York
 Castles |  Cathedrals |  Roman Britain |
For almost 2000 years, York has been at the centre of significant historical events in England, and more than any other English city, has preserved the evidence of its illustrious past. This was perfectly summarised by George VI, "The history of York," he said, "is the history of England."
The founding of the famous legionary fortress at York is usually attributed to the governor of Britain, Cerialis, who in AD71, in an attempt to subjugate the Brigantes tribes of northern England, despatched the 9th Legio Hispana to invade their territory. Quickly realising the strategic importance of the site where York was to be founded, at the confluence of two rivers, the 9th Legion established their army base on the banks of the River Ouse. This rudimentary base very rapidly developed into a full military fortress, together with an accompanying civilian township established nearby called Eboracum.
From the end of the 1st century onwards York was the military capital of Roman Britain and hub of the northern network of fortifications. Side by side with its growing military prestige the civilian Eboracum developed into one of the most important cities in the land. In AD213, when Britain was divided into two provinces, Eboracum became the capital of the province of Britannia Inferior or Lower Britain. Visually, it followed the usual Roman lay-out, with streets constructed on a grid pattern incorporating public baths, forum, administration buildings, temples and private town houses with mosaic floors.
The 9th Legion was replaced by the 6th Legio Victrix in AD122 at the time when the fortress was at its largest, enclosing some 50 acres and housing a garrison of 6000 legionaries. Excavations have revealed the complex life of the fortress - barrack blocks, streets, bath houses and an elaborate drainage and sewerage system have all been unearthed.
Another phase of rebuilding occurred in the early 3rd century with the construction of a royal palace at Eboracum, in which the Emperor Septimus Severus resided from AD209 until his death in 211. The Emperor Constantine I also died in the palace in 306, and his famous son Constantine the Great was proclaimed emperor at York, the first Christian emperor of Rome. The Romans abandoned this stronghold around AD410 after which it declined and fell into decay.
Shrouded by trees, but nevertheless accessible, the most spectacular portion of the fortress's defences can be found in the public gardens on the north side of the river. Here, a superb stretch of the 4th century fortress wall stands virtually to wall-walk height, with all its facing stones and a row of bonding-bricks intact. The wall ends at the Multangular Tower, one of the best preserved Roman structures in Britain. Built during the reign of Severus, the tower has 10 sides to its structure rising to a height of almost 30ft. The local museum also contains many interesting Romano-British artefacts. The Romans chose this site for the headquarters of the 9th legion, and built the first settlement here in AD 71, calling it Eboracum; the Multangular Tower is the most spectacular Roman remnant remaining to us. In addition, there are many artefacts on display in the city's museums, recovered from the three and a half centuries of Roman occupation.
The Vikings took the city for their own in AD 867, and renamed it Jorvik, from whence the modern York is derived. Jorvik Viking Centre is built on the site of Viking remains, beneath Coppergate, and provides a vivid reconstruction of the briefly flourishing Viking-age in York. After the Norman Conquest of 1066, the city eventually became a centre of government, commerce and religion for the North of England, preparing the city for the important role it would play during the reign of the Plantaganets.
When the Plantagenet kings were on the throne, York, as the second largest city in England, was at its zenith. The Merchant Adventurers Hall symbolised this prosperity - built in the 1350's, it remains Britain's finest surviving medieval guildhall, its walls hung with banners.
After a downturn in the city's fortunes in the Tudor period, it faired little better under the Stuarts. Unfortunately, Charles I made York his northern headquarters in 1639, the kiss of death for any city. The Parliamentarians laid siege to York 5 years later, and after the Royalist defeat at Marston Moor in 1644, fought 6 miles west of the city, York garrison capitulated. Fortune smiled on the city at this point, for the terms of surrender included a promise that the Parliamentarians would not desecrate the Minster or other churches. York re-emerged in the 18th century as a fashionable social centre. Graceful Georgian houses now added another architectural dimension to the city. One of the best examples is Fairfax House in Castlegate, with its superbly decorated exterior and rooms filled with 18th century furniture and clocks. The pale splendour of the Assembly Rooms is enhanced by 52 marble Corinthian columns, supporting the roof of the 112ft long central hall - a sight not to be missed.
The pride of York is its glorious Minster, towering high above the city. It is the largest medieval cathedral in England, 519ft long with a central roof some 198ft high. Construction began in the 1220's by Archbishop Walter de Grey, and took more than 250 years to complete, being consecrated in 1472. On entering the cathedral, shafts of kaleidoscopic light explode from over a hundred medieval stained glass windows, the most dazzling of which is the great East Window, the size of a tennis court. One of the windows near to the naïve's west door is said to contain the oldest glass in England, dating from about 1150. The stone choir screen is carved with figures of all England's rulers from William I to Henry VI, and the naïve has 100ft high limestone pillars with a rib-vaulted roof. The Undercroft is a spellbinding museum encompassing the whole history of the Minster.
The history of York is written in its streets. Four enormous medieval gates, or 'bars', lead in through ancient walls, built on top of Roman foundations that circle the old city for three miles. A walk around these ramparts, built during the reign of Henry II, is a perfect introduction to the city. Of the network of narrow medieval streets twisting around the Minster, probably the most famous is the Shambles (Old English 'shamel' - slaughterhouse). Here, the shops lean over the street and kept the meat below in shade, the carcasses being hung outside the houses on hooks, many of these hooks are still in place. Together with Stonegate, it is among the best-preserved medieval streets in Europe. Sharp eyes will notice the carved devil under the eaves of a former printing shop in Stonegate, from whence a narrow passage leads to the Twelfth-century House, a restored Norman dwelling and the oldest house in York.
York Castle, built in 1086 to help subdue the northern Saxons, was later known as Clifford's Tower, after Roger de Clifford was hung from the castle walls by chains. Made of wood, the castle eventually burned down, and what remains in the present day is the 13th century stone keep, built by Henry III. The wall walk provides one of the best city views. The Castle Museum covers 400 years of Yorkshire life, and includes full size reconstruction of Victorian and Edwardian streets and period rooms. In the very heart of York, buried beneath Clifford Street, lies the infamous York Dungeon. This is a museum of human horrors, set in darkly lit and musty cellars - here, some of the darkest moments of history are relived in life-size tableaux, depicting medieval torture and execution. Among the unfortunates eternally suffering for the eyes of the inquisitive are Dick Turpin and Guy Fawkes. In fact, Dick Turpin's condemned cell can be seen in the Castle Museum; here he spent his last night before going to the gallows in 1739. On a lighter note, for visitors interested in the history of railways, York has the National Railway Museum, the largest of its kind in the world.