire pork sausages and thick onion gravy. Keep an eye out for Wensleydale cheese, brought into the city from the Dales, and dense slabs of ginger parkin – traditionally eaten around 5 November to commemorate the grisly death of former York resident Guy Fawkes. And don’t leave without trying a bag of Seabrooks crisps, made in nearby Bradford, which, as every Yorkshireman and woman will tell you, are simply the best crisps in the world.
- Currency
- Pound sterling (£).
- Time zone
- GMT.
- Dialing codes
- UK country code: +44; York: 01904.
- Do go/don't go
- Other than 1 August, when Yorkshire Day celebrates all things white rose, avoid coming to York in summer, when tourists from all over the world throng its narrow streets. Go in autumn, when dark evenings lend themselves to guided ghost walks amid the bowed houses and crooked alleys – and atmospheric pubs are particularly inviting.
