6th November 2023
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While the country was being savaged by Storm Bert, I braved the rain to visit one of the UK’s most popular cities. The weather may have put a damper on things, but it did not stop a fabulous weekend.
Accommodation in York is not something I can really advise on, as unfortunately, my friend Gabrielle can’t let you all sleep on her floor. I came to York to visit a friend who is studying there, which reduced the overall cost of the weekend for me.
Prices for hotels in York are very varied depending on the time of year and proximity to the city centre. After a quick search, it looks like you can get some good deals if you fancy a January getaway. York would make for a nice break during exam season. I would not be afraid to go slightly out of the city centre. The distance from the University campus to the city centre would have been walkable in better weather, and the city has a very reliable bus service. The Travelodge on Hull Road, for example, could be a good and more affordable choice.
In theory, there is one Transpennine service to Newcastle from Lime Street every hour. This should stop at York after about 2 hours and ten minutes. However, on the weekend I travelled there was significant disruption due to staffing shortages, signalling problems, and adverse weather conditions. Due to both of my pre-booked trains being cancelled, I had to leave an hour early on Saturday morning. On Sunday, I had to take a train to Manchester (which terminated early) and change to a different service there to get back to Lime Street. It was a testing weekend of travel, and while this shouldn’t dissuade you, I will be driving next time I visit.
I think it is also important to note the sky-high costs of the train, which I am sure will be all too familiar to anyone who’s travelled by train recently. Without a railcard, a return ticket to York will cost you £56.60 (if using split save). My tickets ended up costing me £40, which was a big expense but worth it to visit a friend. These prices can be hard to swallow, however, when travelling on overcrowded trains with no guarantee of a seat.
What to do- York Minster
As it’s arguably the town’s most famous landmark, I was keen to visit York Minster. As Cathedrals go, this is one of the biggest and most beautiful religious houses in the country. The stunningly high ceilings were truly breathtaking, and I was thoroughly impressed by the stained-glass windows. The cost of admission also included The Undercroft Museum. This is an exhibition underneath the Cathedral which looks into York’s Roman and Viking history. You have the option to go around the Minster on a tour or explore yourself. We went around on our own, but I would consider going on the guided tour. In total, it took us around an hour to make our way around.
While I personally enjoyed York Minster, if you aren’t interested in visiting Cathedrals it does not have anything to offer you. The architecture on the inside is stunning, but that alone isn’t enough to keep everyone interested. The other big drawback is the price. Student Admission to the Minster is a pricey £16 and full admission is £18, which I think is too much. I appreciate the cost of maintaining the building is very high, but such a price point is prohibitively expensive for many people. I wouldn’t discount visiting the Minster, but if you aren’t overly enamoured by Cathedrals, I would recommend just having a look from the outside.
This viral spot opened in 2019 and is now immensely popular with tourists. If you haven’t had the shop on your FYP, The York Ghost Merchants is a Victorian-style shop in the Shambles. It sells hand-made ghost ornaments, each with unique designs. There are two different sixes, which retail at £9 for a small ghost and £18 for the larger ones. The larger ghosts are still small, only measuring around 3.5 cm. I think £18 is reasonable for a totally unique, handmade item. For the price, you also get the experience of visiting the shop. There are many nice touches, such as a miniature shambles to take photos of your ghost in, and I like the Victorian theming. I also appreciated the cute packaging the ghosts come in.
The main drawback with The York Ghost Merchants is how long it takes to queue. I waited in line for 2 hours in exceptionally stormy conditions, and this would have been unenjoyable without good company. Having such a long line of people in the narrow Shambles makes it hard to navigate around and appears to pose problems for the other businesses on the street. Adopting a virtual queuing system seems like a much more sensible option. For as long as they keep the current queuing system, be prepared for a 2-hour+ wait.
My only real disappointment about York was the lack of independent shops. I went in late November hoping to pick up some unique gifts for friends and family. However, the shops in York were almost exclusively chains, which we have in Liverpool. I did visit a lovely shop called Fabrication. They are a social enterprise run by various crafters, who all contribute to the rent and work shifts in the shop. There was a huge variety of items on offer at a range of prices. I purchased some lovely Christmas presents, which I can’t wait to gift. I loved their ethos, and would thoroughly recommend paying them a visit.
Adjacent to Fat Face is an excellent café called Drift-In. The price of the drinks is about in line with what you would pay in Liverpool and was good quality. But where Drift-In really stood out was their lunches. For £10.25, I had an incredible steak focaccia sandwich. The portion was extremely generous and all the ingredients were wonderful quality. My friend spent £8.25 on a tuna melt, which she says had ‘the perfect tuna to cheese ratio’. They also have an excellent-looking breakfast menu, which I would love to go back and try.
I had a really wonderful weekend in York, despite the trauma of travelling to and from. The City has some nice spots to shop and eat, and lots of history to explore. I look forward to visiting again in the future, and if you can get a fair price on a hotel, I would recommend paying it a visit.
All images belong to Ellie Patamia
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