10 Things you Didn’t Know about York
1. Largest Gothic cathedral in Northern Europe – York Minster – This massive cathedral took 250 years to build, from 1220 till its consecration in 1472.
2. York is home to one of the largest Railway Museums in the world, where visitors can view the only Japanese Bullet ‘Shinkansen’ train outside of Japan.
3. The Best Racecourse in Great Britain is right here in York. York Races run from May to October and attracts thousands of visitors each year. Did you know the Romans started racing in York in 208 AD?
4. York is home to the Biggest Food and Drink Festival in Great Britain, which takes place for ten days in September.
5. York and Chocolate – York has a long history of chocolate making – Nestlé (formerly Rowntree’s) and Terry’s (now owned by Mondelēz International) both started here and Kit Kat is the biggest seller, with around 5 million Kit Kats being produced in York every day. Discover more at York’s Chocolate Story
6. York has the longest and best preserved City Walls in England.
7. The Shambles is believed to be the oldest shopping street in Europe, even getting a mention in the Domesday Book of 1086.
8. The Treasurer’s House in York was in the Guinness Book of Records for having the ‘Ghosts of Greatest Longevity’. Built over the main Roman thoroughfare leading into York, the house was the site of a remarkable apparition in the 1950s when ghostly centurions wandered through the cellar along the Roman road. This is just one of the sightings in York and it’s been named Europe’s most haunted city.
9. The Merchant Adventurers’ Hall is one of the Best Preserved Medieval Guildhalls in Europe and in 2017 celebrated its 651st anniversary.
10. York is home to the Oldest Working Convent in England – and you can even book Bed and Breakfast with the nuns at the Bar Convent.
Many of York’s world famous attractions double up as events space and make great social programme activities. To find out more about our unique events space and for inspiration on social programmes and activities, contact the team at conference@visityork.org
