Roman York
For the Romans, York, or Eboracum, was a major military base; Emperor Septimius Severus died there in AD 211, and Constantius Chlorus, the father of Constantine I, died there in 306. York is also the city in which Constantine's troops proclaimed him emperor. Substantial Roman remains were discovered under the Minster and a re-erected Roman column now stands on nearby Deangate. Other sites of excavated remains include a Roman bath, located under a pub in St Sampson's Square, a Roman temple, near the foot of Lendal Bridge, and the site of a Roman bridge over the River Ouse. Outside the city walls are the remains of substantial Roman cemeteries. A large number of Roman finds are now housed in the Yorkshire Museum.
Saxon and Viking York
Anglican York was firstly capital of Deira, before shifting to control of a united kingdom and later earldom of Northumbria. Paulinus of York brought Christianity to the region in the early 7th century with the conversion of King Edwin of Northumbria and the first Minster is believed to have been built in 627, although the location of the early Minster is a matter of dispute. York became a centre of learning, its most famous scholar being Alcuin.
A "great Viking army" captured York in AD 866, and in 876 the Vikings settled permanently in parts of the Yorkshire countryside. Viking kings ruled this area, known to historians as "The Viking Kingdom of Jorvik", for almost a century. In 954 the last Viking king, Eric Bloodaxe, was expelled and his kingdom was incorporated in the newly consolidated Anglo-Saxon state. Another renowned scholar of this era was Wulfstan II, Archbishop of York.
Mediaeval York
Following the Norman Conquest of 1066, York was substantially damaged by the punitive harrying of the north (1069) launched by William the Conqueror in response to regional revolt. Two castles were erected in the city on either side of the River Ouse. In time York became an important urban centre as the administrative centre of the county of Yorkshire, as the seat of an archbishop, and at times in the later 13th and 14th century as an alternative seat of royal government. It was an important trading centre. Several religious houses were founded following the Conquest, including St Mary's Abbey and Holy Trinity Priory. The city as a possession of the crown also came to house a substantial Jewish community under the protection of the sheriff.
On March 16, 1190 a mob of townsfolk forced the Jews in York to flee into Clifford's Tower, which was under the control of the sheriff. The castle was set on fire and the Jews were massacred. It is likely that various local magnates who were indebted to the Jews helped instigate this massacre or, at least, did nothing to prevent it. It came during a time of widespread attacks against Jews in Britain. Commemoration of the York massacre passed into the Jewish liturgy and until 1990 Orthodox Judaism forbade Jews from living within the city. York prospered during much of the later mediaeval era and this is reflected in the built environment. York Minster is the largest mediaeval cathedral in England and one of the largest gothic churches in Europe. The city still boasts nineteen mediaeval parish churches, eight of which are regularly used for worship. The mediaeval city walls, with their entrance gates, known as bars, encompassed virtually the entire city and survive to this day. The city was also designated as a county corporate, giving it effective county status.
The later years of the 14th and the earlier years of the 15th centuries were characterised by particular prosperity. It is in this period that the regular cycle of religious pageants (or plays) associated with the Corpus Christi cycle and performed by the various craft guilds grew up. Among the more important personages associated with this period was Nicholas Blackburn senior, Lord Mayor in 1412 and a leading merchant. He is depicted in glass in the (now) east window of All Saints' Church in North Street. The period from the later 15th century seems to have witnessed economic contraction and a dwindling in York's regional importance. The construction of the city's new Guildhall around the middle of the century can be seen as an attempt to project civic confidence in the face of growing uncertainty.
Dating from the later mediaeval era, and now a popular tourist attraction, is the Shambles, an old street of timber-framed shops originally occupied by butchers. Some retain the outdoor shelves and the hooks on which meat was displayed. They have overhanging upper floors and are now largely souvenir shops.
Early modern York
Few buildings of significance were put up in the century after the completion of the Minster in 1472, the exceptions being the completion of the King's Manor (which from 1537 to 1641 housed the Council of the North) and the rebuilding of the church of St Michael-le-Belfry, where Guy Fawkes was baptised in 1570. In 1547, fifteen parish churches were closed, reducing their number from forty to twenty-five - a reflection of the decline in the city's population.
17th-century York
Following his break with Parliament, King Charles I established his Court in York in 1642 for six months. Subsequently, during the English Civil War, the city was regarded as a Royalist stronghold and was besieged and eventually captured by Parliamentary forces under Lord Fairfax in 1644. After the war, York slowly regained its former pre-eminence in the North, and by 1660 was the third-largest city in England after London and Norwich.
18th-century York
York elected two members to the Unreformed House of Commons.
On 22 March 1739 the infamous highwayman Dick Turpin was convicted at York assizes of horse-stealing, and was hanged at the Knavesmire on 7 April 1739. Turpin is buried in St George's churchyard, York, where his tombstone also shows his alias, John Palmer.
York is best-known as a tourist destination and, as well, is home to numerous Ghost Walks and a favourite venue for hen parties. But modern York is also a centre of communications, education and manufacturing. It is a major railway junction, situated on the East Coast giving access to ScarboroughFiley and Bridlington on the East Coast of Yorkshire, Cross Country and Trans-Pennine mainlines.
York is also a major venue for horse racing at York Racecourse in the Knavesmire area.
York is the headquarters of the confectionery manufacturer Nestlé Rowntree, and home to the KitKat, Smarties and eponymous Yorkie bar chocolate brands. Terry's chocolate factory, makers of the Chocolate Orange, was also located in the city; but it closed on 30 September 2005, when production was moved by its owners, Kraft Foods, to Poland. However, the historic factory building can still be seen, situated next to the Knavesmire race course.
Modern York
You can be thoroughly entertained in York not only by the historic attractions but at the ODEON Cinema and the Theatre Royal. Also Clifton Moor, just on the out-skirts of York, has a multi-screen cinema showing all of the latest movies.
There are a lot of good restaurants in York so you will never be stuck for anywhere to have a good meal, the meals range from traditional Yorkshire Pudding to Fish and Chips and Grilled Bar meals.
How to get to York? Well you can travel by road. York is only a 30 minute drive from Leeds and less than 2 hours from Manchester, Newcastle and Nottingham. Also when you get there, there is a great park and ride service this operates from places near the A64 and A19 main roads. It is a very handy way to get around York as the Buses take you all over.
You can travel by train, York is a main-line station so it has links to almost everywhere. York Train station is situated in the City centre, so it is no further than a fifteen minute walk from many of the main attractions.
