Tang WK

York's history

York's turbulent history can be traced back nearly 2,000 years. It begins in earnest in AD71 when the Romans, at the height of their powers, conquered the Celtic tribes known as the Brigantes and founded Eboracum which, by the fourth century, was the capital of lower Britain.

In the seventh century, known as Eoferwic, it was the chief city of the Anglo-Saxon King Edwin of Northumbria and, two centuries later as Jorvik, it became an important trading centre for the Vikings.

The city was ravaged by William the Conqueror, but by the Middle Ages it had again become an important commercial centre.

In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries Tudor and Stuart kings were among its visitors, in Georgian times it was the social capital of the north, and in the 19th century, with the coming of the railway, its industrial future was assured.

Today, while trade and industry are still important, it is the preservation of its long and varied history which has brought it world fame. For here, visitors can not only hear about England's history, they can actually see it and walk in it.

York is truly ageless - a city for all time and all people.

Eboracum: Roman York

In AD71, the Roman Governor of Britain, Quintus Petilius Cerealis, led his troops northwards from Lincoln to invade 'Brigantia'. Recognising a good military strongpoint, he based his camp at the juncture of two rivers, the Ouse and the Foss.

Having conquered the Brigantes, the Ninth Legion built a fortress on the site of their camp and called it Eboracum. On the departure of the Ninth Legion in AD120, the Sixth Legion took command of the fortress which eventually enclosed 50 acres and housed a garrison of several thousand soldiers.

New roads were constructed, a civilian town grew up outside the fortress walls and Eboracum became the capital of Lower Britain and a leading city of the Roman Empire.

Several Emperors visited Eboracum and Severus held his Imperial Court there until he died in AD211. In AD306, Emperor Constantius Chlorus died in Eboracum and was succeeded by Constantine, his son. Constantine the Great as he became known was proclaimed Emperor and the proclamation is thought to have been held on the site of the present Minster. Constantine went on to found Constantinople and was the first Christian Emperor of Rome.

The Legions, who occupied Eboracum until around AD410, had their headquarters where the Minster stands today and, during restoration work, Roman remains were discovered beneath it. These included a 31 foot Roman pillar which was re-erected and can now be seen near the Minster's South Entrance.

Eoferwic: Anglo-Saxon York

After the Romans withdrew from Britain in the fifth century, the Anglo-Saxons began their invasion.

Eventually York would become Eoferwic and, under the rule of Edwin, King of Northumbria, it became an important religious centre. In fact, Edwin was instrumental in re-introducing Christianity to the city and was baptised at Eoferwic.

Edwin married the Christian Princess Ethelberga of Kent who came north with her Chaplain, Bishop Paulinus. He baptised Edwin and many of his subjects on April 12 627, at one of the city's wells where a little wooden church had been built for them to worship in. This was the first cathedral of St Peter in York, with Paulinus as its first Bishop in the present continuous line.

Christianity also brought learning to York. In the eighth century, the great scholar Alcuin was Master of the School of St Peter which received students from all over Europe. By the time he left Britain to become Master of Emperor Charlemagne's Palace School at Aachen, Eoferwic was the most important centre of learning in this part of Britain.

Jorvik: Viking York

The Kingdom of Northumbria was in the midst of civil war when the Vikings raided and captured York in 866.

Ten years later the Danish King Halfdan shared out the lands of Northumbria from his capital, Jorvik, and the former warriors settled down to a peaceful existence.

Jorvik became a major river port, part of the extensive Viking trading routes throughout northern Europe. The last Danish ruler of Jorvik, Eric Bloodaxe, was driven from the town in the year 965 by King Eadred of Wessex who succeeded in uniting Northumbria with the southern kingdom. But for another hundred years, the north was largely ruled by earls of both Anglo-Saxon and Scandinavian blood.

During 1065-66, following rebellion of the local earls, there came invasion by the Norwegians and the defeat of their army at Stamford Bridge. But a few weeks later, the victor, King Harold II of England was himself defeated and killed at the Battle of Hastings by the Normans when William the Conqueror invaded the country.

Norman and Medieval York

William the Conqueror came to York in 1069 to subdue rebellion in the north. He ruthlessly pursued a policy of scorched earth, causing great destruction. The Domesday Book, William's census of 1086, records that 'there was not a blade of grass between the Rivers Trent and Tweed'.

In time, however, York began to prosper. The Minster was rebuilt, and soon there were over forty parish churches, an abbey, priories, friaries and religious hospitals. York was once again becoming a profitable port and centre of trade, particularly in wool.

King Henry I granted the merchants and craftsmen the city's first Charter, confirming their trading rights both in England and in Europe.

By the Middle Ages, over a hundred crafts were being practised, each with its own Gild (the original spelling). The wealthiest and most powerful of these was the Company of Merchant Adventurers, the gild of overseas trading. Several gilds were still in existence, or have been refounded. These include the Merchant Adventurers, Merchant Taylors, Butchers, Cordwainers, Freemen, Surveyors, Building, Staple and the Royal Society of St George.

Medieval York was the second largest and most important city in England. The existing stone walls which surround it, and the Bars (medieval gateways), were built during this time. Kings and Queens were frequent visitors and the Dukedom of York began to be conferred on the sovereign's second son (as it still is today).

Henry III's sister and daughter were both married in the Minster to Kings of Scotland, and in 1328 King Edward III married Philippa. (The last Royal wedding in the Minster was in 1961 when the Duke and Duchess of Kent were married there).

Richard II gave the city its first Sword of State, honoured its citizen number one with the title of Lord Mayor and created York a county in its own right. In 1397 the city staged a Royal Performance of the York Mystery Plays for the King - these religious plays were given by the Guilds and have since been revived with performances in modern York every four years during the York Festival.

Edward IV did not favour York because of its Lancastrian sympathies at certain stages during the Wars of the Roses. However, his brother Richard, Duke of Gloucester, later Richard III, had a great affection for the city and was a frequent visitors. It was at York in 1483 that his young son Edward was created Prince of Wales with much pomp and ceremony.

The Age of Decline

All great cities undergo a period of decline during their history and York's occurred during Tudor times.

This was when the wool industry became less important to York, trade drifted towards London and, in 1533, Henry VIII broke with Rome and set himself up as head of the church in England; York as an established religious centre suffered greatly. The Dissolution of the Monasteries began in 1536 and York lost its abbey, priories, friaries and great religious hospitals. Their sacred treasures were stolen or destroyed and, although the Minster survived, many of its priceless treasures were found lost to the city. At the same time many of the houses in York which were owned by the church were seized by the Crown and sold to royal officials and London Merchants.

Henry did, however, do York a great service when he set up the Council of the North in the former house of the Abbot of St. Mary's. This was now the administrative centre for the North and helped York to become an important city once again.

The Civil war

During the reign of Elizabeth I, the Council of the North increased in importance and with it, York's revival and influence gathered momentum. The Abbot's lodging, now renamed King's Manor, was restored and both James I and Charles I stayed there during visits to York. Charles even set up the Royal Mint nearby and established his printing press in St. William's College. However, it soon became apparent that Civil War was inevitable and Charles left York in 1642.

Two years later, in April 1644, the Parliamentarians besieged York, but with the arrival of Charles' nephew, Prince Rupert, with an army of 15,000 men, the siege was lifted.

The retreating Parliamentarians were chased to Marston Moor, six miles from York. Unfortunately for Rupert, they turned on his army and he was devastatingly defeated. Rupert's army limped back to York and the siege was renewed.

But the city could not hold out for long, and on July 15 the Governor, Sir Thomas Glemham, surrendered to Sir Thomas Fairfax who gave orders to his troops that nothing was to be destroyed.

Georgian York - social capital of the North

Following the removal of the Royal Garrison from York in 1688, the city was gradually dominated by the local aristocracy and gentry. While trade and manufacturing were in decline, York's role as the social and cultural centre for wealthy northerners was on the rise.

Many elegant townhouses appeared, notably in Micklegate, Blossom Street and Bootham. Public building also enjoyed a boom and included the Assembly Rooms, Assize Courts and Female Prison, as well as numerous hospitals.

Coffeehouses became popular gathering places and so did the new Racecourse. York's first newspaper, the York Mercury, was printed in 1719. Among its population York could now count a growing group of talented writers, artists and craftsmen.

Georgian York saw a great improvement in coach services to and from the city. The former four day journey to London took only 20 hours by the 1830s. And it was soon to take much less time, with the coming of the railway.

The Railway Age to the present day

An entrepreneur named George Hudson was largely responsible for bringing the railway to York in 1839. Ten years later Hudson's dubious dealings had brought him disgrace. By this time York was a major railway centre, and at the turn of the century the railway employed over 5,500 people.

The railway was also instrumental in the expansion of Rowntree's Cocoa Works and Terry's Confectionery Works.

These former small city shops became great factories and along with the railway are still among the city's biggest employers.

In the Victorian era there was a rapid rise in the building of new churches, public buildings, banks, offices, schools and colleges, and in recent years one of the most progressive projects was the new University which opened in 1963.

With the escalation of tourism in England it soon became clear that ancient York was the city's own major asset, and in 1968 the entire historic core of York was designated a conservation area.

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York’s attractions

Due to time limit spending in York, I would recommend we take the following route for visit:

Step inside the gothic splendour of York Minster, browse around the medieval shopping streets of Stonegate and the Shambles. Revel in York's Roman heritage at the Yorkshire Museum, explore Viking York at JORVIK.

If you still have time, you may take a cruise along the River Ouse with YorkBoat, or to walk on the city walls and discover York's royal history of kings, princes and England's Christian history. Visit the fascinating National Railway Museum, York Castle Museum and York Dungeon.

1) York Minster

The largest Medieval Gothic cathedral north of the Alps and a treasure house of 800 years of stained glass. Explore the history beneath your feet in the Undercroft and enjoy magnificent views from the tower top. Open daily subject to services. Please check in advance to avoid disappointment.

Adult: £ 5.00
Child: Free
Concession: £ 3.50 (£4 as of 25 April 2006)
Combined ticket (includes Minster and Undercroft, Treasury & Crypt)
Adults: £7.00
Concessions: £5.00

Open all the time: Easter - October Half Term Mon - Sat 9:00 - 17:00 Sun 12:00 - 15:45 October Half Term - Easter Mon - Sat 09:30 - 17:00 Sun 12:00 - 15:45 Service only on Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Christmas Day. All opening times subject to services.

2) JORVIK

At JORVIK Viking Centre travel back over 1000 years and visit the Vikings of JORVIK. Explore York's Viking history exactly where our archaeologists found the remains of the original Viking-Age City of 'Jorvik'. Journey through the reconstruction of Viking-Age streets, as they would have been in the year 975AD. See over 800 of the items discovered on site and meet the famous JORVIK Vikings in our exciting exhibitions:

Artefacts Alive: Tour 40,000 Viking-Age discoveries guided by holographic talking Viking Ghosts in this ground-breaking new exhibition. You will be amazed what you will learn using new 'expert' interactive IT installations, which delve into the details of Viking life.

Unearthed: Discover the secrets of bones. Picture Viking life, death, battle, diet and disease through the examination of 10 - 11th century bones.

NEW exhibition for Summer 2007: Are you a Viking?

Adult - £7.45
Senior Citizen/ Student £6.30
Child £5.25
Family of 4 £21.95
Family of 5 £26.50

Season Dates and Opening Hours
Season Dates	Opening Hours
Sun 1 Apr 2007 - Wed 31 Oct 2007	Mon - Sun 09:30 to 17:00
Thu 1 Nov 2007 - Mon 31 Mar 2008	Mon - Sun 10:00 to 16:00
Christmas Day	closed

3) Yorkshire Museum

Walk in the footsteps of Romans and discover a land pillaged by Vikings. See beasts turned to stone from a time when dinosaurs ruled the planet. Discover the jewels of Kings and the spoils of war. Welcome to the Yorkshire Museum & Gardens, one of England's first and finest. Yorkshire Museum & Gardens are a part of the York Museums Trust.

Adult £5.00
Child £3.50
Under 5's - Free
Concessions - £4.00
Residents with a York Card - Free
Two adults with one child - £12 (£3 per child after that)

Season Dates and Opening Hours
Season Dates	Opening Hours
Sun 1 Apr 2007 - Fri 1 Jan 2010	Mon - Sun 10:00 to 17:00
Christmas Day, Boxing Day	closed
New Year's Day	closed

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The Bridges of York -- Ouse Bridge, Lendal Bridge, Skeldergate Bridge

The oldest bridge to span the River Ouse was on the site of the present Ouse Bridge as early as the ninth century. An incident occurred in 1154 when a large crowd had gathered on the bridge to welcome Archbishop William to York. The stone bridge collapsed under their considerable weight, but not one person who fell into the river was drowned. This was a miracle! Archbishop William went on to become a Saint and had a future chapel named in his honour.

The replacement bridge was a fine structure, supported by six arches it was lined from bank to bank with houses, shops, a toll booth, courthouse, prison, and the chapel dedicated to St William. In 1367, the first public toilets in England were installed on the bridge.

During the extreme weather conditions of 1564, a terrible winter followed by massive thaws and flooding, the bridge all but collapsed and the buildings were swept away. The new bridge was built much higher, to combat future flooding and also to increase access for more water traffic. Supported on two central arches, it still held houses and public buildings along its length. All was well for the next 250 years or so, until repairs were desperately needed, and the Corporation decided to replace it. The present bridge was begun in 1810 and took 11 years to complete. For its first few years it was a toll bridge to recover some of the costs of the extensive work. The first vehicles to cross the Ouse free of charge were carrying equipment and timber to be used in the repair of the Minster after the fire of 1829, started by the religious fanatic, Jonathan Martin.

Two Victorian bridges followed in mid - late 19th century, the first being Lendal bridge in 1861; built for better access to the increasingly busy and expanding railway station. It was built by Thomas Page, (who also designed Skeldergate Bridge and Westminster bridge in London) and incorporates on its ironwork the cross keys of the Diocese of York, the White Rose of York, the York Coat of Arms, and a design with V and A intertwined, for Victoria and Albert. This position on the river had previously been crossed using a ferry service from Barker Tower to Lendal Tower. The ferryman was put out of business by the new bridge and received compensation of 15 pounds and a horse and cart.

A toll system was immediately introduced to pay for the costs, remaining until 1894. The toll booths are still in place on the bridge, but have since been used to house gift shops and cafes.

Skeldergate Bridge followed twenty years later, also built where a ferry service had operated, the original design of this bridge was altered at the planning stage to open, as it was not high enough to let in taller ships. It was last opened in 1975, and the winding mechanism has since been removed. The Scarborough rail bridge is also a pedestrian walk across the river Ouse, built in 1845 it underwent much improvement when the present railway station was under construction. It was raised in height and the tracks were re-laid and strengthened. The pedestrian path, which originally had been between the tracks, was considered unsafe and was moved to the side of the bridge. There are a few small bridges spanning the narrow Foss, at Castle Mills and Piccadilly, they are not particularly noteworthy. My personal favourite of all the York bridges is the one which joins Fossgate to Walmgate - Foss Bridge. A charming little arched and balustraded bridge, built in 1811 it replaced an earlier stone bridge which was crammed with houses. The tenants were forbidden from having windows to the river side of the properties to prevent rubbish being tossed into the river.

It is suggested that there has been a bridge on this site since the times of the Vikings, most likely true as recent excavation has taken place along Walmgate, uncovering the foundations of Viking homes.

The latest of the bridges to span the York Rivers was built to commemorate the Millennium; it is a pedestrian/cycle bridge linking Fulford to Clementhorpe. South of Skeldergate Bridge, it is a modern stainless steel structure. The idea of local people, it was paid for by the Lottery fund, local council and local businesses and was opened by the Duke of York, Prince Andrew in April 2001.

Source:

http://www.york-tourism.co.uk/information/

http://www.york.gov.uk/

City map of York, with the three recommended places for visit circled and the three bridges boxed in black