York was the Roman capital of the North Britain territories. Its main port was on the Rivers Ouse and Foss. It was also the main terminal for tens of thousands of Roman soldiers. Consequently, trade developed, and the city grew in importance. Several emperors visited here, including Constantine the Great. Then arose the need to defend the city from the warring tribes north of it, and York became a walled city. This was also the time that Hadrian's Wall was built for the same reason.
In the 9th century the Vikings finally took the city and gave it its name, Jórvík. In the Middle Ages, York became the capital of the northern England ecclesiastical province as a wool-trading center. In the 19th century, it became a major railway network hub and confectionery manufacturing center. During World War II, the city was largely spared, however, several historic buildings were gutted and restored up through to the 1960s.
York Minster Cathedral
One of the most outstanding sights in York is York Minster. The church has a long and transformative history of building and re-building, but it remains one of the great cathedrals of the world.
A wooden Christian church was quickly built here in 627 in order baptize Edwin, King of Northumbria, but it was replaced in 637 with a stone structure. In 741, the church was destroyed in a fire and rebuilt into a much larger structure with 30 altars. Prior to its Christian foundations, York was the site of a Celtic temple for 5,000-6,000 years.
The church was destroyed again during William the Conqueror's time, but Thomas Bayeaux, a Norman bishop was assigned in 1070. The first order of business for the new bishop was to organize the repairs.
The Danes destroyed the church in 1075, but it was again rebuilt shortly afterward. Applying the Norman style (Romanesque rounded arches and especially massive proportions), it was 364.173 ft long. The new structure was damaged by fire in 1137 but soon repaired. The choir and crypt were remodeled in 1154, and a new chapel was built, again all in the Norman style.
The mid-12th century saw the arrival of the Gothic style of architecture, and the newly-appointed Archbishop Walter de Gray ordered that a Gothic structure be built starting in 1220. The north and south transepts were completed in the 1250s as well as the central tower and a wooden spire. The stone used was magnesium limestone, a creamy-white colored rock that was quarried in nearby Tadcaster. Building projects continued into the 15th century, and other changes and expansions were made until the cathedral was finished and consecrated in 1472.
The 16th century English Reformation led to the looting of much of the cathedral's treasures. Under Elizabeth I there was a concerted effort to remove all traces of Roman Catholicism from the cathedral, so tombs, windows and altars were destroyed. Once religious tensions calmed down, restoration work began in 1730. However, an accidental fire in 1840 destroyed the roof in the nave, towers, and south aisle. The second half of the 19th century saw a revival and preservation of the cathedral, which continued into the 20th century.
A great fire in July 1984 destroyed the roof of the south transept and a repair and restoration project was completed in 1988. In 2007, renovation began on the east front, including the Great East Window where 311 glass panels were removed for conservation. The project was completed in 2018. The most recent addition was the mounting of Queen Elizabeth II (left) on the front alcove of the cathedral.
York Minster is the second-largest Gothic cathedral of Northern Europe. The Minster is 524.5 feet long and the central tower is 235 feet high. The choir has an interior height of 102 feet.
I was unable to go into the cathedral when I was in York because it was closed due to evening prayers. So the photos below provide a look at the interior of the cathedral.
The Altar
< Organ -- 1832
Some of the 15 statues of kings, from Henry III to Henry VI, in the 15th-century Kings Screen
The work of building the cathedral was hard, and the days were long. The craftsmen who carved and mounted the characters on the cathedral's exterior shared their feelings for the people they worked for by creating funny faces and ugly monsters.
The Shambles
One of the main streets in Old York is The Shambles. York Minster towers over the city in the background.
Old York has preserved its medieval character despite England's destruction of many old cities, an outcome of the 1661 Great Fire of London. Narrow streets owith timbered buildings and thatched roofs were deemed fire hazards and removed. One of today's
popular streets in York is The Shambles, which is pretty much the same
as it was 900 years ago except it is in better condition. This street used to house the butchers who worked among blood, piles of rot, stench, rats,
and created an open invitation to disease since there was no refrigeration or
health and safety rules. Some of the meat hooks from the old
days are still there as novelty shops, stores, and cafés now grace the popular
street.
King's Court is a square in Old York with a small park and gathering space for food trucks and various forms of street entertainment.
Guy Fawkes dons this building's signature. Fawkes (1570-1606) was a member of a group of provincial English Catholics involved in the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605, which sought to assassinate King James I and members of the Parliament in order to restore a Catholic monarch to the throne. Fawkes was in charge of guarding the explosives. He was sentenced to be hanged, drawn and quartered, but he jumped off the platform and broke his neck. He was born and educated in York. Guy Fawkes Night is held on November 5, 1605, when his effigy is traditionally burned on a bonfire, commonly accompanied by fireworks.
Resources
Andrew Speed, guide from CostSaver Travel Company
York Minster -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/York_Minster
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