York: city walls, the Minster and the Shambles
Roman fortress, Viking town, medieval cathedral city. York packs two thousand years into a small walled centre, and it is where an African-born Roman emperor died. What is free, what is worth paying for, and what to skip.
Key facts
- Where: North Yorkshire, about two hours from London King's Cross by train, and under 30 minutes from Leeds.
- City walls: free, roughly 3.4 km (two miles) around the old centre. Open from morning to dusk; closed in icy weather.
- York Minster: about £20 for an adult, around £26 with the Central Tower. Up to four children go free with each paying adult. Your ticket is valid for a year.
- National Railway Museum: free.
- Time needed: one full day for the highlights, two to do it properly.
The city walls: the best free thing in York
York has the longest surviving medieval town walls in England. They stand on Roman and Viking foundations, and you can walk most of the circuit on top of them.
- Best stretch: from Bootham Bar to Monk Bar, with views of the Minster over the gardens. Go early in the morning or near sunset.
- The bars: the gates are called bars. Micklegate Bar is where the heads of traitors were displayed.
- Be aware: the walkway is narrow, with low railings in places and steps at every bar. It is not step-free.
York Minster
One of the largest Gothic cathedrals in northern Europe, built between about 1220 and 1472. Its medieval stained glass is the main reason to pay: the Great East Window is the largest expanse of medieval stained glass in the country.
- The Undercroft: included in your ticket. Under the cathedral you see the remains of the Roman headquarters building, where Constantine was proclaimed emperor in 306. His statue stands outside the south door.
- The Central Tower: 275 steps, minimum age 8, no lift. The views are worth it on a clear day.
- Free guided tours: included, and good.
- For free: Evensong, or coming to pray. The Minster is not a museum, so be respectful.
- Honest verdict: worth the price, especially as your ticket lasts a year.
The Shambles
The Shambles was the butchers' street of medieval York. You can still see the wide window shelves where meat was laid out and the hooks above them. The timber-framed houses lean so far over the lane that neighbours could almost shake hands across it.
The honest bit: it is now packed with fans looking for "the real Diagon Alley" and shops selling wizard souvenirs. Between 11am and 4pm it is shoulder to shoulder. Come before 9am or in the evening, and you will see the street as it should be seen.
More of York
- National Railway Museum: free, and one of the best museums in the north. Mallard, the fastest steam locomotive in the world, royal carriages and a Japanese bullet train. Ten minutes' walk from the station.
- JORVIK Viking Centre: a ride through a reconstructed Viking street built on the real excavation. Fun, but short for the price; the ticket lets you return for a year.
- Clifford's Tower: English Heritage, ticketed. In 1190 the Jewish community of York took refuge in the wooden tower that stood here, and most died in a massacre. The site tells this honestly.
- Yorkshire Museum and Museum Gardens: the gardens are free, with the ruins of St Mary's Abbey and a Roman tower. The museum holds the Ivory Bangle Lady (see below).
- York Castle Museum: a reconstructed Victorian street and a former prison.
Africans in Roman York
Eboracum, Roman York, was founded in AD 71 and became one of the most important cities in the province. Its people came from all over the empire, including Africa.
Septimius Severus: the African emperor who died in York
Septimius Severus was born in Leptis Magna, in what is now Libya. He became emperor in 193, came to Britain to campaign in Scotland, and ruled the whole Roman Empire from York. He died there in 211. An African-born emperor of Rome died in a Yorkshire city: few visitors are told.
The Ivory Bangle Lady
In 1901 the grave of a wealthy woman was found in York, buried in the late fourth century with ivory and jet bracelets. Research published in 2010 by the University of Reading suggested that she had North African ancestry. She shows that people of African descent lived at the highest level of Roman York society. Her remains and grave goods are in the Yorkshire Museum.
Read the story of other African soldiers in Roman Britain on our page on Hadrian's Wall and its North African soldiers.
Visiting: practical tips
- By train: LNER from London King's Cross, about two hours. Book in advance for the cheapest fares. The station is just outside the walls.
- Driving: don't drive into the centre. Use the Park and Ride.
- Walking: the old centre is small and flat. You need no transport.
- When: spring and autumn. Summer weekends and the Christmas market are very crowded, and hotel prices rise.
- Food: Shambles Market for street food; Bettys for tea if you don't mind the queue.
Tours and experiences
York walking tours, ghost walks and day trips to the Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors. Entrance fees are included in the tour price; tips are not included but are always welcome.
Read next
Rome's northern frontier, and who guarded it.
Almost 100 Welsh castles, and the best of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The great ruined abbeys and the small Norman churches.
Castles, cathedrals, market towns and the long shadow of empire.
Every honest guide in one place.
The African side of the story
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