Interesting Facts About York
25 June 2020
Ey ‘up, chuck! Hands up who has been to York before? A sprawling warren of tiny lanes enveloped in the protective arms of the city’s walls and a hodge-podge of half-timbered shop fronts and famous tea rooms. Oh, and there is a pub for every single day of the year! All of these sights and pubs are easy to visit on one of our coach tours.
With its charming blend of history and culture, it’s no wonder that the city is forever being voted as one of the best places to live in the UK. Even Guy Fawkes thought so - did you know this fiery conspirator was born and educated here? Don’t let that put you off, there is still plenty more to discover about this dreamboat in the north.
Ever so retro
If ‘Most Medieval’ was a captioned T-shirt, York would be wearing it. Not only does the city boast the oldest shopping street in Europe but the ‘Shambles’, with its quaint cobblestones and overhanging shops, is arguably the best-preserved medieval street in the world. It even gets a mention in the Domesday Book of 1086! What's more, York has the longest and best-preserved city walls in England, which loop around the labyrinthine streets like a chunky, vintage necklace.
All aboard!
York is home to one of the largest Railway Museums in the world. Attracting almost a million visitors each year, you’ll feel like you’ve been shrunken down and popped into a child’s Thomas the Tank Engine toy box! Brimming with classic steam locomotives, the museum celebrates the innovation on the railways throughout the years. A visit isn’t complete without seeing the only Japanese Bullet ‘Shinkansen’ train outside of Japan or getting up close with the Usain Bolt of the railway world - the Mallard is the world’s fastest steam locomotive.
Stairway to heaven
When it comes to cathedrals, York has got the X Factor! The iconic York Minster is the largest Gothic cathedral in northern Europe and easily one of the most stunning in the world. With world-famous stained-glass windows, did you know that this high riser took 250 years to build? We’ve heard of building work running over ‘’it will be finished by Christmas!’’ but this takes the biscuit. However, good things come to those who wait and we’re sure the Archbishop of York is happy with this palatial stunner.
And the ‘Most Haunted’ award goes to...
Don’t forget to pack your travel-sized Ouija board, because York has been named Europe’s most haunted city. With so much history, it’s no wonder that these city’s streets have picked up a few ghost stories over the years. Apparently, The Treasurer’s House saw such an astonishing apparition of a troop of ghoulish Roman centurions, that it earned the Guinness World Record for the ‘Ghosts of Greatest Longevity’. Veni, vidi, spooky! York also boasts the nation’s most haunted pub, we’ll skip the lock-in at The Golden Fleece this time, thanks.
Break us off a piece of that!
Step aside Willy Wonka, York has decades of chocolate-making history. The year 1890 saw giant chocolate factories popping up in this riverside city, which allowed many ingredients and raw materials to be transported by boat from afar. Fast-forward to the boom of the railway industry, during which chocolate products were speedily being shipped all around the country, making Terry’s and Rowntree’s household names. These days, 5 million Kit Kats are produced in York every single day, that’s over 1 billion every year!
If you think it’s time to ‘have a break’ too, then check out our selection box of Yorkshire breaks. With fascinating heritage and postcard-worthy sights at every turn, sink your teeth into a slice of York.