To York
Holy & Beautiful
06.02.2010 - 06.02.2010
Castle Garden
I will have to say that York is one of the most beautiful places I've been. The above is a photo taken in the city's Museum Gardens. Although the museum was actually closed when we were all there, the castle made the trip complete. The ruins that remain are magnificent and there are really no words that could give the scene justice. The castle lies just on the side of the Museum Gardens and along with a gate, protects a centuries-old cemetery. The tall pillars that once stood, now lie on the ground in large stone pieces. Few graves can actually be walked on of past ministers in the area.
The trip to York was a trip organized for the study abroad students. We left early in the morning on coach and upon arrival, the first place the group went to was the York Minister:
York Minister
The base of the church dates back to AD 627. The church has been destroyed, rebuilt, destroyed, and refurbished, multiple times. The Great East Window, finished in 1408, is the largest expanse of medieval stained glass in the world. When entering the church, one can first see various tombs and worship areas. You have to pay about £8 to get in and tour the rest of the cathedral. Although I did not do it, I wished I would have and hope to be able to before my semester here is over.
More information on the cathedral can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/York_Minster.
We next traveled through the various shopping streets to find the Holy Trinity Church. This amazed me almost more than the York Minister:
Holy Trinity Church
The floor of the church is made almost completely of tombs. The engravings can be seen all along the floor. It's easy to tell that the ceiling has been refurbished, possibly after a fire. But the rest of the church remains original.
York is a very beautiful city. There are several shops and high-end stores through almost every street in the cities center. So far, If I had to pick anywhere in the UK to live, it would have to be York. The houses are quaint along the outskirts of the city, while the apartments within are fairly kept and quaint as well.
Another historical mark of the city is Clifford's Tower:
Clifford's Tower
This tower once held 150 Jews fleeing the city men carrying swords and torches. In 1190, rebelling without order of King Richard, sheriffs and townsmen went throughout the city persecuting Jews. Those whom fled to the tower seeking refuge, soon found themselves surrounded. Rather than being captured, they lit the tower on fire and committed suicide. Any survivors were murdered the following day. Finding out about this bloody massacre, King Richard fined the citizens of York and dismissed the sheriff.
The city also contains a great wall that once protected the castle and its keep. We actually walked about a half mile on it. Be careful though, because there aren't guard rails on one side so falling is an option.
Great city. Amazing history.
Posted by ktina16 06.02.2010 02:57 Archived in United Kingdom Tagged tourist_sites
