York: Winter City

Last weekend I escaped the hustle and bustle of Sheffield and engaged in some Christmas shopping that differed substantially, from the annual trek around Meadowhall (meadowhell). I was taken on a surprise trip, courtesy of my boyfriend, to the historic city of York. On first impression the city reminded me of Chester, with the exception that York is on an undoubtedly larger scale. However, despite only scratching the surface of York’s unique character over the two days I stayed there, I can assure you that this is a city that cannot be compared to any other

Encased within the parameters of a 2.5 mile wall, originally built by the Romans and added to by just about everyone else, the city centre comprises of manifold winding alleyways and streets. Each road as picturesque as the last, York is at first a little confusing when it comes to finding ones way around. Luckily the tourist signposts and the presence of my iphone helped with the situation, but I’d recommend buying a map if you intend visiting!

The city centre did have an air of chaos, and Christmas-shopping desperation, that lingers in any other city this time of year. However, it was refreshing to see that there was a higher ratio of independent shops to your typical chains. There were plenty of boutiques, unique gift shops placed beside higher end (yet rare) retailers such as Cath Kidston, Barbour and a Jack Wills. Despite these luxuries the Christmas market remained the best shopping experience of them all. York’s Christmas market isn’t like the Christmas markets you find in many other cities (i.e someone flogging burgers off a BBQ and a “french” guy selling brie). Russian Dolls, intricate jewellery, handmade slippers, chocolates, sausages and paella were just a few of the things I spotted there.

In terms of dining, York is quite an expensive place to eat, and can be a bit restrictive if you’re vegetarian like myself. The city is a maze of Tudor-style gastro pubs, although £15 for steak pie and chips does seem a bit steep. There are quite a lot of Indians, a smattering of Italians and a few Turkish restaurants. However as we were focused on having a good pub meal (that didn’t just offer me a bean burger) we brushed them aside. Eventually, we found the perfect place, the Punchbowl, which is situated at Stonegate. This was about the only place that had a good vegetarian menu (they had a cashewnut-butterquash tart but I settled on a veggie roast dinner), and a good selection of ales. The service was warm and friendly, and our bill (we had about 2 pints each, some wine, 2 meals and a shared starter), came to a cheap as chips £30, bargain!
We went back to the hotel, for further drinks by the fire. The Elmbark Hotel is located about half a mile from the city walls (literally a five minture walk), and boasts a grand exterior (see below).

The inside was very traditional, I particularly liked the grand staircase and the big leather sofas by the fire. The bedrooms were also a good size and the bathrooms were equipped with a nice powerful shower, which made a change from the flimsy showers in student households!
Again, as eating out is quite expensive in York it is best to stay outside the city walls, we went to a greasy spoon literally outside one of the forts (although im unsure which one), and got a large full English for about £4.
The tourist industry in York is booming, thanks to it’s rich history.
You can have a tour of the amazing York Minster for £7, or just have access to the tower for £4. Fairfax house also offers Christmas tours around its’ extravagant rooms that are authentically decorated for the season, as it’s inhabitants in the Georgian period, would have had it. Unfortunately a few places (such as the “flood” exhibition and treasurers house) were shut for the season, however we managed to find time to visit the Jorvik centre. Entry is £7, however handily enough this enables you to have one years free entry! The ride was funny, if not slightly scary, and we had an informative education on Viking York. The staff were helpful, and seemed to actually have a interest in what they were talking about.The last place we visited was York Brewery, the home of delicious ales such as “Yorkshire Terrier” and “Guzzler”. The place typically had a sickly yeast smell, however the bar staff were more than helpful and you can go on a tour of the place for £5.
Despite only spending a couple of days there, York struck me as a beautiful, well preserved city that is unique and hard to come by in England these days.
As with many picturesque and historic places, the experience comes with a price tag, however with a few tips I’ve written below, you can make your experience cheap and enjoyable!

• When it comes to eating and booking a hotel- stay out of the city walls. As soon as you step outside the city walls, everything halves in price. A Travelodge in the centre will be the same price as a grand hotel that’s about ten minutes away from the walls.

• Buy a map. The city is small, just a bit confusing, however it is easy to explore on foot. This way you will save money on taxis.

• Stick to one/two tourist attractions per day. Tourist attractions cost at least a fiver a go, but there are many places in York that you can explore that don’t cost money. There are hundreds of historical pubs, the markets, the wall, parts of York Minster and we managed to take a sneak peek around the brewery without doling out for a tour.

By Lizzy Short