1. society
2. unrest and war

York Press Pack
and Book of Ideas
Take a look at the city of York & its surroundings through
new eyes with ideas and inspiration for journalists and
travel writers
Introduction
Welcome to the York Book of Ideas, a press pack with a difference.
This pack has been put together to provide new inspiration for journalists and travel writers who are
looking for fresh ideas and reasons to write about York. You may already know York offers over 30
visitor attractions from the world famous Jorvik Viking Centre to the National Railway Museum (the
largest railway museum in the world), as well as a vibrant year-round festival programme and superb
shopping.
And of course, York is a historical gem, but it is much more than that – it is a vibrant, changing city
which appeals to culture vultures and thrill seekers, to couples looking for a relaxed escape as well
as those looking for fantastic nightlife within walking distance of their hotel. It is a small city with so
much packed in, much of which has already been written about, but with a huge amount more
which still remains to be discovered.
We hope this pack will help you explain to your readers and viewers why they should choose York
for a holiday.
We hope you enjoy your stay in Britain’s most beautiful city, and we’d be delighted to assist you
with your accommodation arrangements and York Passes so that you can get a feel for the city and
the full York experience.
We look forward to welcoming you soon!
Kay and Katie
Visit York Communications
Email [email protected]
[email protected]
Kay Hyde – Head of Communications – Mobile Tel 07506 048852
PS - For even more media content visit www.visityork.org/media
TEN THINGS THAT MAKE YORK SPECIAL
1
York is home to the largest Gothic cathedral in Northern Europe: York Minster. This massive
structure took 250 years to build, from 1220 till its consecration in 1472.
2
York is home to the largest railway museum in the world, where visitors can book rail trips on the
iconic Flying Scotsman and view the only Japanese Bullet train outside of Japan.
3
The best racecourse in Great Britain is right here in York. York Races run from May to October and
attracts thousands of visitors each year. Did you know the Romans started racing in York in 208 AD?
4
The biggest Festival of Food and Drink in Great Britain takes place for ten days here in September
with some fringe events in June.
5
You can visit JORVIK Viking Centre – the only attraction of its kind that is based on a real
archaeological dig. York was the trading hub of the Viking world and the authenticity of Jorvik makes
it unique. It attracts millions of tourists and has become one of Britain’s top visitor attractions.
6
The city’s relationship with that decadent treat: chocolate. York has a long history of chocolate
making; both Nestlé (formerly Rowntree’s) and Terry’s (now owned by Kraft) started here, and Kit
Kat is the biggest seller, with around 47 bars eaten every second. In 1999 Kit Kat sales amounted to
£250 million, breaking the £¼bn barrier for the first time – and all made in York! The city now has its
very own chocolate attraction: York’s CHOCOLATE Story.
7
We have two of the country’s most beautiful national parks right on our doorstep – the Yorkshire
Dales and the North York Moors. The North York Moors Steam Railway at Goathland was the
location for the first Harry Potter film.
8
The Treasurer’s House in York was in the Guinness Book of Records for having the ‘Ghosts of
Greatest Longevity’. Built over the main Roman thoroughfare leading into York, the house was the
site of a remarkable apparition in the 1950s when ghostly centurions wandered through the cellar
along the Roman road. This is just one of the sightings in York and it been named Europe’s most
haunted city. There are a number of ghost walks to choose from.
9
York has the longest and best preserved city walls in England.
10 Finally don’t forget there are a lot of new things in the city. If you haven’t visited for a year or two
you will find a multitude of new bars, cafés and award-winning restaurants.
New things to see and do in York in 2015:
New attractions, exhibitions & galleries to see in 2015
For a small city, it can be quite surprising how many new things there are to see and do in York.
Below is a calendar of some of the most significant new attractions, exhibitions and shows opening
this year.
At a Glance
Date
Opened 2014
Opened 2014
What?
Two new permanent visitor attractions opened
- Richard III Experience at Monk Bar and Henry
VII Experience at Micklegate Bar.
John Lewis York opened at the new Vangarde
Shopping Park at Monks Cross.
Tyrannical Tudors at The York Dungeon.
Launched 2014
The Ghost Bus Tour – a new ghostly attraction.
Launched 2015
Yorkshire Food Finder
Launched 2015
Musket and Muslin Tours
Launched 2015
The Bloody Tour of York
For 2015
March – November 2015
Gr8escapes York – a new mystery and escape
attraction.
Trainspotting – the newest exhibition at the
National Railway Museum.
1914: When the World Changed Forever – a
major exhibition at York Castle Museum.
York Army Museum opens again after a
£1 million revamp.
Churchill’s Final Journey – new exhibition at the
National Railway Museum.
£4.1 million revamp for York Theatre Royal.
April – Autumn 2015
£2 million revamp project for The Bar Convent.
Summer 2015
York Art Gallery will be opening after an
£8 million revamp.
Centre of Ceramic Arts (CoCA) – is a new centre
that will be opened as a part of York Art
Gallery.
Opened 2014
Until March 2015
Until 2018
Spring 2015
30 January – 3 May 2015
Summer 2015
Richard III Experience at Monk Bar and Henry VII Experience at Micklegate Bar NEW
Two new attractions themed around the last Plantagenet monarch, the much-maligned Richard III,
and the first Tudor king, Henry VII opened in 2014. Each attraction is set within one of York’s historic
Bars – gateways into the city – covering the period from Richard III’s rise to power at the end of the
War of the Roses and his subsequent death at the Battle of Bosworth, to the rise of his nemesis,
Henry VII, including stories of medicine, health and life within late medieval and early Tudor York. It
is easy to walk from one attraction to the next along the top of York’s historic City Walls.
www.richardiiiexperience.co.uk and www.henryviiexperience.co.uk
John Lewis York at the new Vangarde Shopping Park at Monks Cross – NEW!
York’s first John Lewis store opened in 2014 at the city’s new £90 million shopping centre, the
Vangarde Shopping Park at Monks Cross. The £15 million, 92,000 sq. ft. department store offers
customers an edited collection of products across fashion, home and electronics in an inspiring and
contemporary setting. An extensive beauty range includes 17 major beauty brands such as Lancôme,
Dior and Bobbie Brown, as well as three beauty brands exclusive to the shop in the local area: Liz
Earle, Japonesque and Lipstick Queen. Customers have two eateries to choose from: The Hotel
Chocolat Cocoa Bean café on the ground floor or the Place to Eat on the first floor. The Vangarde
Shopping Park is also home to a new Marks & Spencer, a new Next store, as well as Costa Coffee,
Prezzo, Nando’s, Frankie & Benny’s, Ed’s Easy Diner and York’s first Giraffe restaurant.
www.johnlewis.com
Tyrannical Tudors – NEW!
The York Dungeon’s new fearfully funny show.
The York Dungeon has launched Tyrannical Tudors – an innovative show complete with new
characters, costumes, script and theatrical 360° set bringing an interactive, fearfully funny edge to
the experience, which covers 2,000 years of Yorkshire’s murky history.
Visitors will step back into St Mary’s Abbey 1541, where King Henry VIII has brought the dissolution
of the monasteries and York is in a bad way; the city is broke and taxes are high. Tyrant King Henry is
on the warpath, sending 4,000 soldiers to settle the score with Yorkshire for supporting the
Pilgrimage of Grace rebellion. Will you be able to stand up against King Henry’s soldiers and survive?
The York Dungeon is a 75-minute performance-based show filled with laughter, screaming, history
and special effects. The theatrical, themed tour contains nine actor-led shows, filled with comedy,
Yorkshire stories and ‘banter’. www.thedungeons.com/york
The Ghost Bus Tours – NEW!
The Ghost Bus Tours roll into town with fantastic York show!
York is well known for its ghost walks, but now visitors have a chance to hear about York’s bloody
past and ghostly present in a whole new way. The Ghost Bus Tour is a comedy theatre production
that takes place on The Necrobus. The tour combines comedy, horror and history in a thrilling
journey around the darker side of York. En route, the creepy (but often hilarious) conductor will
show visitors the sights onboard a customised 1960s Routemaster bus. Visitors will hear about the
sinister side of many of York’s most famous landmarks including Clifford’s Tower, York Minster and
Dick Turpin’s grave. Guests will also visit some of the many haunted buildings in what is claimed to
be one of England’s spookiest cities while hearing about the ghosts that reside within the medieval
City Walls. Step aboard to discover York’s dark and terrible secrets! www.theghostbustours.com
Yorkshire Food Finder – NEW!
Yorkshire Food Finder is giving food lovers the chance to “eat behind the scenes” of the city of York.
Hubbed around Andrew Pern’s The Star Inn the City, the York Trail will offer visitors and all foodie
fans the chance to delve into the gourmet nooks and crannies of the historic city like never before,
with a peak at its best artisan food producers and the opportunity to get hands-on making
chocolate, baking bread and blending coffee. Yorkshire Food Finder’s metropolitan taste trail kicks
off in mid-April with visits to Guppy’s Chocolates and Puckett’s Pickles as well as a chance to make
artisan loaves with Phil Clayton, of the Real Bread Campaign, at his Haxby Bakehouse, and learn how
to roast coffee at York Coffee Emporium at Nether Poppleton – all culminating in a fabulous feast at
the Star Inn the City, using the produce seen during the day. www.yorkshirefoodfinder.org
Musket and Muslin Tours – NEW!
Musket & Muslin offer a range of themed walks with locally born and bred historian guides, together
with an exciting and expanding programme of costumed talks and presentations. Themed walks
include Musket Walks (visitors can re-live the epic siege of York during the English Civil War), Muslin
Walks (see the splendours of the 'Age of Elegance and explore York's darker side), Sugar and Spice
Walks (about York’s hidden past), The Spirits and Spirits Experience (step back in time to discover
the vanished and visible pubs). www.musketandmuslin.co.uk
The Bloody Tour of York – NEW!
Mad Alice will take visitors on a 90 minute walking tour of the city. Down snickleways and side
streets recounting the gruesome and grisly past of the city. Stories of invasions, executions and
heads on spikes are rife on every corner. As are tales of some famous historical characters.
www.thebloodytourofyork.co.uk
Gr8escapes York – NEW!
In just one hour the guests have to solve the various codes and puzzles to flee York's first live escape
room. This new real life experience is already taking the world by storm. Groups are locked into a
room and have one hour to escape – but the only way to get out is through solving a series of
puzzles and codes hidden within the room. This attraction requires logic and a keen eye to complete
the tasks in time. Teams can range from two to five players. www.gr8escapeyork.co.uk
Trainspotting at the National Railway Museum
'Trainspotting' running until March 2015 at the National Railway Museum.
2015 marks 40 years since the opening of the National Railway Museum in York and the NRM will be
marking this very special milestone with a fantastic programme of special events and exhibitions.
With trainspotting being firmly lodged in the nation’s psyche as an activity for men clutching
notebooks on station platforms or cheeky schoolchildren incurring the wrath of stationmasters and
sneaking into engine sheds, the National Railway Museum is challenging perceptions with a new
contemporary exploration of the much misunderstood hobby. Visitors to 'Trainspotting' will be able
to experience the strong sense of anticipation that has motivated many rail fans throughout the
ages. Self-confessed trainspotter Andrew Cross, who was one of those 70s schoolchildren, was
appointed out of a shortlist of 120 artists from all over the UK and overseas, to create a fresh
interpretation of the topic which could be described as the final taboo for dinner party discussion. In
his new exploration of the topic, Andrew uses personal memories of a childhood spent travelling the
tracks plus contemporary film work to create the collective experience that links the nostalgic
pastime
with
the
international
perspective
of
the
present
day.
www.nrm.org.uk
Major new exhibition ‘1914: When the World Changed Forever’ at York Castle
Museum - NEW
Running until 2018.
The terror of total war and its revolutionary impact on life around the world will be explored in
major new exhibition 1914: When the World Changed Forever, marking the centenary of the First
World War. From the pre-war golden age of peace and prosperity visitors will experience the
recruitment office and travel via train to the horrors of the frontline – from rats to foot rot, shell
shock to gas warfare. Back home, daily life in Britain was changing beyond recognition, while around
the world millions would die as Europe's empires clashed in the first truly global conflict.
New technology and research will be combined with the museum’s extensive military, costume and
social history collections to tell the fascinating and often moving stories of Yorkshire people who
lived and died during the war they said would end all wars. This exhibition is the central part of a
£1.7 million project at the museum, with the majority of the funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund
(HLF). www.yorkcastlemuseum.org.uk
York Army Museum opened again after £1 million investment
York Army Museum will be opened again in spring 2015 after £1 million development.
Transformative new displays and themed audio visual experiences are set to give fresh insight into
key regimental battles and individual stories of conflict at the York Army Museum following the
award of a £1 million Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) grant. Home to some of the most important
regimental collections in the UK, the newly revamped museum will present key military stories in
modern and thought-provoking exhibitions including those that tell the very first story of action in
the First World War, the story of the Waterloo Sword, and will reveal the earliest surviving British
Cavalry Standard – The Dettingden Standard – dating back to 1720-40. The York Army Museum – a
former Territorial Army Drill Hall - became a military museum in 1984 and will use the investment to
transform its collections and reveal stories of national and international importance ahead of the
centenary of the outbreak of the First World War in 2014 and the 200th anniversary of the Battle of
Waterloo in 2015.
www.armymuseums.org.uk
Churchill’s Final Journey at The National Railway Museum – NEW
Winston Churchill’s Funeral Train’s 50th Anniversary will take place from 30th January to 3rd May
2015.
The National Railway Museum will be commemorating 50 years since Winston Churchill’s state
funeral at St Paul’s Cathedral in 1965 with a recreation of the funeral train which carried the
illustrious former Prime Minister from Waterloo, London, to his final resting place in Oxfordshire.
The ‘Churchill’s Final Journey’ display will showcase the cosmetically restored locomotive Winston
Churchill, part of the York museum’s collection. The Battle of Britain Class engine was chosen to haul
the former Prime Minister’s funeral train and was seen on TV by millions worldwide.
Winston Churchill was one of 44 members of the class produced by the Southern Railway between
1945 and 1950. Sir Winston was the only statesman to be given a state funeral in the 20th century,
and after the locomotive bearing his name fulfilled its solemn duty it was earmarked for
preservation and joined the National Collection in 1966. Up until 2013, the locomotive remained in
the same poor cosmetic condition since the sixties. www.nrm.org.uk
York Theatre Royal – opened again in autumn 2015 after £4.1 million revamp
2015 will see York Theatre Royal undertake a major redevelopment of its historic building, making
the most significant changes since Patrick Gwynne’s 1967 extension. The colonnade will be enclosed
to create a new main entrance with level access and more space for the theatre’s thousands of
visitors each year and the currently under used Georgian staircase will be opened up to make it
easier for audiences to access the main auditorium from both sides. The colonnade will provide
space for an improved café/bar service with free Wi-Fi and recharge points. The whole theatre will
be made more accessible with a lift in the foyer giving access to the Dress Circle where six new
spaces will be provided for wheelchair users in addition to those in the Stalls. With the extended
foyer spaces, a revamped auditorium and improved access around the building this is set to be a
significant redevelopment for the theatre. Although this will mean a brief closure from March 2015,
York Theatre Royal will be back open for the return of Berwick Kaler in the 2015 pantomime. During
the development, York Royal Theatre will be working in partnership with the National Railway
Museum, where all the productions will be taking place in a specially constructed theatrical space.
‘The Railway Children’ received huge acclaim when staged at the National Railway Museum in 2008
and 2009. York Theatre Royal will be working with the National Railway Museum to bring back their
acclaimed production of The Railway Children for summer 2015. The Railway Children enjoyed sell
out runs in York in 2008 and 2009 and then played in London’s Waterloo Station and in Toronto.
The Railway Children tells the story of Roberta, Peter and Phyllis, three children whose lives change
dramatically when their father is mysteriously taken away. They move from London to a cottage in
rural Yorkshire with their mother, where they befriend the local railway porter, Perks, and embark
on a magical journey of discovery, friendship and adventure. But the mystery remains – where is
Father, and is he ever coming back?
‘In Fog and Falling Snow’ is a story told by a cast of over 200, audiences will move through the
National Railway Museum’s collections and end up in a new purpose built theatre. Experience an
amazing story brought vividly to life by the people of York. Set in mid 1840s. York, the British nation
sets a course to dominate the world, driven by the sweat of the people and the power of steam.
Dragon-like, the hot engine forces steam through valves and pistons. The train races into the night,
whilst snow falls thick and fast over the moors. The passengers are thrilled to experience speed for
the first time in their lives. The driver strains to see into the thick night, and no one knows what
horrors the future holds.
www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk
The Bar Convent – £2 million Living Heritage Project
The Bar Convent in York, England’s oldest working convent, is set to benefit from a £2 million pound
Living Heritage Project. The project will make the Bar Convent more accessible for the 21st century,
meeting visitors’ expectations and needs. The Grade I listed Georgian buildings will be conserved
and public areas will be transformed. There will be a new two floor state-of-the-art exhibition
created, telling the inspiring histories of Mary Ward and her followers, education for girls and the
history of the Catholic church in England. The Bar Convent and its resident religious Community has
a remarkable history. With nearly 350 years of continuous history on this site, it is a unique and
important part of Yorkshire’s social, spiritual and educational life and heritage. Founded by
inspirational pioneer Mary Ward, The Bar Convent is England’s oldest living convent, uniquely still
home to a resident active religious Community. The convent welcomes around 48,000 visitors
annually to various activities and events, including the Museum, the Chapel, guest accommodation,
meeting rooms, community hub, café and gift shop. www.bar-convent.org.ukm
York Art Gallery – opened again after £8 million redevelopment
York
Art
Gallery
will
reopen
in
summer
2015.
After an £8 million development, York Art Gallery will increase exhibition space by 60% and establish
the Centre of Ceramic Arts (CoCA). The development will create a suite of three galleries to show
ambitious and high profile exhibitions, extra learning space and a new artists’ garden, which will link
to the existing York Museum Gardens. A newly built first floor South Gallery and a new gallery in the
original Victorian roof space will become CoCA, which will showcase work from the most extensive
collection of British studio ceramics in the country.
The development will also include a second entrance at the rear of the gallery into the new area of
the York Museum Gardens, better visitor facilities including a new café, shop, toilets and a lift, a new
learning room on the first floor and much improved storage for the collections.
www.yorkartgallery.org.uk
Centre of Ceramic Arts (CoCA) – NEW
The
Centre
of
Ceramic
Arts
will
open
in
summer
2015.
York Art Gallery now holds the world’s most extensive and representative collection of British studio
ceramics, thanks to the acquisition of collections from Dean Milner-White, WA Ismay and Henry
Rothschild and the recent loan of Anthony Shaw’s collection. Opening up the roof space and creating
a new upper South Gallery will make use of the height of the Victorian building. This will add some
450m² of high quality gallery space. These two new galleries will become the Centre of Ceramic Art,
showcasing the world-class collections of more than 5,000 British studio ceramics which span the
20th Century and come right up to the present day. www.yorkartgallery.org.uk
Key Festivals and Events in 2015 … and a heads up for 2016
York has a packed programme of events and festivals. See below for more details.
February 2015
14–22 February 2015
JORVIK Viking Festival
March 2015
19-29 March 2015
York Literature Festival
April 2015
3-6 April 2015
17-19 & 25-26 April
York Chocolate Festival
York Open Studios
May 2015
1-3 May 2015
9-16 May
13-15 and 30 May 2015
Tour de Yorkshire - first ever Tour de Yorkshire
international cycle race
York International Shakespeare Festival
York Races
June 2015
6 & 7 June 2015
12 & 13 June 2015
9-21 June 2015
York Food and Drink Taster Event 2015
York Races
York Festival of Ideas
July 2015
3 - 11 July 2015
York Early Music Festival
10 & 11, 24 & 25 July 2015
24 July – 2 August 2015
York Races
Great Yorkshire Fringe
August 2015
19-22 August 2015
19-31 August 2015
York Races
Yorkshire Medieval Festival – a new ten day
comedy & entertainment festival
September 2015
6 September 2015
18-19 September 2015
18-27 September 2015
York Races
National Book Fair
York Food & Drink Festival 2015
October 2015
9 & 10 October 2015
York Races
28-31 October 2015
Illuminating York
November 2015
5-8 November 2015
Aesthetica Short Film Festival (ASFF)
26 November – 20 December 2015
York St Nicholas Christmas
(incorporating the St Nicholas Fair)
Festival
–
December 2015
5-13 December 2015
York Early Music Christmas Festival
And in 2016
June 2016
8-11 September 2016
York Mystery Plays at York Minster
World Ploughing 2016 - incorporating the 66th
British National Ploughing Championships and
the 63rd World Ploughing Contest
Events in detail
JORVIK Viking Festival – 14 - 22 February
JORVIK Viking Festival’s apocalyptic ‘Ragnarok’ theme has prompted parties from Norway to New
York. In 2015, in common with the Viking legends, festival organisers will be celebrating the rebirth
of the world, examining intrepid explorers travelling to the New World, and returning to the origins
of the Norse gods, including Odin, Thor and Loki. The festival – now in its 31st year – is the largest
celebration of Viking culture in the UK, and runs for nine days at venues throughout the city.
Highlights will include a Viking wedding, Beowulf by Candlelight, a living history encampment with a
chance for members of the public to meet Viking warriors, see a replica longship, and hear songs and
saga about their epic travels and battles. Regular favourites, the Strongest Viking Competition and
Best Beard Contest take place on the final Saturday of the Festival, ahead of the epic Battle
Spectacular Finale on the evening of the 22nd February at the Eye of York. www.jorvik-vikingcentre.co.uk
York Literature Festival – 19 - 29 March
York Literature Festival 2015 features a wide range of author-related events, poetry, talks,
workshops and more. Headliners include Dr David Starkey, who will talk about 'York's Place In
History' at York Grand Opera House on Sunday 22nd March 2015.
An afternoon music and comedy special will feature hilarious poet John Hegley and top York folk
band Blackbeard's Tea Party. Jenni Murray, presenter of BBC Radio 4's 'Woman's Hour', will talk
about her life in broadcasting. Novelist Matt Haig will discuss 'Reasons to Stay Alive'.
As the festival takes place two months from a general election, this year has a political flavour, with
Guardian Journalist Polly Toynbee asking if David Cameron has been good for the country, and
Matthew D'Ancona examining the pitfalls of working with your political enemies as he scrutinises the
coalition over the last five years. There's also a range of workshops and author events, including
literary agents giving advice on how to submit work to the people who
matter.www.yorkliteraturefestival.co.uk
York Chocolate Festival – In Britain’s Home of Chocolate – 3 - 6 April
York will be once again hosting its Chocolate Festival in the spring of 2015. The four-day festival will
celebrate the many chocolate products that have been created in the city such as Chocolate Orange,
Smarties, Aero, and Kit Kat. It will focus on local artisan chocolate makers and skilled chocolatiers
who fill York's restaurants, shops and hotels with the most delectable cakes, pastries, chocolates and
desserts. The Chocolate Market will showcase the fine quality creations from local chocolatiers,
while venues and attractions throughout the city will tell their own story of their role in York's
chocolate story. There will be chocolate tastings, workshops and specialist insights into the history,
technology, product development and industry that is still strong in the city today.
www.yorkchocolatefestival.co.uk
York Open Studios 2015 – 17 - 19 & 25 - 26 April
Open over two weekends in the spring, and initiated with the aim of promoting, celebrating and
encouraging participation in the visual arts, York Open Studios is the chance to experience the world
of selected artists and makers, discover their passions and inspiration, share their knowledge and
support their engagement with the local community. With studios, workshops and exhibitions open
all over the city, York Open Studios has become a major event and over its 13 years has introduced
hundreds of artists to the public. York Open Studios is a not-for-profit organisation run by a
committee of volunteers for the benefit of York residents, artists and visitors.
www.yorkopenstudios.co.uk
York Races (May – October 2015)
13-15 & 30 May ǀ 12 & 13 June ǀ 10 & 11, 24 & 25 July ǀ 19-22 August ǀ 6 September ǀ 9 & 10 October
York Racecourse, known as the Knavesmire, has been a favourite among racegoers since it was
founded in 1731. In 2015, 17 meetings combine top class horseracing with world-class facilities to
make it a sporting and social occasion for all to enjoy. Even if your horse fails to come up with the
goods, it’s a fabulous day out in a beautiful location, a chance to dress up, and jolly good fun into the
bargain. www.yorkracecourse.co.uk
Tour de Yorkshire 2015 – first ever Tour de Yorkshire international cycle race
1 - 3 May
Excitement is building after the key locations were announced that will host a start or finish line for
the first ever Tour de Yorkshire international cycle race. Bridlington, Leeds, Scarborough, Selby,
Wakefield and York will all host a prestigious start or finish of the new UCI-approved 2.1 Europe Tour
race.
The race is expected to become a flagship cycling event in the UK in 2015 and an outstanding cycle
race in the international calendar, including the participation of top international teams. It will be
broadcast live on national TV and throughout Europe.
http://letour.yorkshire.com
York International Shakespeare Festival – 9 - 16 May
The York International Shakespeare Festival (‘YorkShakes’) is a major new cultural venture for York
and for the North. It emerges from a productive and ambitious partnership between the York
Theatre Royal, the University of York and Parrabbola, drawing in many other city, regional partners,
national and international partners. YorkShakes launches in May 2015 for the first of its annual
spring festivals. Each year it will include productions by major established companies delivering
Shakespeare in recognisable and affecting ways alongside experimental new work challenging
received ideas about specific plays, and in some cases, about the business of theatre itself. For the
eight days of the Festival, York will be given over to Shakespearean productions, screenings,
exhibitions, events, workshops, and talks with a programme featuring both international
professional theatre and local amateur theatre. There will be family friendly events suitable for
children, outreach activities into local state schools and an international conference for academics.
The festival will include a screening of the 1921 silent film Hamlet: Drama of Vengeance from Silents
Now, Romeo & Juliet from The Flanagan Collective in association with York Theatre Royal, King Lear
from Northern Broadsides (directed by internationally acclaimed director Jonathan Miller) and a
host of other work adapted and inspired by Shakespeare from around the world. The festival will
run from Saturday 9 May to Saturday 16 May and take place in venues across the city and on The
University of York campus.
http://esfn.eu/festivals/the-big-bill-festival
York Festival of Ideas 2015 – Secrets and Discoveries – 9 - 21 June
The York Festival of Ideas will return with a theme of Secrets and Discoveries. York Festival of Ideas
has talks from world-class speakers, performances, exhibitions and interactive experiences for all
ages. Venues across the city and around the University of York campus will host events as part of the
festival. www.yorkfestivalofideas.com
York Early Music Festival – 3 - 11 July
The 2015 festival starting point will be the 600th Anniversary of the Battle of Agincourt and features
cross-currents between France and England from the Middle Ages through to the Baroque.
Highlights include a newly constructed medieval soundscape for Carl Theodor Dreyer's 1928 silent
masterpiece ‘La Passion de Jeanne d'Arc’ presented by The Orlando Consort; Andrew Parrott's
‘Taverner Consort’ in a glorious programme of music reflecting the ‘Field of the Cloth of Gold’, The
Clerks' Group presenting ‘Cry God for Harry’ and the Early Opera Company in a programme of
‘Purcell and Charpentier’. The festival finishes with the 2015 International Young Artists Competition
when we welcome the next generation of early music performers to York. Further details and tickets
will be available from March 2015. www.ncem.co.uk/yemf
Great Yorkshire Fringe 2015 – 24 July - 2 August
A new ten day comedy and entertainment festival.
Top notch comedians and fantastic family entertainment will be hitting York’s city centre next year
in what promises to be a ten-day festival of fun and frivolity. The Great Yorkshire Fringe will see the
city’s well-known thoroughfares to be transformed into vibrant and exciting performance spaces,
with multiple stages and plenty of entertainment for young and old alike. The Great Yorkshire Fringe,
founded by Martin Witts, will see London’s Leicester Square Theatre and the newly opened Museum
of Comedy host a range of well-known acts and shows. There will also be a Yorkshire tent,
promoting plenty of homegrown talent.
www.greatyorkshirefringe.com
Yorkshire Medieval Festival – 19 - 31 August
The Yorkshire Medieval Festival takes God’s own County back to the Middle Ages each summer.
Organised by The JORVIK Group, creators of the famous JORVIK Viking Festival, The Yorkshire
Medieval Festival brings with it a wide range of events and activities for all the family to enjoy.
Visitors can try their hand at archery, discover mighty birds of prey with falconry demonstrations,
see brave knights battle in thrilling re-enactments and spend the day in some of Yorkshire’s most
idyllic settings. For the whole month of August, locations across Yorkshire that are brimming with
medieval history, as well as attractions within York’s City Walls, are hand-picked to host a festival of
fun, merriment and engaging historical discussion. www.yorkshire-medieval-festival.com
National Book Fair – 18 - 19 September at York Racecourse
From modest beginnings with just 20 exhibitors at the White Swan Inn in York in 1974, the York Book
Fair has grown into the largest rare and collectable books fair in the UK. Held over two days, over
220 of the country's leading booksellers offer a breathtaking diversity of books, as well as posters,
ephemera, manuscripts, maps and prints, ranging in price from just a few pounds up to tens of
thousands of pounds. Besides booksellers there will also be bookbinders, paper restorers,
calligraphers and others in the associated trades’ area. www.yorkbookfair.com
York Food Festival: 6 - 7 June (taster event), 18 - 27 September 2015
2015 Theme: Food in words and pictures
York Food and Drink Festival will offer day and evening events from wine tastings, talks and food
tastings to cookery demonstrations and hands on workshops in some of the city’s iconic historic
buildings. There will be special restaurant offers and menus, as well as the chance to sample an
eclectic mix of foods from Yorkshire and around the world. This ten day annual festival in September
is the largest food and drink festival in the UK, with more venues than any other. Each year the food
festival takes on a different theme and for 2015 this will be ‘food in words and pictures, which will
include: an online cookery book, an edible hat, a food photography competition and recreations of
historic York recipes. A smaller ‘taster’ event in June will whet your appetite for what’s to come with
chef demonstrations, bars and the launch of the food in words and pictures theme.
A more detailed programme is to be confirmed. www.yorkfoodfestival.co.uk
Illuminating York – 28 - 31 October
Illuminating
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October 2015 sees the 11 return of Illuminating York, the cutting edge annual digital arts and
lighting festival which invites visitors to discover York in a new light. www.illuminatingyork.org
Aesthetica Short Film Festival (ASFF) – 5 - 8 November
An established and dynamic player on the UK film festival circuit and BAFTA qualifying, the
Aesthetica Short Film Festival (ASFF) is a celebration of independent film from across the world, and
an outlet for championing and supporting short filmmaking. Spanning all genres including drama,
documentary, animation, comedy, music video, thriller, experimental and artists’ works, the festival
showcases its films across 15 distinct and historic locations in the city of York. Moving between
medieval halls, ancient city walls, boutique cinemas, quirky stores, lively café bars, art spaces and
museums, the festival invites visitors to create their own unique viewing experience. Alongside
screenings, ASFF also presents a series of masterclasses and workshops with leading industry figures,
working with such organisations as BAFTA, Channel 4, Warp Films, Raindance, Sheffield Doc/Fest and
many more. There are also networking opportunities and social events across the weekend.
www.asff.co.uk
A York Christmas: York St Nicholas Christmas Festival incorporating the St
Nicholas Fair – 26 November - 20 December
York is launching a festive programme for 2015, set to place the city as the top destination in the UK
for a Christmas break. Officially declared the Christmas Capital of the UK, few places in Britain exude
a Christmassy atmosphere the way York does. Not only are its streets lined with exclusive shops,
quality high-street stores, great restaurants, café bars, pubs and attractions, but the city celebrates
Christmas in style with a range of seasonal events, markets and festivities.
In addition to popular St Nicholas Fair, there will be a host of festive events at York’s visitor
attractions, as well as the daily Shambles market, Made in Yorkshire Festive Fayre at the medieval
Guildhall, and the Festive Market at Barley Hall will all go to make up York’s St Nicholas Festival
programme. www.visityork.org/christmas
York Early Music Christmas Festival – 5 - 13 December
The festival will showcase early music ensembles from across the world – with a sparkling
programme of music for the festive season. www.ncem.co.uk/xmas
COMING UP IN 2016
York Mystery Plays at York Minster – June 2016
The 800 year-old gothic cathedral of York Minster will undergo a spectacular transformation in June
2016 to become a monumental auditorium for a much anticipated, month-long staging of the York
Mystery Plays 2016. The Mystery Plays will return to York Minster for the first time since the
acclaimed Millennium production in 2000 when over 28,000 people attended the sell-out
performances which had an ensemble cast of more than 200 local amateur actors and, in keeping
with the tradition of the Mystery Plays, just one professional actor. Local performers will once again
be at the heart of the Minster’s production. www.yorkminster.org
World Ploughing 2016 – 8 - 11 September 2016 at Crockey Hill
Incorporating the 66th British National Ploughing Championships and the 63rd World Ploughing
Contest.
Organised by the Society of Ploughmen, World Ploughing 2016 will incorporate both the 66 th British
National Ploughing Championships and the 63rd World Ploughing Contest and is being organised by
the society by kind permission of Hobson Farming Ltd who are loaning around 500 acres of land to
hold the event. Supporting World Ploughing 2016 will be trade stands, demonstrations of modern
farming equipment, vintage displays and demonstrations celebrating Britain’s agricultural heritage,
craft exhibits, horse ploughing and a host of other events to attract farmers, their families and
people with a love of the countryside. www.ploughmen.co.uk
18 new ideas for a first time in York...
In this section, we look at different travellers and their motivations for looking for different holiday
destinations, and then explain why York is perfect for each of them. This is just to whet your
appetite! We’re currently working up more detailed itinerary ideas for each of these themes – do let
us know if you’d like more information or if you’d like to arrange a press trip to experience one of
the themed ideas.
1) …York for two-wheeled explorers
Where cycling is a way of life
The Tour de France Grand Départ Stage 2 in the city on 6th July 2014 allowed York to wear its cycling
heart on its sleeve – even York Minster sported a yellow shirt on its roof to mark the occasion. From
1st to 3rd May 2015, ‘Tour of Yorkshire’ will take place in York to celebrate almost a year passing since
the Tour de France and to bring all bicycle-lovers back to Yorkshire! Excitement is building after the
key locations were announced that will host a start or finish line for the first ever Tour de Yorkshire
international cycle race. Bridlington, Leeds, Scarborough, Selby, Wakefield and York will all host a
prestigious start or finish of the new UCI-approved 2.1 Europe Tour race. The race, which will be held
on 1-3 May (Friday to Sunday), is expected to become a flagship cycling event in the UK in 2015 and
an outstanding cycle race in the international calendar, including the participation of top
international teams. It will be broadcast live on national TV and throughout Europe. See more on
http://letour.yorkshire.com.
As one of the premier cycling cities in the country – with 19% of the population cycling to work,
compared with a national average of 3% – York’s extensive network of over 100km of off-road cycle
paths and on-road cycle lanes offers safe, easy access into and around the city, whether you are
discovering or rediscovering the joys of cycling on your own, with friends or looking to join a group.
And contrary to popular opinion that most cyclists nowadays are middle-aged men in Lycra, York’s
Scoot Cycling Holidays has more females booking tours and cycling holidays than males.
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Why choose York for your cycling getaway?
You can reach the parts of the city you can’t get to on a bus tour, taking in popular sights as well as
hidden gems. For example, Scoot Cycling Holidays’ tour of York covers eight miles of the city in two
hours.
The facilities for cyclists are unbeatable, such as the high quality cycle retailers for accessories and
repairs, cycle parking at popular visitor destinations, combined cycling/pedestrian routes, signalled
crossings, advanced stop lines at traffic signals and Bike and Ride – in conjunction with the Park and
Ride scheme.
Cycle-friendly guest houses, B&Bs and luxury hotels.
Affordable bike hire – you can collect a bike or have one delivered to you – from Cycle Heaven (York
Railway Station) and Get Cycling.
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Routes pass through the heart of the city and along the River Ouse, giving access to some of the
city’s most attractive landmarks and extending out in to the surrounding countryside.
York is linked to several regional, national and international cycle networks that reach from Scotland
to Sweden.
The Olympic-sized outdoor velodrome – the only one in Yorkshire and the North East of England –
opened to the public in 2014, and features a 250-metre macadam track rising to a 30-degree
gradient bank. www.york-sport.com
York Bike Belles, York’s NEW cycling community for women www.facebook.com/yorkbikebelles
Your Bike Shed, a café where cycling and café culture meet in one relaxed and friendly environment
by Micklegate Bar. Get your bike fixed or serviced, pick up a spare part and enjoy fantastic coffee
and nutritious locally sourced food. www.yourbikeshed.co.uk
Cycle Yorkshire Ride the Routes, an innovative new mobile app designed around the Yorkshire stages
of the Tour de France Grand Départ in Yorkshire. Encompasses information on the routes, hints and
tips on how to cycle specific sections and general rural cycling road safety advice. Available to
download from bit.ly/cycleyorkshire
The 1000th mile of cycle path in Yorkshire! www.sustrans.org.uk
2) …York for sports enthusiasts
A visit is sure to quicken your pulse
Sports enthusiasts of the armchair or participant variety will be cheered on by York’s diverse range
of amateur and professional sporting events and activities:
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Want to see the sights and get fit? In York you can participate in a jogging tour of the city with ‘York
on the Run’.
If golf is your passion, stay for a week and play at a different course each day. York has seven golf
clubs, including the course at Fulford which is home to 23 international and European professional
tour events and the only 27-hole golf complex in the York area. In addition, Heworth (the four-par
three holes are rated as the toughest par threes in the York Union of Golf Clubs)
Push your physical and mental limits in a Rat Race Adventure Sports event. The team also sells a
wide range of bikes, accessories and all things extreme sports-related.
One of sport's most important tournaments, Snooker's williamhill.com UK Championship, will be
back at the York Barbican from November to December 2015.
Cheer on your winning horse at York Racecourse – one of the premier tracks in Europe having
recently won Flat Racecourse of the Year Award.
Head for the heights at Web Adventure Park (high wire).
3)…York for garden lovers
Outdoor inspiration, from window box to stately home
From fields of lavender to banks of daffodils, cottage gardens to vegetable plots, and bluebell woods
to wide open parklands, York is within easy reach of some of the most beautiful and inspiring
gardens in England, not to mention areas of outstanding natural beauty. To combine green fingered
delights with some of the best views of Yorkshire – all within an hour’s drive of the centre of York –
don’t miss:
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The UK’s biggest National Collection of hardy Waterlillies at Burnby Hall Gardens.
The UK’s longest and one of the Europe’s longest double herbaceous border at Newby Hall and
Gardens.
One of England's most comprehensive collections of modern roses (over 2,000 varieties), plus an
Arboretum linked to Kew Gardens at Castle Howard.
RHS Harlow Carr, the most northern of the RHS’ four gardens. Visit the ‘Gardens Through Time’, the
Alpine House or the Kitchen Garden.
Not forgetting York’s own Botanical Gardens and Goddard’s garden – at the former home of
chocolate entrepreneur, Noel Terry.
For a different take on gardening, you could:
Visit the rose window at York Minster.
Spend a couple of hours with Tracy Foster, who designed the acclaimed Chelsea Gold Medal-winning
Welcome to Yorkshire Garden in 2012, learning design techniques to create the illusion of space –
even in the smallest garden – at Stillingfleet Lodge Gardens.
Stillingfleet Lodge Gardens offers a variety of workshops and talks on how to manage and create
beautiful gardens.
4) …York for couples with a new baby
York is the baby-friendly city with a grown-up vibe!
The prospect of going away for the first time with your young baby can be daunting but in York it
couldn’t be easier. Not only will new parents find pram-accommodating, baby-welcoming tea rooms,
cafés, shops, attractions and hotels, but with the needs of your baby cared for and with so much to
see and do, you’ll soon feel like a romantic couple again! York offers:
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Fantastic shopping with brilliant baby changing facilities both in the city centre and out of town e.g.
York Designer Outlet, offering fashion, household, and even a Mamas and Papas Outlet.
World-class attractions with plenty of room to push the pram around e.g. York Minster, the National
Railway Museum and York Castle Museum.
Plenty of informal, ‘grown-up’, as well as independent restaurants with baby changing facilities, e.g.
Kennedy’s Bar & Restaurant, El Piano and Strada.
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Beautiful traffic-free streets and riverside walks.The chance to catch up on the latest films at City
Screen’s ‘Big Scream Club’ – no baby, no entry!
Hotels in York are geared up for babies; many provide high chairs, cots, heat up milk bottles, baby
listening facilities and some hotels (including the Novotel) can arrange babysitting if you want a
romantic night out with your partner during your visit.
5) …York for history buffs
England’s history through a treasure trove of objects - ‘the history of York is the
history of England’– King George VI
It’s true; little things really do say a lot as York’s collection of curious objects demonstrates. The
fascinating facts they reveal speak volumes about the ancient city, which is home to many of the
country’s rarest treasures.
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Captain Scott of the Antarctic’s tin of cocoa - This treasured home comfort was found beside the
frozen explorer’s remains. It survived one of the world’s most famed and daring expeditions and is
now back in the city it was made in. See it at York’s CHOCOLATE Story.
Unusual artefacts made by German and Turkish prisoners of war - Including a glass bead snake from
WWI, a ship in a bottle, a cigarette case made of aluminium and a duck toy. See them at Eden Camp
Modern History Theme Museum which is housed within an original prisoner of war camp.
The York Helmet - the most outstanding object of the Anglo-Saxon period to survive in Europe.
Dated to approximately 750 to 775AD, this iron and brass helmet was discovered when struck by the
claw of a mechanical digger – luckily the operator stopped to check what had been hit. See it at the
Yorkshire Museum.
The Horn of Ulf - The Chapter of York, which remains the guardian of York Minster, was given the
land on which York Minster and its precincts stand by a Viking nobleman called Ulf, who owned a
significant estate around York. As a symbolic deed of trust, he presented the Chapter with a large
and ornate ivory horn, the Horn of Ulf. See it in the Minster’s new Undercroft exhibition.
A lock of steam locomotive designer Robert Stephenson’s hair believed to have been taken at the
time of his death in 1859. See it at the National Railway Museum.
A Roman hairpiece from the late 3rd to early 4th century – this exceptionally rare hairpiece was
discovered in York and probably belonged to a girl who was in her mid-teens when she died. The bun
of auburn hair was found with two jet hairpins in a stone coffin.
One of the finest pieces of Gothic jewellery found in Britain – the Middleham jewel and ring. A
member of the powerful Neville family whose home was based at Middleham Castle may possibly
have had this fantastic jewellery made by one of London’s famous goldsmiths. See it at the Yorkshire
Museum.
6) …experiencing a city through technology
York is a city where viewing history through an iPad screen can be an enlightening
experience
Can’t travel without your iPad? York may be a city steeped in history but there’s more than enough
to satisfy the technologically inclined during a visit, including some new hi-tech products for 2015 to
help you explore York with the help of your pocket PC:
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The York Hologram Tour App connects you to the world's first app tour of hologram guides and takes
your visit to historic York to a whole new, digital dimension! You can conjure holograms including
Dick Turpin's hangman, Richard III's valet or 'Railway King' George Hudson, who each reveal a little of
their lives and the area. And you can be photographed with the hologram too!
York Museums Trust has launched three new free history trails apps for your mobile.
A new events app provides an easy way for people to view, book, share and review events and
festival information while planning their trip or while in the city. The app will be a single source of
information on events in the city.
New CityConnect Wi-Fi in York is a free public Wi-Fi service that is available 24/7, 365 days a year
and has been designed and managed by Pinacl Solutions.
‘Cycle Yorkshire Ride the Routes’ is an innovative new mobile app designed around the Yorkshire
stages of the Tour de France Grand Départ in Yorkshire. It encompasses information on the routes,
hints and tips on how to cycle specific sections and general rural cycling road safety advice.
Available to download from bit.ly/cycleyorkshire.
The York Churches app shows the whereabouts of all York's churches on a GPS-enabled map, plus a
quick intro to them, their history and crucially their current life.
7) …York for spiritual exploration and ecclesiastical architecture
A treasure-trove of medieval churches and their stories
‘York has England’s finest set of medieval town churches. It has also been successful in bringing them
back to life … and … they remain a wonderful complement to York Minster, evoking some sense of an
English city in the late Middle Ages, each neighbourhood owing allegiance to an often tiny place of
worship, enclosed by lanes and alleys.’
From England’s Thousand Best Churches, by Simon Jenkins.
Today, 19 medieval churches are still standing and regular services continue to be held in the
majority of them. The following give a flavour of what you can see:
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York Minster: second in importance only to Canterbury Cathedral in the Church of England, its spires
dominate York’s skyline.
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The largest Gothic cathedral in Northern Europe, taking 250 years to build, and nearly 200 feet high,
it has more original medieval stained glass than any other church in England (the east window is the
size of a tennis court), and endless examples of master craftsmanship.
Holy Trinity, Goodramgate: truly a hidden gem, the second oldest of York’s medieval churches with
original box pews and rare 15th century stained glass.
Holy Trinity, Micklegate: once a substantial priory. The city’s stocks remain in the churchyard today.
All Saints, Pavement: outstanding features include a 13th century knocker on the door, a 15th century
lectern and a 17th century pulpit from which John Wesley preached.
All Saints, North Street: has the finest medieval stained glass of all York’s churches, in particular the
window from 1425 which depicts the 15 signs of the end of the world, which was at that time
expected to occur in 1500.
St Michael-le-Belfrey, High Petergate: home to the baptismal record of Guy Fawkes.
The Spurriergate Centre is the only café with a full peel of bells.
8) …York for lovers
York on one knee – the ultimate city of romance
If you’re looking for somewhere romantic, York spells it out:
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R ailways are an important part of York’s heritage. The city boasts a beautiful, Victorian railway
station – could there be a more slushy setting for farewells or reunions? York is also home to the
world’s largest railway museum. Here you can marry on the platform, inside a historic carriage or
alongside Queen Victoria’s carriage in the Royal Gallery!
O’ Tell Me The Truth About Love, wrote WH Auden in his famous poem of the same name. Auden
was born in York on 21 February 1907.
M ajestic and imposing, York Minster is the largest Gothic cathedral north of the Alps. Did any
building in Britain ever inspire such feelings from the heart as this architectural masterpiece? The
Duke of Kent married Miss Katherine Worsley here in June 1961; this was the first Royal wedding in
York Minster since King Edward III married Philippa of Hainault there in 1328.
A lmost half of all wedding ceremonies that take place in York are for couples who do not live here.
This could have something to do with the fact that York has previously appeared in The Independent
newspaper’s 50 Best Places in the World to be Married.
N ovelists, past and present, have taken York and its evocative surroundings as inspiration for their
work. Within a short drive of the city lie the romantic Yorkshire Moors where Emily Brontë penned
her novel Wuthering Heights, the story of unrivalled love between Cathy and Heathcliff.
T wo Love Lanes can be found in York, double the quota in most cities. One is behind The Mount, the
other alongside the Ouse in Fulford.
I dyllic gardens provide the perfect setting for your wedding pictures and can be found close to the
city centre or at many of our approved venues. Take a walk around Museum Gardens near the
Yorkshire Museum or visit Dean’s Park behind the Minster.
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C ivil weddings and partnerships in York take place in arguably some of the most romantic venues in
the country – medieval guildhalls, unique attractions and stately homes. Nearly 1,000 civil weddings
take place in York every year
Y um! York is the home of chocolate – how better to say ‘I love you’ than with a handmade box of
chocolates?
O ne of the biggest collections of Valentine cards in the UK can be found in the York Castle Museum.
A thousand or more messages of love are in the archives – including possibly the oldest printed
Valentine’s card in the world. This was published on 12 January 1797 by John Fairburn of 146
Minories, London.
R ide through the city in a romantic horse and carriage. Tours leave from near the Minster.
K iss your partner below the West Window of York Minster and you’ll remain together forever,
according to local superstition. Look up at the window to see the heart-shape worked into the
tracery, known as the ‘Heart of Yorkshire’.
9) … York for family and wallet-friendly staycations
York’s got everything for the whole family
Promise your children a trip to a city famed for Kit Kats, Viking warriors, spooky ghosts, highwaymen,
Guy Fawkes and railways and you should have them eating out of your hand. Add some traditional
Yorkshire thrift and you’ve got the perfect place for a family break.
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What’s good about York for you and your family?
Most of the historic streets in the city centre are traffic-free.
The city is so compact you can walk from one attraction to the next quite easily, even with younger
children.
There is a wide range of accommodation, where family rooms are available, from luxury self-catering
apartments offering great value without compromising on quality to the city centre YHA for great
value – ideal for school groups or families on a budget.
For pure family fun of the ‘run off energy’ type, you can’t beat Creepy Crawlies, where you will find
one of the biggest four lane Astra slides in the country, six different play zones, an outdoor
adventure park, animal farm, plus an award-winning café!
Must-sees include:
JORVIK
The National Railway Museum
York Minster
York’s CHOCOLATE Story
York Castle Museum
The Yorkshire Museum
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Lots of free must-see things to see and do too:
Visit Dick Turpin’s grave or Guy Fawkes’ birthplace, have a picnic in the botanical gardens – Museum
Gardens – or take a riverside walk.
Visit the National Railway Museum: The largest railway museum in the world is home to a wide
range of railway icons and millions of artefacts, from the Japanese bullet train to Thomas the Tank
Engine.
Walk the City Walls: At 3.4 kilometres long they are the longest medieval city walls in England.
Play in the parks: Museum Gardens, Rowntrees’ Park, York Designer Outlet’s covered play area.
Go on a free city walking tour: You’ll get fresh air, exercise, fun and history all in one go!
Save more:
...with a York Pass. Once purchased the York Pass offers you a choice of free entry into over 30 York
attractions and tours, as well as restaurant and shopping offers. You can buy a one, two or three-day
pass, making it a superb addition to your leisure break.
…by using the Park and Ride. If you’re driving, it is easy and straightforward to leave your car at one
of the several Park and Ride sites around the city and hop on a bus. Parking is free and the buses are
frequent.
10) …York for music lovers
York’s thriving music scene includes big name acts and local artists
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York has many strings to its bow when it comes to music and can play along to anyone’s favourite
tune. As well as musical events such as The University of York Concert Series, the Music Live Festival
and York Minster’s services and concerts all mentioned in the cultural ideas section of this pack, a
big part of York’s music scene belongs to its diverse range of street performers and bands who make
music free and accessible across the city and its pubs, clubs and restaurants. These include:
The red piano playing busker who has had more than 230,000 hits on YouTube seen playing one of
his original tunes, ‘Chokin' Boogie’
‘Encouraging the Loony’ plays at the Victoria Vaults on the first Tuesday of every month. This ‘loud
and proud’ band performs a mix of comedy and ‘going for it’ music, playing everything from boogiewoogie to Rachmaninov, Tom Jones to The Beatles, and Led Zeppelin to Herbie Hancock and Scot
Joplin.
Ed Alleyne-Johnson is a British electric violinist and prolific busker. He has been busking since he was
a Fine Art student at Oxford University in the early 1980s and uses an electric violin that he carved
with a kitchen knife, a custom pedal-board, and an amplifier which he modified to run off
rechargeable batteries. This setup has enabled him to perform on the street in almost every major
city in Europe, and across the United States and Canada.
The Voice contestant Beth McCarthy is one of York’s popular buskers.
Music at the National Centre for Early Music ranges from folk, jazz, 20th century and world music,
plus Britain’s premier festival of early music every year.
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The Nook is a small cosy café that changes into a bohemian bar with great cocktails (and good
prices!) with open-mic evenings every Friday, where young Yorkies share their talent with everyone
in the café.
Ryedale Jazz Festival take place in venues across Pickering and is run by Ryedale Jazz Society, which
was founded with the aim of introducing traditional jazz to younger audiences as well as ensuring
that enthusiasts have opportunities to enjoy performers from all over the country.
On a final musical note, Yorkshire’s favourite spring sound is birds singing. In a poll of over 2,000
people, of those living in Yorkshire, the National Trust found that 70% declared that birdsong was
their favourite sound of spring.
11) …becoming a Yorkie. Did you know facts...
Experience York like a local – forget the guidebook, this is an unconventional city…
York is one of those places that however many times you’ve been and however well you think you
know it, there’s always something new to discover that will surprise and delight you. Just think what
new nuggets of information you’ve yet to find out…
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For example:
Did you know … that the Merchant Adventurers’ Hall has a coded letter from King Henry VIII about
piracy in the North Sea? The code could not be broken until the 1960s!
Did you know … one of the memorials in the Minster is dedicated to Jane Hodson, wife of a
chancellor to the Minster, who died in 1636, aged 38, presumably of exhaustion, having given birth
to 24 children …
Did you know … a little red devil sits outside No 33 Stonegate, not because the inhabitants were
diabolical, but because the building was once a printer’s (‘Printer’s devils’ were errand-boys who had
to carry hot metal type).
Did you know … about York’s unusual walking tours: the Historic Toilet Tour, the Graveyard, Coffin
and Plague tour, the Guy Fawkes Trail and the Bloody Execution Tour.
Did you know … a contributing factor to York’s churchyards overflowing when the plague hit in 1604
was because the mayor foolishly ordered the killing of all the cats and dogs – therefore leaving no
predators for the plague-carrying rats!
Did you know … The Black Swan at Peasholme Green - an inn and hostelry since the 18th century still retains its original outer door complete with Black Death spy hole, used to check that whoever
was knocking was not infected with plague.
Did you know … The Bar Convent, the oldest living convent in England, established in 1686, has a
beautiful neo-classical chapel dating from 1769 which has a priest’s hiding hole and eight separate
exits to facilitate the escape of the congregation in the event of a raid during the time Catholicism
was outlawed in Britain.
Did you know … The Yorkshire Air Museum is unique in being both a memorial and a museum? It is
based on the site of what is now the largest original WWII Bomber Command Station open to the
public, RAF Elvington. Its Memorial Gardens provide a peaceful place for visitors to reflect on the
sacrifice of the 55,800 airmen of Bomber Command who lost their lives during WWII
12) …York for culture vultures
The cultural heart of England for over 2000 years
For true culture vultures – in search of intellectual and artistic development – York’s historic setting
and contemporary vitality provide the riches of a truly cultural city.
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The streets surrounding York Minster, King’s Manor and St William’s College are steeped in an
unmistakeably intellectual, academic atmosphere. This has been a place of historians, of
archaeological and religious study, of choristers, of book publishing, of scholarly endeavour - for
hundreds of years.
York’s museums (The Yorkshire Museum and York Castle Museum) display the city’s wealth of
historical and artistic treasures, from Roman times to York’s genteel Georgian days.
The Art Gallery is remarkable for its collection of important European paintings spanning seven
centuries, with works by Bellotto, Reynolds, Lowry and York-born William Etty.
Cultural offerings range from medieval music in the Minster to challenging drama, world music and
innovative venues and showcases for new artists of all kinds.
The packed programmes at the Grand Opera House and York Theatre Royal range from grand opera
and classical ballet to Stomp and Soul Explosion.
Concerts at the National Centre for Early Music feature folk, jazz, 20th century and world music as
well as Britain’s premier festival of early music every year.
Events and festivals reflect the cultural nature of any city and York is no exception. The University of
York Concert Series, the Music Live Festival every May, York Minster services and concerts, a thriving
jazz and folk scene all make York a perfect place for music lovers.
City Screen York is one of Britain’s Picture House cinemas. As well as screening arthouse,
independent and quality mainstream films, the Basement Bar hosts diverse music, poetry and
comedy events plus a regular film quiz night.
13) …York for food and drink
Visit for great restaurants… with plenty to fill in the time between meals, too!
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Yorkshire folk take their food and drink seriously which is probably why Yorkshire now boasts the
largest number of Michelin-starred restaurants than any other county in England outside of London.
So it’s no surprise that as Yorkshire’s ancient capital, York flies the flag for good food and drink in the
region:
York’s ‘Foodie Street’ is Fossgate (voted third best foodie street in the UK in the annual ‘Google
Street View Awards’.
York was crowned the best gastro destination in the UK and fifth best in Europe by TripAdvisor
(2011).
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York Festival of Food and Drink, held every September is the largest event of its kind in the UK, and a
massive showcase for the restaurants, hotels, shops and food manufacturing companies.
The Yorkshire pudding has been voted the top Yorkshire icon (above the Minster and the Yorkshire
Dales) (Dalesman Survey 2014) – you can learn how to make one on a cookery course in York.
York’s world-renowned tea rooms Bettys Café Tea Rooms – are simply the place to sample a
Yorkshire Fat Rascal and a ‘proper’ cup of tea.
York has 34 Fair Trade cafés and restaurants.
York’s award-winning food and drink suppliers include The Farmer’s Cart, The Balloon Tree and
Demijohn.
York’s award-winning chefs include Roux-trained Michael Hjort at Melton’s and Andrew Pern at Star
Inn The City.
Spring Espresso on Fossgate is one of only a handful of shops to achieve a Five Cup standard from
the Beverage Standards Association, as well as winning Best Latte in the UK 2012 and Best Tea 2013.
Their coffee is overseen by a UK Barista Championship Semi Finalist.
14) …York for shopaholics
A centre of trade since Roman times, York still excels at providing retail therapy
for shopaholics of every type
With more than 2,000 shops, shopping is one of York’s main attractions. The fantastic range of
unique independent and designer shops so perfectly intertwined with magnificent attractions,
pedestrianised streets and peaceful havens make shopping in York an experience in itself. The city
centre has a vast array of shops – many of them unique to York – selling everything from fine china
and heraldic art to handcrafted souvenirs, unusual books, antiques and designer clothes. And, of
course, they sit alongside York’s magnificent historical buildings, so shopping and sightseeing are
easily combined.
Just outside the city is York Designer Outlet (over 120 stores with up to 50% off all the labels you
love, including Armani Collections, Coast, LK Bennett, Hobbs and Jaeger) and Monks Cross shopping
for a huge TX Maxx, Outfit and Laura Ashley.
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York’s shopping streets at a glance:
The Shambles - one of the best preserved medieval shopping streets in Europe and awarded the title
of most picturesque street in Britain in the Google Street View Awards. Some of the beautiful old
buildings still have exterior wooden shelves, reminders of when cuts of meat were served from the
open windows.
Stonegate - leads to the Minster from St Helen’s Square, and was originally the ‘Via Pretoria’, or
principal road of Roman York. One of York’s prettiest streets, it boasts some fantastic medieval and
Georgian architecture.
Swinegate Quarter - a stone’s throw from the Minster, in the former medieval swine-market and red
light district, this area is made up of Little Stonegate, Back Swinegate and Grape Lane (for obvious
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reasons once known as Grope Lane). Cobbled streets, snickleways, the city’s oldest print works and
the famous medieval Barley Hall add to its character.
Goodramgate – dates from the 14th century and is home to the oldest row of houses in York, and
possibly the country.
Petergate - named after the Minster, which is dedicated to St Peter. It started life as one of the main
streets through a massive fortress housing 5,600 Roman soldiers in AD71.
Coney Street - York’s most modern shopping street runs along the course of a former Roman road,
which lay just outside the Roman fortress and almost parallel to the eastern bank of the River Ouse.
Fossgate - home of the fish market in medieval times it was also known as Tricksters Lane after the
unscrupulous traders who set up shops there. These days it is far more respectable, although it
retains a certain bohemian charm. Mysterious tunnels in Fossgate, discovered when a pub was
demolished in the early 1960s, are now thought to be the Roman Sewer System.
New shops/interesting shops to try:
John Lewis, M&S and Next opened at the new Vangarde Shopping Park at Monks Cross.
Dog & Bone Vintage – a brand new Vintage shop on Gillygate – established from a market stall in
Brighton.
Hairy Fig – ‘Purveyors of Fine Fodder’ - quirky deli with lots of local produce to buy.
Cleggs – high quality gifts for the home – Cleggs make and renew unique products by hand, as well
as sourcing fairly traded items from crafts people around the world.
Burgins Perfumery, Coney Street - an independent perfumery established in 1880, stockists of major,
bespoke and exclusive brands.
Palenque – independent jeweller occupying a beautifully restored and maintained Tudor building
with a double fronted window and original interior features.
Monkbar Chocolatiers, The Shambles – Artisan chocolatiers - chocolates are made on the premises
and customers can see the various stages of production.
Cycle Heaven – independent bike retailer.
York Antique Centre, Stonegate and Red House Antiques Centre, Duncombe Place
Mulberry Hall, Stonegate – this beautiful, medieval shop is established as one of the world’s leading
fine china and crystal specialists.
Pyramid Gallery, Stonegate – offers one of the country’s finest selections of British made
contemporary crafts, jewellery and original prints.
15) …York for chocoholics
York - Britain’s Home of Chocolate is the perfect place for chocoholics
When it comes to chocolate, there really is no place like York. You can literally eat, breathe and sleep
it.
York’s reputation as the city of chocolate dates back to the 20th century when two of the most
famous names in chocolate set up shop: Joseph Rowntree went on to create Kit Kat, Smarties and
Aero, and Joseph Terry the Chocolate Orange and All Gold collection.
Today York’s love of chocolate is as strong as ever and can be experienced in numerous attractions,
restaurants and shops around the city. If you’re seeking extra helpings of cocoa there’s even an
annual spring chocolate festival complete with a ‘chocolate market’ showcasing local chocolate
makers’ creations, and also chocolate tastings and workshops.
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York’s unique chocolate experiences include:
Treat yourself to a visit to York’s CHOCOLATE Story - one of York’s biggest visitor attractions
celebrates the mouth-watering story of chocolate and confectionery in York. Discover chocolate's
origins, how to make it and how to taste it like an expert.
Walk the Chocolate Trail - A chocolate-themed walking trail with sweet treats at every turn.
www.visityork.org/chocolate
Follow in the footsteps of Joseph Rowntree on the Rowntree Trail.
Book onto a chocolate-making workshop – York offers a range of practical courses from the city’s
experts including chocolatier Sophie Jewett at York Cocoa House. Learn how to make your own
chocolate to show off and share.
Visit Goddard’s – home to the Terry family - visit this former arts and crafts-style family home built in
the 1920s with a perfect view from the beautifully secluded gardens across the Knavesmire to the
former iconic Terry’s chocolate factory.
Book your hotel stay - where you can wake up and smell the chocolate still being made in the Nestlé
factory. In fact, you can often breathe in the scent of chocolate as you walk through the streets –
York’s chocoriffic experience that has absolutely no calories!
16) …York for ghost hunters
A ghost around every corner in Europe’s Most Haunted City...
With its history of conflict York boasts more than its fair share of ghoulies, ghosties and things that
go bump in the night. In fact, sometimes it seems as though a ghostly figure with a score to settle is
in residence in just about every street or ginnel in town.
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York’s unique ghostly experiences include:
The title of Europe’s most haunted city: in 2006 the International Ghost Research Foundation
declared York to be the most haunted city in Europe.
The Legendary Legionnaires, Mad Alice, The Grey Lady, The Funeral Guest, The Headless Earl and
Marmaduke Buckle – these are just some of the creepy characters to look out for on your ghost
tours through York.
The chance to see a ghost at The Treasurer’s House – if you’re lucky...or should that be unlucky?
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Bleeding walls – the walls at Clifford’s Tower are said to bleed. This is thought to be connected to the
mass suicide and massacre of Jews who fled there for safety in the 12th century.
Ghost walks galore: there’s a different ghost walk for every night of the week including the Original
Ghost Walk of York, which has been running for more than 30 years and is believed to be the first
exclusive ghost walk in the world!
Rest a while at the Golden Fleece – York’s most haunted guest house and also a public house
The Ghost Bus Tour has rolled into town with a fantastic show – a mixture of comedy, horror and
history, giving visitors a new view of York’s ghostly present.
17) …York for intrepid explorers!
Underground York
There’s more to York than meets the eye – there’s the subterranean side. York has more
underground experiences than any other heritage city of its size, so do more than scratch the surface
and plunge yourself into York’s hidden depths:
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Descend to the Viking-Age city of Jorvik as it stood nearly 1,000 years ago at the JORVIK Viking
Centre, which celebrated its 30th anniversary this year.
Explore the Undercroft and Treasury beneath York Minster at Revealing York Minster – the biggest
visitor attraction within a cathedral in the country and one of York’s newest attractions.
Enter the blast-proof doors of the York Cold War Bunker and investigate the more unusual side of
York’s heritage and the secret history of Britain’s Cold War. The Cold War Bunker is the most modern
and spine-chilling of English Heritage’s properties.
Enjoy afternoon tea at Bettys Café Tea Rooms in the basement Bettys Bar - a favourite war-time
haunt of thousands of airmen stationed around York and marvel at the ‘Bettys Mirror’, on which
many of them engraved their signatures with a diamond pen; a fitting tribute to their bravery.
The dungeon-like underground atmosphere of Lendal Cellars is cool and strangely comforting – it
makes a great place for a pub lunch or quick drink with friends.
Follow in the footsteps of Charles Dickens at The Merchant Adventurers’ Hall – Dickens repeatedly
visited the Undercroft drawn by the romanticism of the ‘Gloomy Basement’!
Be entertained at the underground comedy club at the City Screen Art House cinema or on a tour of
the underground cellar at the Treasurer’s House.
18) …York for bookworms
York is like a literary classic – a page turner you just can’t put down
You can’t judge a book by its cover but a novel way of learning about York is through its rich literary
connections.
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Walk the walls and hear the Minster Bells in the footsteps of Grace Trewe in ‘Times Echo’ by Pamela
Hartshorne.
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See the real-life Museum which inspired Ruby Lennox’s character in Kate Atkinson’s ‘Behind the
Scenes at the Museum’ and stop for a coffee in Bettys which won the praise of fictional detective
Jackson Brodie in another of Kate Atkinson's books ‘Started Early, Took My Dog’.
Immerse yourself in the stories of ‘The Sweethearts, York’s Chocolate Girls’ at York’s CHOCOLATE
Story, by Lynn Russell and Neil Hanson.
Look for the perfect dress in the vintage shops of York and fulfil the dream of Ella Moreno in Sophie’s
Nicholls’ novel ‘The Dress’, perhaps the dress you choose will have its own story!
Soak up the riverside views from Skeldergate Bridge, an area of the city described in great detail by
Wilkie Collins, a friend of Charles Dickens, in his novel ‘No Name’.
Stroll down Stonegate, one of York’s prettiest streets, where the first two volumes of Sterne’s
landmark ‘Tristram Shandy’ were printed, and look out for the printer’s Red Devil which sits on
number 33, a former printers, and serves as a lasting reminder of when Stonegate was famous as a
centre of books and publishing in the 16th century.
See the building on Piccadilly where Neville Shute, who wrote a number of famous novels including
‘On The Beach’ and ‘A Town Like Alice’, worked as an aeroplane designer.
Follow in the footsteps of the Henry VIII royal progress to York, and see the sights that remain a
reminder of the turbulent history at what is left of St Mary’s Abbey in York Museum Gardens, as
depicted in C J Sansom’s historical mystery ‘Sovereign’, the third novel in his ‘Matthew Shardlake
Series’.
Explore the birthplace of Daniel Defoe's world-famous character Robinson Crusoe who was born in
York in 1632.
Books can also be used in York like an archaeological tool to peel away layer upon layer of the city’s
history and reveal hidden literary treasures such as:
One of the highest concentrations of rare, second-hand, and antiquarian booksellers in the country
Europe's largest annual National Book Fair, held each September at York Racecourse
York Literature Festival (19–29 March 2015)
The mystery of the Great Lost Library of Alcuin
York Minster’s library, one of the oldest in the country, which includes the York Gospels, over 1000
years old and still used today. Stained-glass windows were also the medieval equivalent of a book,
making stories from the Bible accessible for their congregations – and York Minster has more than
most, with 65% of the UK’s medieval stained-glass and some of the world’s most important
examples of stained-glass artistry
Did you know? York's literary connections:
Famous literary visitors to York include Charles Dickens, Wilkie Collins, Daniel Defoe, Virginia Woolf,
and the Brontë sisters.
Authors born or educated in York include Kate Atkinson, Margaret Drabble, AS Byatt and WH Auden.
Authors who have made York their home include John Baker, Fiona Shaw, Matt Haig, Pamela
Hartshorne and Kate Lock. Numerous poets currently inhabit the city, including Oz Hardwick, Carole
Bromley, Anneliese Emmans-Dean, Henry Raby, Steve Nash and Abi Curtis.
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Current York authors of note include: Matt Haig, who has found commercial success with ‘The
Radleys’, a book about a family of vampires who live in Bishopthorpe and was commended by
Stephen Fry on Twitter in 2014 for his book ‘The Humans’; John Baker, who has written various
novels set in York, usually of a crime nature; Nuala Casey, who has had two crime novels published
recently; Sophie Coulombeau, whose debut novel ‘Rites’ came out in 2012; and Jack Mapanje, who
hails from Malawi but now lives in New Earswick. His autobiography ‘And Crocodiles Are Hungry At
Night’ was published in 2011. His poetry has been published by Bloodaxe books, one of the UK's
leading poetry publishers.
Jack Sheffield has written a nostalgic humorous story Silent Night about a headmaster Jack returning
for an eighth year to the village primary school in Ragley-on-the-Forest (an amalgam of Huby and
Sutton-on-the-Forest) in 1984. It is the era of the miner’s strike, Trivial Pursuit, Band Aid and
Cabbage Patch Dolls. Their school choir is to sing a carol in a church in York, and is going to be on
television. Helping to keep his excited children, not to mention their parents, under control during
these momentous events taxes Jack and his staff to the limit. And at the same time, Jack has his own
problems to deal with.
Beyond York
Beningbrough Hall & Gardens, York
Beningbrough Hall is a Georgian mansion, which was built in 1716. It contains one of the most
impressive baroque interiors in England. Inside the house visitors can view some exceptional wood
carvings, an unusual central corridor running the full length of the house and over 100 pictures on
loan from the National Portrait Gallery. There is also a delightful garden, which is surrounded by
water meadows. The gardens comprise an American garden, a Victorian conservatory, box-edged
rose gardens, a lily pool and a walled garden.
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-beningbroughhallandgardens
Brontë Parsonage Museum
The three Brontë sisters Emily, Charlotte and Anne spent a large part of their lives in the West
Yorkshire village of Haworth, where they lived with their father at the Parsonage. Their writings
were heavily influenced by the surrounding Pennine moorlands, especially the area known as Top
Withens, renamed by Emily as Wuthering Heights, in the book of the same name. The Parsonage is
now an intimate museum cared for by the Brontë Society. Rooms are furnished as in the Brontë’s
day, with displays of their personal treasures, their pictures, books and manuscripts.
Castle Howard
Castle Howard is a spectacular 18th century palace, which has been home to the Howard family for
300 years. The construction of this magnificent palace took more than 100 years and spanned the
lifetime of three earls and numerous architects and craftsmen. As the house was built and
decorated, the grounds were filled with lakes, temples, mouments and a grand mausoleum. Indoors,
furniture, paintings, sculptures and a host of other treasures were assembled by successive
generations after their tours of the Continent. Castle Howard is today still home to the Howard
family. www.castlehoward.co.uk.
Eden Camp Modern History Theme Museum
This award-winning museum is situated on the site of an original Prisoner of War Camp, built in
1942. It transports visitors back in time to wartime Britain with exhibits and reconstructed scenes.
New areas of the museum include a Garden of Remembrance, War Newspaper Reading Room and
an exhibition entitled Conflicts Since 1945 and WWI. www.edencamp.co.uk
Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal Estate
Fountains Abbey with Studley Royal Water Garden, four miles west of Ripon in North Yorkshire, is of
outstanding historic and aesthetic importance. It is one of the best preserved and largest abbey
remains in Britain and is set in the beautiful parkland of Studley Royal by the river Skell. The abbey
was founded in 1132 by 13 Benedictine monks seeking a simpler life. They later became Cistercian
monks.
The garden is a stunning panorama of elegant ornamental lakes, temples, follies and statues, ponds,
cascades, bridges and tunnels. The visitor can explore over 10 historic buildings, including a superb
Victorian church, the dramatic remains of a Cistercian Abbey and also a medieval deer park, home to
500 Red, Fallow and Sika deer. www.fountainsabbey.org.uk
Newby Hall
The family home of Mr and Mrs Richard Compton has featured in the BBC programme “Heirs and
Graces”. This is one of England’s renowned Adam houses, an exceptional example of 18 th century
interior decoration, recently restored to its original beauty. Newby Hall is famous for its collection of
classical statuary, one of the most important private collections in Britain. One piece from the
collection, the Jenkins Venus, hit the headlines when it was sold at Christie's for a staggering £7.9
million, setting a new world record for an antiquity sold at auction, and helping to provide the funds
for Newby Hall’s restoration. Newby Hall’s contents also include the Gobelins Tapestry Room and an
excellent Chippendale furniture collection. Award-winning gardens include England’s longest double
herbaceous borders and an adventure garden for children, sculpture park and miniature railway.
www.newbyhall.com
Royal Armouries Museum
The Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds was opened in 1996 as the home for the national collection
of arms and armour. Each of the five themed galleries covering War, Tournament, Self-Defence,
Hunting and the arms and armour of the Orient offers something to captivate every visitor. The
museum is renowned around the world for its remarkable collection in armours which has its origins
in the arsenal of the British army preserved at the Tower of London and consists of approximately
8,000 pieces of armour, including four personal armours of Henry VIII, armour from the royal
workshops at Greenwich, Stuart royal armours, medieval armour of the Knights of St John at Rhodes,
munition armour of the 16th and 17th centuries, about 7,500 European swords (including some royal
examples), about 6,300 daggers and bayonets and approximately 4,200 European staff weapons.
www.royalarmouries.org
Sutton Park
Situated in the heart of the immaculately well-kept village of Sutton-on-the-Forest, Sutton Park is a
charming, early Georgian house built in 1730, overlooking beautiful parkland. This is the home of Sir
Reginald and Lady Sheffield and their family. The house contains beautiful 18th century furniture,
paintings mostly from Buckingham House, now Buckingham Palace, and an important collection of
porcelain. Award-winning gardens contain a Georgian icehouse.
www.statelyhome.co.uk
Captain Cook Memorial Museum, Whitby
Captain Cook spent the first nine years of his seafaring career in Whitby, and is commemorated in
the 17th century house where he lodged. The Museum, meticulously restored, houses an important
collection of authentic material.
Letters illustrate Cook’s friendship with his master Captain Walker, the Admiralty’s disputes with the
botanists Banks and Forster, and the sorrow of King George at Cook’s death.
www.cookmuseumwhitby.co.uk
North Yorkshire Moors Railway
The North Yorkshire Moors Railway operates steam trains along an 18-mile line between the market
town of Pickering and the village of Grosmont. The line runs through the heart of the North York
Moors National Park and passes through wide-ranging scenery, from wooded valleys to heather clad
moorland. It also calls at villages along the way and offers access to unspoilt countryside for walkers
and cyclists. Its most famous stop these days is undoubtedly Goathland station, which played the
part of Hogwarts Station in the Harry Potter films, and is also best known as Heartbeat Country as
the station and village provide the setting for the popular TV series. The NYMR is one of the earliest
and most historic lines in the North of England. Its origins go back well over a century and a half,
when it was an important trade link between Pickering and Whitby.
www.nymr.co.uk
The International Centre for Birds of Prey
See the birds flying free at the wonderful Duncombe Park in Helmsley.
There is a large collection of exotic and spectacular birds of prey. There are three flying
demonstrations every day (two in the winter) and very often, there will be opportunities to see the
birds being trained on the flying field. It’s possible to see a special bird or species if phoned in
advance. Taking photos is allowed and without restrictions, which gives everyone an opportunity to
take wonderful pictures of all the birds in the park. In high winds there is a sheltered area of
woodland for the flying demos and in wet weather there are demos inside Christmas Tree Cottage.
Whatever the weather – visitors can always see birds flying!
www.icbp-duncombe.org
Yorkshire Air Museum – NEW IN 2015!
Following on from the most successful year for attracting visitors that the Yorkshire Air Museum has
witnessed in its 30 year history, the museum will expand its programme of live aircraft engine runs
during their Thunder and Rolling Thunder Days, which have been so popular in 2014.
The first of these taking place on Saturday 11th April 2015 marks the 5th Anniversary of the huge
Nimrod MR2 XV250 flying into its new home at Elvington after 40 years’ service with the Royal Air
Force. The Nimrod's dash down the runway will be followed by the Victor V-Bomber Lusty Lindy
XL231, the Blackburn Buccaneer XN974 and, for the first time in public, the Douglas Dakota will
conduct a full taxi run, now that it has been brought into this capability by the museum’s volunteer
Aircraft Engineering Team. 2015 will also mark the 75th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain - Bomber
Command actually lost more aircrew in this campaign than Fighter Command in missions attacking
enemy airfields in occupied territories across the channel. Yorkshire's famous Auxiliary Fighter
Squadrons are explained at the Museum and there is a factual exhibition about the Battle of Britain
on display. The Museum's primary role as a Dedicated Memorial to Allied Aircrews enters its 30th
year as the museum continues to remember all those who served. The Museum’s international
reputation continues to grow and the Memorial was very proud to secure the medals of 13 French
pilots who served with the RAF during the Battle of Britain to be presented to their families in Paris
in November in 2014. YAM is pleased to once again to have been voted by readers of ‘Going Places’
tourism magazine as the ‘Top Specialist Attraction in the UK’ and Trip Advisor comments regularly
rank the Museum in the top 3 of all York Museums. http://www.yorkshireairmuseum.org/
Helmsley Walled Garden
Dating back to 1759, Helmsley Walled Garden nestles at the bottom of the North York Moors
between the Grade One listed landscape of Duncombe Park and the scheduled ancient monument
of Helmsley Castle. The garden was a major employer during most of its history, but following the
First World War, it was leased as a commercial enterprise and was run as such until 1984. In 1984, it
was abandoned and fell into dereliction. The restoration began in 1994 to restore the garden back to
its original Victorian beauty and productivity. Local woman Alison Ticehurst wanted to create a
beautiful garden for visitors to enjoy as well as provide horticultural therapy for local people in need.
Today the aim of Helmsley Walled Garden is to conserve and restore the fabric of this historically
important walled garden and to return it to full productivity using environmentally sustainable
techniques. Gardens and gardening carry with them a wide range of therapeutic benefits for people
and so the garden provides a horticultural therapy service to local people with a range of disabilities.
www.helmsleywalledgarden.org.uk
The Nordic Walking breaks
A new idea for 2015! Have the Nordic walk and wellness break at Wolds Edge.
Tucked away at the foot of the Yorkshire Wolds and not far from the historic city of York is Wolds
Edge Holiday Lodges and in 2015 will be offering a wellness break with a difference.
Nordic walking is sociable and has grown into a popular way for people of all ages and fitness levels
to gain fitness, tone up, lose weight and improve their health. In the same way that regular exercise
can improve physical fitness and function, regular meditation can train the mind to be calmer, more
focused and more resilient to everyday stresses. Mindfulness is about bringing that focus into
everyday life and movement. Whether a complete beginner or an experience Nordic walker, this
break allows guests to rejuvenate body and mind with Nordic Walking UK Lead Tutor and Creator of
the Nordic Walking UK Wellbeing programme Jason Feavers. Wolds Edge Holiday Lodges have
achieved 4* Gold award rating from VisitEngland throughout. The park has four unique, carefully
designed lodges and two lovingly hand crafted Shepherd’s Huts nestled amongst trees and wildlife.
The peaceful location makes the lodges the perfect getaway for those seeking sanctuary on their
holiday. http://www.nordicwalking-holidays.com/holiday/nordic-walking-wellness-breaks/
Go Ape: Activity Park in Dalby Forest
New for 2015 – Forest Segways!
A new idea for 2015! Enjoy Hill-to-Hill zip wires with Stunning Views of the Vale of Pickering. Go Ape:
Activity Park has Tree To Adventure and Forest Segways as an alternative way of enjoying a day in
the Great Yorkshire Forest. The team at Go Ape: Activity Park will brief all of the guests for safety
before flying down the zip-wires, leaping off the Tarzan Swing and tackling the crossings whilst
enjoying some of Britain’s most breathtaking scenery. As an alternative there is an option to try out
the latest invention in green technology – a self-balancing electric Segway. From two legs to two
wheels - for the ultimate forest segway adventure on a rugged all-terrain. www.goape.co.uk/daysout/dalby
Ryedale
Ryedale is nestled quietly along the tip of York’s north eastern boundaries, within a 30-minute drive
time. It is a land of legend and mythology: where giants once ruled (Hole of Horcum), the River Rye
runs backwards (Derwent at Howsham) and the land ends (at Sutton Bank cliff-face). A place of lost
kingdoms (stronghold of the Brigantes, one of the largest and last free tribes in ancient England. It is
also a place where you can see the footprints of people from across seven millennia (from 5000BC,
revealed in ancient excavations) – standing stones, castles and abbeys, mighty country houses,
deserted medieval villages, ancient drovers’ and miners’ trails.
Ryedale has the best of British weather: sitting partly within the UK’s driest/least-rainy national park,
there’s a good chance you won’t see your umbrella during your holiday (official MetOffice stats).
This unique microclimate has created a vision of the English landscape you may have thought was
lost in time - lush rolling farmland, big skies on the rolling chalk wolds, miles of purple heather,
dramatic river gorges, woodland stretching to the horizon. This is a rare place: a place you can hear
yourself breathe; a place you can see not just stars, but the Milky Way (the area has official Dark
Skies status, Milky Way class); a place officially designated ‘An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’
(Howardian Hills).
Ryedale's market towns all have something different to enjoy. Helmsley is one of North Yorkshire’s
most popular market towns housing some unique boutiques and acting as the starting point for the
Cleveland Way National Trail. Kirkbymoorside - "Church dwellings beside the moor" - this small
market town has a wide main street, cobbled on either side and flanked by fine Georgian houses and
welcoming hostelries. Malton has long been regarded as the centre of Ryedale; it is a market town
full of activity, with a street market on Saturdays and a livestock market twice a week. The market
town of Pickering is the official gateway to the North York Moors National Park. From here you can
explore the breathtaking scenery aboard England’s longest steam railway, the North Yorkshire
Moors Railway.
The picturesque villages of Ryedale are one of the district’s best assets. Whether visiting the
moorland in the north, the beck side villages in the middle of Ryedale or those nestling amongst the
rolling hills in the south, you will be equally rewarded. Some of the country’s best-known villages are
in Ryedale, such as Thornton-le-Dale and Hutton-le-Hole, but many others have something special to
offer. Distinctive landmarks of these villages include thatched cottages, sundials, village stocks, duck
ponds and village greens.
See more on http://www.visityork.org/ryedale.aspx
‘More than just a weekend’ – York appeals to visitors to stay for
longer
York is one of the most popular destinations in the country for a short break visit, with the average
visitor spending three nights in the city, but tourism bosses say York now rivals the more traditional
British holiday destination by appealing to those looking to stay for a week – or longer.
‘York has so much to offer visitors, you can easily spend a week exploring all of its charms,’
comments Kate McMullen, Head of Visit York, the organisation tasked with bringing visitors to the
city. ‘When you consider just a few of the world class visitor attractions – from the National Railway
Museum and York Minster, to York Designer Outlet and Castle Howard – each of which can easily be
enjoyed for a full day in its own right, there’s a very good reason for visitors to make York their
week-long holiday destination of choice.’
‘As for live entertainment, there’s always something different to see or hear be it music, theatre, art,
exhibitions or festivals, York really does cater for all tastes all year long’ adds Kate. ‘So you can
choose to be as active – or inactive – as you like during a visit here, and even if you like to spend a
couple of days of your holiday at the beach, Scarborough, Filey and Whitby are all within easy
reach!’
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Trying to make the most of your holiday - you’d need a fortnight to try to squeeze all this in:
During the day – walk the walls, wander down The Shambles, pop into historic museums and
attractions, see York from above at Clifford’s Tower or from York Minster’s Central Tower.
Shop ‘til you drop at the independent retailers in the city centre, seek out discount top-label
bargains at York Designer Outlet, or enjoy the new Vangarde retail park, including the brand new
John Lewis.
Get active – with cycle hire and 100 miles of dedicated cycle paths around the city, take on the Red
Goat city centre climbing wall, or enjoy quad biking and outdoor pursuits at Burn Hall.
Chill and relax – enjoy a peaceful riverside walk, hire a boat to cruise up and down the river Ouse,
unwind at one of the city’s spas, from the Thai-themed Five Senses Spa to the Spa at the five-star
Cedar Court Grand.
Eat your way round York – from a quintessentially English cream tea at Bettys Café Tea Rooms to the
best riverside dining at The Star Inn the City!
York also has a wide range of accommodation options, from budget hostels to B&Bs, five star citycentre self-catering apartments to countryside retreats, and from ‘glamping’ campsites to opulent
hotels where you can even hire a butler for the duration of your visit. For more information, visit
www.visityork.org
Not been to York for a while? Just to show how much more
York has to offer... here’s a little flavour of what you’ve
missed…
If you’ve not visited for a while (and by ‘a while’, we mean in the last 12 months!), we’ve put
together a guide of what you’ve been missing …
To keep up to date with all the various new shops, eateries and bars that open up every year you
may also like to look at www.visityork.org/shopping and www.visityork.org/food
Not visited in 2014?
You’ve missed…
2015
2015
2015
2014
2014
2014
2013
2013
2013
Yorkshire Food Finder - Yorkshire Food Finder is giving food lovers the chance to “eat and
cook behind the scenes” in the city of York.
Musket and Muslin Tours – a new selection of tours offering a range of themed walks
with locally born and bred historian guides, together with an exciting and expanding
programme of costumed talks and presentations.
The Bloody Tour of York – a new tour with Mad Alice, who will take visitors on a 90
minute walking tour recounting the gruesome and grisly past of the city.
The Ghost Bus Tour – a new tour showing York’s ghostly present in a new light to all
visitors. The Ghost Bus Tour is a comedy theatre company, which combines comedy,
horror and history.
Gr8escapes York – new mystery and escape attraction. Groups from 2-5 people will have
just an hour to escape the room they have been locked into. To escape the room, the
group must solve a series of puzzles!
Richard III Experience at Monk Bar and Henry VII Experience at Micklegate Bar
Revealing York Minster – at York Minster opened. A network of interactive galleries,
housed in the Undercroft and Treasury below the historic cathedral; ‘Revealing York
Minster’, tells the colourful story of York Minster, from the lives of the Roman garrison to
the work of the staff, clergy and volunteers in the 21st century. www.yorkminster.org
New piazza at York Minster opened, creating an attractive open space outside York
Minster’s South entrance
York Dungeon reopened after a £2 million remodel
Not visited since 2009?
You’ve missed all of the above, plus…
2012
York’s CHOCOLATE Story opened, exploring York’s chocolate heritage in the heart of the
city
2012
2012
2012
2012
2012
2012
2011
2011
2011
2010
York Cocoa House opened, recreating the old cocoa houses of yesteryear, yet with
chocolate delicacies and menus to tempt the discerning 21st century palate
Goddards, the cherished Arts and Crafts style family home of Noel Goddard Terry, of the
famous chocolate-making firm, Terry’s of York opened to the public for the first time. A
hidden gem with four acres of gardens, only a stone's throw away from York city centre
The Orb at York Minster opened – a contemporary domed gallery of conserved medieval
masterpieces in stained glass taken from the Great East Window. The Orb will only
remain in place until 2015, when the project to return the glass to the original window
begins
York 800 – a year of celebrations to mark 800 years of York being granted city status
The York Hologram Tour launched – virtual guides available for many of the city’s tourist
sites. These holographic guides are the hardest-working in York, available 24 hours a
day, 365 days a year. All you need is an iPad, iPhone or Android device …
Holgate Windmill was restored and reopened and now sells freshly milled flour
York was crowned best gastro destination in the UK and fifth best in Europe by
TripAdvisor
York was hailed as Britain’s most beautiful city and the place that most people want to
live in an independent survey by Bing
York was voted Britain’s Favourite Small City by the Rough Guide to Britain
Jorvik Viking Centre reopened following a £1 million refurbishment
Not visited since 2004?
You’ve missed all of the above, plus…
2008
2006
2006
2005
2004
The Quilt Museum and Gallery - Britain's first museum dedicated to quilt making and textile
arts – opened
The Cold War Bunker opened. The most modern and spine-chilling of English Heritage’s
properties, the York Cold War Bunker uncovers the secret history of Britain’s Cold War. In
active service from the 1960s–1990s the bunker was designed as a nerve-centre to monitor
fall-out in the event of a nuclear attack in York
DIG opened, part of the JORVIK Group of Attractions which makes archaeology accessible
to people of all ages
The Knavesmire Racecourse hosted Royal Ascot
Every year since 2004 Rowntree Park has been awarded a Green Flag Award. Sites with
Green Flag Awards are considered to be the best in the country
Not visited since 1994?
You’ve missed all of the above, plus…
2001
20012002
+
2000
1998
1994
1993
1992
1990
1988
1986
1984
1982
Jorvik Viking Centre underwent a complete redevelopment and JORVIK opened to the
public on 7 April
York hosted the UK Snooker Championship, which is the second biggest ranking
tournament in snooker, at the York Barbican Centre in 2001-2002 to 2006-2007, 2011-2012
and 2012-2013, 2013-2014
The National Centre for Early Music was opened by the York Early Music Foundation. It
houses the offices of the Foundation and those of the annual York Early Music Festival, and,
during the Festival, it hosts concerts and talks of all kinds of musical genres
York Designer Outlet opened, and is now one of Yorkshire’s top shopping destinations
Yorkshire Lavender opened - Yorkshire's premier multi-award-winning Lavender farm,
Lavender gardens and specialist plant nursery set in a spectacular hillside farm of nearly 60
acres, within the Howardian Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. This panoramic view
over the Vale of York is said to be one of the best in Yorkshire
Barley Hall opened - Barley Hall is a stunning medieval house, once home to the Priors of
Nostell and the Mayor of York. Until the 1980s the house was hidden under the relatively
modern facade of a derelict office block. Only when the building was going to be destroyed
was the amazing medieval building discovered and its history uncovered
Danelaw Centre for Living History was founded at the Yorkshire Museum of Farming site at
Murton Park
York Racecourse was awarded Northern Racecourse of the Year – the first of 17 years
running. Established in 1731 this major horse racing venue is located on the Knavesmire
and sees thousands flocking to the city every year for the 15 race meetings
The Georgian Mansion House and home to the Lord Mayor of York, was restored by the
York Civic Trust. It is now open for visits
The Yorkshire Air Museum opened to the public
The Jorvik Viking Centre opened, changing the way archaeology is presented and bringing
the story of the Norse invaders to millions of visitors from around the world
The Yorkshire Museum of Farming opened at Murton Park
Not visited since 1964?
You’ve missed all the above, plus…
1977
1975
Geordie acting legend Berwick Kaler appeared in his first York pantomime, Cinderella, and
he is still performing in the pantomime to this day
The National Railway Museum - the largest railway museum in the world was opened at
Leeman Road in York
1973
The North Yorkshire Moors Railway reopened as a Heritage railway
Not visited since 313AD?
We doubt that there will be many travel writers still around that predate Constantine’s edict
converting the Roman Empire to Christianity, but just in case, you’ve missed all the above, plus…
1952
1938
1935
1920s
1912
1902
1879
1878
1877
1833
1830
1769
1732
1472
1357
Castle Howard opened to the public for the first time by the then owner, George Howard
York Castle Museum opened in the prison buildings on the site of the castle
The Joseph Rowntree Theatre was built
Bettys Café Tea Rooms opened in St Helen’s Square
Tempest Anderson Hall built as an annex to the Yorkshire Museum
The Grand Opera House, a conversion of a warehouse and a corn exchange, opened
York Art Gallery opened
The Royal Station Hotel (now the Royal York Hotel) opened
York Railway Station opened in its current location
York Observatory, in the grounds of the Yorkshire Museum, opened
Yorkshire Museum opened to the public
The New Theatre was built, to be given a Royal Patent in 1769 and renamed York Theatre
Royal
York’s Georgian Mansion House, the home of the Lord Mayor of York, was completed
York Minster was declared complete and consecrated
Merchant Adventurers’ Hall was built, the largest timber-framed building in the UK which is
still standing and used for its original purpose
There are also lots of things that left their mark on the city of York, but are sadly no longer around
for visitors to meet and see…
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Romans … been and gone - but the discovery of a rare and unusual Roman cemetery on the outskirts
of York has created one of the greatest mysteries to surround the city’s colourful past
Anglo-Saxons … been and gone – but they established York as possibly the most important seat of
learning in Europe, including playing host to Alcuin’s famous (and long lost) library
Vikings … been and gone - but part of their city remains to this day under Coppergate, and many of
the shops in York’s modern streets have stuck to the ground floor size determined by a Viking town
planner who was probably a relation of Eric Bloodaxe!
Normans … been and gone – but the green hill under Clifford’s Tower belongs to that period.
Medieval period … been and gone - but left defences by the mile, churches by the dozen and many,
many houses and controversy surrounding Richard III
Georgians … been and gone – but the many fine Georgian buildings that still remain in York are
reminders of an elegant era when York was seen by the wealthier classes as an alternative to London
Victorians … been and gone – however their chocolate and railway legacy lives on
York Factfile
The following information will provide useful reference points for your readers and we kindly
request you to include our website address
www.visityork.org and details about the York
Pass in your article factfile:
2015 is our year of Taste – for a feast of York and Yorkshire food visit www.visityork.org/taste
The York Pass – Once purchased the York Pass offers you a choice of free entry into over thirty York
attractions and tours as well as restaurant and shopping offers. You can buy a 1, 2 or 3 day pass
making it a superb addition to your leisure break. To buy a York Pass contact York Visitor Information
Centre, Tel: 01904 550099, email: [email protected] or visit: www.yorkpass.com
How to get to York:
By car - York is situated only 20 minutes from the M1/M62 motorway network. Frequent Park and
Ride bus services operate into the city centre.
By train - York is on the East Coast mainline. It takes less than two hours to get to York from London.
York is served by East Coast and Grand Central Trains as well as Cross Country trains from the
Midlands. National Rail enquiries Tel: 08457 484950. East Coast runs fast, frequent train services
from stations along the London-Scotland East Coast route. East Coast also has direct trains to York
from North East England and the East Midlands. York Station is a short walk from the city centre.
Visit www.eastcoast.co.uk Grand Central runs train services between the North East of England and
London, calling at Sunderland, Hartlepool, Eaglescliffe, Northallerton, Thirsk, York and London. For
information/reservations – Tel: 0845 6034852, or visit www.grandcentralrail.com
By coach - Website: www.nationalexpress.com
York is served by three key international airports: Leeds Bradford, Manchester and Doncaster with
superb routes across Europe and the rest of the world. A direct rail service operates from
Manchester Airport into York. Leeds Bradford Airport: take a taxi to Horsforth (£7, five minute
journey) then Direct train to York (1 hour) – single fare off peak around £13.
Hull is the nearest ferry port served by P&O Ferries with daily overnight crossings from Rotterdam
and Zeebrugge (www.poferries.com)
Press contacts:
Kay Hyde, Head of Communications, Visit York. Email: [email protected]. Tel: 01904 554451.
Katie Parsons, Senior Communications Executive. Email: [email protected]. Tel: 01904 554436.
Riina Raabis, Administration Assistant (Marketing). Email: [email protected]. Tel: 01904 550093.
Website: www.visityork.org/media
Photo library
The Visit York team has a large library of photography available at www.visityorkimages.co.uk