This easy circular walk around the city centre takes you to some of York’s hidden places. On the way, you’ll see some of York’s most popular places from a different angle as well as explore some of the old streets and “Snickelways”. The total distance travelled is about three miles on footpaths. 1. Entrance to Museum Gardens. The walk starts and ends at the lodge entrance to the Museum Gardens on Museum Street. From the…
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I was born in Yorkshire, still live there now and have lived in the county for most of my life. I consider myself very fortunate to live here and of course, I celebrate Yorkshire Day every year. This post might explain why Yorkshire people are so passionate about where they live. Yorkshire has a population equal to that of Scotland’s and covers an area half the size of Belgium, 12,590 sq km. It has a…
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York’s Medieval Walls / Bar Walls The three-mile walk around the Medieval Walls of York is a great way to see the city from a different and slightly elevated perspective. As you walk around you’ll encounter lots of historic structures, some dating from Roman times. The walls as you see them today were mostly built in the 14th Century although some of the original Roman structures have been incorporated. The gates to the city were…
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The quickest way south from Hull is to cross over the Humber Bridge, which spans the Humber Estuary. The bridge crosses the estuary between Hessle in East Yorkshire and Barton upon Humber in North Lincolnshire. When it opened in 1981 it was the longest single-span suspension bridge in the world. It held this record for 16 years. The main span between the two towers is just under a mile. More recent bridges in Denmark, Japan…
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The National Railway Museum is a very impressive place. I have visited it many times over the years, its the perfect place to go on a rainy day. The largest rail museum in the world, it is home to over 100 locomotives and nearly 200 other items of rolling stock. It tells the story of the railways from the early 19th Century to the present day. It houses a very diverse collection from a Japanese…
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Arbor Low has been called the Stonehenge of the Peak District. This Neolithic henge monument is a very atmospheric place constructed on high moorland. Introduction It is not dissimilar to the monument in Avebury, Wiltshire. Like Avebury, it has a henge bank and ditch, a stone circle and central stone ‘cove’. Close by is Gib Hill, a large burial mound. At first glance, Arbor Low is not as impressive as its more well known Wiltshire…
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Introduction I have always had a fascination with ancient places and stone circles in particular. The Castlerigg Stone Circle in the Lake District and the Arbor Low Stone Circle in the Derbyshire Peak District are places I’ve visited. The circle at Callanish on the west coast of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland is still on my list of top places to visit. Of course, the most famous circle is Stonehenge. For a long time,…
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Driving up the A1 towards Gateshead and Newcastle or travelling on the East Coast Main Line you can’t help but notice a large figure looming over the roadside/railside trees. This is the Angel of the North, a contemporary steel sculpture of an angel designed by Antony Gormley. Thousands of people pass its outstretched wings every day. The Angel of the North is visible from miles around. However, you really have to visit the site and…
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An arboretum is simply a botanical collection which is made up of trees. Generally, it is intended to be a place for scientific study. Just as a zoo educates people about animals and preserves endangered species, arboretums are places where endangered trees and plants can be grown and protected in order to preserve them. I used to be a frequent traveller through the Castle Howard estate, I lived nearby. I must have passed this site…
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Museum Gardens The Museum Gardens are five minutes walk from the Minster in the centre of York. The Gardens are named after the Yorkshire Museum which is built on the remains of St Mary’s Abbey. The gardens are free and open most days except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. Entrances to the gardens are located at the side of the Art Gallery, Museum Street, at the side of King’s Manor, Marygate and…
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