August 3

York. An historic city with lots to do and see.

The moorings are poor: concrete ledges to bang up against, no flood protection and few moorings available- and those have restaurant boats, commercial moorings or long term squatters… An opportunity missed for York.

We toured the York Castle museum, a former debtors prison and long-time part of the legal system of Yorkshire. Lots of well-done recreations of rooms, scenes, and collections of objects in place, rather than just laid out in cabinets.

streets decorated for the Tour de France,with the Minster in the background

We walked the city walls, and paused, under an archway of the city walls for a late afternoon downpour- the first encountered. A good overview of the inner city. We wandered through the Shambles, a VERY old area, recently (?) renovated in 1490, to add modern conveniences like paving stones and gutters to carry away stuff… The history is SO long!

the Shambles: old street in York

replica street in the York Castle Museum, about 1905

chemist’s shop in York Castle Museum

Sunday was a major running road race through the city, but that was delayed in starting so we missed all of it! We listened to the bells of the Minster ring (12- heavy and too intimidating for me!). The tenor is 3 tonnes. They also have a carillon we heard before evensong, and the clock chimes are in a different tower, with ‘Great Peter’; an 11 tonne bell that is used to strike the hour and chimed before Sunday 10am service. It can be heard throughout the inner city, everywhere. We attended the morning service, then did a full tour in the afternoon, including climbing the central tower and going through the undercroft. York was the most important Roman fortress, where the Emperor Constantine was elected, and which laid the foundations (literally, figuratively, and financially) for York. A very informative and interesting visit in all aspects.

Ruth and Roy depart tomorrow morning for the rest of their adventures, and I will continue on mine aboard the Wandering Canuck.

York city walls

York Minster: a very large, impressive Gothic building.

York Minster flying buttresses

York Minster bell towers: the carillon and change ringing bells in the left hand tower, with Great Peter and the rest of the clock bells in the right

York city walls