A Day Out In York

One of my challenges this year is to do something nice for me each month. I spend so much time running around after the rest of the family, or doing things to suit them that I thought it was time that I start pleasing myself sometimes.

We've been having some problems with our internet connection, so an appointment had been made for an engineer to come out and take a look on Saturday, a bit of a wasted day really, so I made up my mind that Mick could wait in for him to arrive and I'd take myself off for a jaunt in York.

We usually drive and park the car at the park and ride, getting a bus in to the centre, but on Saturday, I took the train. From York station, I decided to walk straight up to the minster and have a look around that area.

As I walked towards the minster, I could see the west front.

It's such a huge building and can be seen from many areas around the city.

I popped in to Deans Park, by the side of the minster, to get a better look at the north side.

The south transept contains the famous rose window.

Some of the stained glass in York Minster dates back to the 12th century.

There was plenty going on by the river on Saturday, I stood and watched from Lendal Bridge for a little while.

It was a bit overcast and quite windy, but the weather was still good enough to enjoy a walk. I thought I'd walk the city walls. York has more miles of intact wall than any other city in England. There are some good views of the minster from this height.

I passed by the river again.

The walls are punctuated by four main gatehouses or 'bars'. Monk Bar was built in the early 14th century and is the tallest of the four bars. It still has a working portcullis.

Micklegate Bar was the traditional ceremonial gate for monarchs entering the city. Traitors' severed heads were displayed on the defences here. One of those heads left to rot was Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, the father of Richard III.

It was time for a snack so I found a little cafe and treated myself to a cup of tea and a jam doughnut. I shouldn't have done really as I'm trying to lose some weight, but in the true spirit of doing something nice for myself, I didn't care. I didn't visit Betty's, probably the most famous tea rooms in York, but plenty of people did, a long queue was snaking its way down the pavement.

After a short break, it was time to hit the shops. I love York for its shopping experience, there's all the large department stores here, but also lots of independent shops too.

I always head for the Shambles, I like all the little gift shops which are down this old street.

Some of the overhanging timber-framed buildings date back to the fourteenth century.

The houses are so close together that it's said you can hold hands across the street out of the upstairs windows.

There's a lovely wool shop in the Shambles named Ramshambles. They stock a good range of yarns, including local brands.

I love a good market and York's Newgate Market offers something for everyone. It stands just to the side of the Shambles.

York was captured by the Vikings and became known as Jorvik. Now, the Jorvik Viking Centre is a very popular visitor attraction. Between 1976 and 1981 excavations revealed houses, workshops and backyards of the Viking-Age city as it stood nearly 1000 years ago, and the centre is built on the place where the excavations took place. I haven't been to the centre since I was a schoolgirl, but it's on my list of places to visit, I think I'm due a return trip.

There's some very old buildings in York, but the earliest row of houses still surviving in the city is Our Lady's Row. They date from 1316.

As well as some buildings being old, some are really beautiful or quirky. I think part of York's charm is the architecture.

I had a wonderful day doing my own thing, but I was shattered after all the walking I did. I slept well that night.