York at a Glance
Welcome to Eboracum… Jorvik… York
York is a unique city, boasting a remarkable Roman, Saxon, Viking, Medieval, Georgian and Victorian heritage. George VI was spot on when he said that ‘the history of York is the history of England.’ But that’s only half the story. It is also the place for fabulous food, scary ghosts, thrilling days at the races, convivial evenings in some of the best pubs in the country, relaxing cruises down the river, wonderful day-trips to the best of Yorkshire, shopping until you drop, festivals, films at the sumptuous new City Screen, all kinds of music …you get the idea!
Population
181 000
Key industries
Tourism Chocolate manufacture Financial services University Biotechnology Railways
Geography
York lies right in the centre of the UK, equidistant from London and Edinburgh, and handily positioned on the main east-coast rail-line. It is ideal for a day trip, except that you’ll never pack everything into a day. It is much better to come for a few days, choose from a huge selection of excellent accommodation, and take your time.
Getting here
By car - only 20 minutes from the M1/M62 motorway network By air – within easy travelling distance of Leeds/Bradford, Humberside and Manchester airports By coach – National Express offer a good value service from most UK cities By sea – York is only an hour from the P&O North Sea Ferries terminal at Hull, with daily sailings to Holland and Belgium By train – from London the journey on GNER takes under two hours; Edinburgh is only two and a half hours from York, and there are direct services from Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham and the South West. Frequent Transpennine Express trains run from Manchester Airport around the clock.
City of Romans, Vikings, Chocolate, Railways and Ghosts….
York’s many claims to fame include:
Fascinating remnants of a major Roman city, including the Multangular Tower, the column in front of the Minster (the military headquarters were on this very site) and the foundations of a Roman bath – now housed in a pub!
Some of the finest Viking remains in Europe unearthed in Coppergate – a visit to the Jorvik Viking Centre is a unique and unforgettable experience.
Home to some of the world’s most famous chocolate firms (eg Terry’s and Rowntree).
The National Railway Museum - simply the best railway museum on the planet.
More ghosts than any other European city (and lots of gory stories to go with them).
Britain’s largest and reputedly most lip-smacking Food and Drink Festival (late September).
Some of the most extraordinary medieval buildings and streets you’ll find anywhere.
Wonderful cafes and coffee houses, serving scrumptious Yorkshire fare, not to mention a pub for every day of the year.
The massive and magnificent Minster – largest medieval gothic cathedral north of the Alps, and a treasure house of stained glass.
Top attractions
York Minster
The largest medieval gothic cathedral in northern Europe, the most visited cathedral in Britain, the literal and emotional centre of York, and an unmissable experience. See some of the country’s oldest and finest stained glass, investigate the site’s amazing history in the Undercroft (the headquarters of York’s Roman legion stood on this very spot), and enjoy the best views of the city from the Tower. Deangate, Tel: 01904 557216 Press contact: Alix Peacock, Tel: 01904 557210, Fax: 01904 557204, www.yorkminster.org email: info@yorkminster.org
JORVIK
The original JORVIK Viking Centre was opened in York in 1984 and has attracted over 13.5 million visitors over the past 20 years. The concept for the attraction came about following the discovery of Viking Age artefacts when the site of the new Coppergate shopping centre was being prepared. The attraction is therefore based on real site discoveries with archaeology and academic research playing a key role in what is presented to visitors. The aim o the centre is to present archaeology in a unique setting where the Viking Age city of Jorvik is brought to life as it was on 25th October AD975 at 5.30pm. The centre underwent an extensive five-month £5 million redevelopment programme in 2001 to recreate the Viking Age city of Jorvik, bigger and better than ever before. Coppergate, Tel: 01904 643211 (24 hr information hotline), www.jorvik-viking-centre.co.uk Press contact: Karen Nixon, Tel. 01904 610077, email: karen@partners-group.co.uk
York Archaeological Trust
York Archaeological Trust is one of the largest archaeological units in Britain. It was founded as an educational charity in 1972, and has carried out over 1000 archaeological investigations in York. It also works routinely in the towns and countryside of Yorkshire, and offers specialist services on a national and international basis. You will find detailed academic reports on its work in York and its on-going 2- volume series, The Archaeology of York. There is also a wide range of scholarly reports in specialised journals, a host of popular publications and reports on the internet. Cromwell House, 13 Ogleforth, York, Tel: 01904 663000, Fax: 01904 663024, www.yorkarchaeology.co.uk
National Railway Museum
The National Railway Museum is home to a wide range of railway icons and millions of artefacts, from Mallard – the world’s fastest steam engine – to the only Shinkansen Bullet train to be displayed outside Japan, to a lock of Robert Stephenson’s hair. The Museum’s archives include 1.4 million photographs, 15,000 books and 7,000 historic posters. So whether you’re interested in the social history of the railways, the design of the Eurostar, the Japanese bullet-train or Thomas the Tank Engine, you will find it here. Entrance to the museum is free for everyone. Leeman Road, Tel: 01904 621261, www.nrm.org.uk Press contact: Emma Farley, Tel: 01904 686281, email: Emma.Farley@nrm.org.uk
Castle Museum
The reconstructed Victorian and Edwardian street scenes are favourites with generations of visitors. Many remember the enticing old-fashioned sweet shop or post office from when they visited as a child, and are delighted to see them still unchanged decades later. Intricate Victorian dolls houses, the chocolate exhibit, a magnificent Saxon helmet uncovered in the Jorvik dig (and almost crushed by a digger) and Dick Turpin’s condemned cell are just a few more of the eccentric and entertaining Castle Museum highlights. The Births, Marriages and Deaths display will open young eyes to the realities of life (and death) over the past 300 years. The Eye of York, Tel: 01904 653611 www.york.castle.museum Press Contact: Lee Clark, Tel: 01904 687673, email: lee.clark@ymt.org.uk
Yorkshire Museum
There are any number of other objects here to fire young imaginations, such as the miraculously-preserved auburn hair of a Roman girl, or the Middleham Jewel, a satisfyingly chunky and priceless piece of medieval treasure. In 2006 (March – Oct) the Yorkshire Musuem hosts a major international Roman exhibition – Constantine The Great. Outside the picturesque ruins of St Mary’s Abbey provide the ideal backdrop for a picnic. Regular visiting exhibitions draw in the crowds. Museum Gardens, York, Tel: 01904 551800, www.yorkshiremuseum.org.uk Press Contact: Lee Clark, Tel: 01904 687673, email: lee.clark@ymt.org.uk
York Designer Outlet
The York Designer Outlet is shopping’s best kept secret! Do you love shopping, but hate paying high prices? Do top brand names and designer labels set your pulse racing? Is a day spent mooching around shops looking for the ultimate bargain your idea of bliss? If your answer is yes, you’ll love the York Designer Outlet in York. The Designer Outlet Red Line park and ride bus runs from the railway station every 15 minutes. Tel: 01904 682720, www.yorkdesigneroutlet.com
For any further information and your free guide to York please contact: York Visitor Information Centre, Tel: 01904 550099, email: info@vistyork.org or visit the website at www.visityork.org
Press contact: Kay Hyde, PR Manager - Visit York, Tel: 01904 554451, email: kh@visityork.org website: www.visityork.org