Kingston Traveller: 2010

A visit to the city of York. I have been most fortunate in having fine weather for my travels in the UK, and this trip to York was no exception. It was a shorts day!!
The wall around the old city of York is fully intact and makes a wonderful entrance to the city from the railway station.

The Great River Ouse, the some river that flows through Huntington, just 7 miles from Abbots Ripton. I could have taken a narrow boat trip to York.

Another toll both on a bridge, but I could fine nothing to suggest it was a chapel, as was the one in St Ives. This one now is a restaurant.

Rather fancy light standards on the bridge.

I was intrigued by the narrow streets and cobblestones.

It was time for lunch at the Olde Starre Inne, York's oldest licensed inn, open in 1644.

I wasn't exactly sure what I was approaching, but eventually I saw the collection cans on the base and a twinkle in the man's eye. We had a brief chat (after I deposited a pound in one of the cans) and he welcomed me to York.

A steak and ale pie and a pint set me up for the rest of the day.

I wonder if he ever cramps up.

More narrow streets that seem to wander here and there. No straight ones so you can move in one direction. Luckily I could see the cathedral and make my way towards the cathedral tower.

Again, it was difficult to take photos of the exterior as the city builds are so close to the cathedral. The grounds are no way near as extensive as cathedrals such as Salisbury or Peterborough.
This is a small chapel just inside the entrance.

Two interesting shrines, again, just inside the entrance.

The Nave Altar and the west end of the cathedral.

I believe the statues ( from King William I to King Henry VI) date from Victorian times. It is interesting that there eight on one side of the door and seven on the other side of the door. Maybe the placement of the organ required the door to be placed off center.

The intricate stonework was magnificent.

The North Transept and the round stain glass window known as the Bishop's Eye.

The Nave Altar with the choir screen behind.

A very elaborate and comfortable looking Bishop's cathedra.

A chapel dedicated to the British Armed Forces throughout the centuries.

The screen names significant campaigns of the British Land Forces.

The astronomical clock was installed in 1955. I would urge you to go the this link York Minster Astronomical Clock for an explanation of the amazing time piece.

Many of the gargoyles needed replacing. Below are models that will be used by the stonemasons. I was surprised to see that many of the grotesque faces actually represented some common ailments such as headaches, toothaches and the such.

Not sure what this one represented.

The stonework of the east end of the cathedral is being totally restored. What this photo shows is a full sized reproduction of the east window that is stretched over a large frame.

The outside view of the restoration.

This is the view of the crypts. When I toured the crypts, photographs were not allowed. Within the crypts I was able to see Roman ruins in the foundations of the cathedral, along with Anglo Saxon, Normand, and medieval foundations built on top of each other.

The Romans came to York in AD43. and stayed for over 400 hundreds years. This Roman column stands just outside the cathedral.

More narrow streets with all kinds of stores.

Another gate in the walled city.

In AD71 the Romans built a fort on the River Ouse. The remains between the stone wall and the houses is the northeast corner of the fort.

I swear they could pass things back and forth from the second stories of the stores.

A parish church within the walls - Holy Trinity Church founded in the first half of the 12th century.

It took me a while to find the smallest street in York. Contrary to what the sign says a more accurate translation would be "neither one thing nor the other"

On my way back to the train station I noticed another city gate and as I walked closer to get a photograph I found the small pub.
Earlier in the month after one of the car boot sales we stopped at the Mad Cat Pub for a pint and a carvery. The Mad Cat was chosen Pub of the Year by Camra for 2009.
I noticed the Three-Legged Mare Pub had be chosen Pub of the Year for 2008.

It was a bit early for something to eat, but it was the perfect time to have a pint. All the real ale served in the pub was brewed within the walls of York.

My choice was a pint of Wonky Donkey.

York train station for the return home. It is impossible to see everything in one day so there will be a return visit one day.

I returned to London to spend some more time at St Paul's Cathedral and see a bit more of the city. As with every other cathedral I have visited, there is the ongoing work of restoration.

Temple Bar, the only surviving gateway to the city of London. Christopher Wren designed it and it stood in London for some 200 years before being dismantled and moved to Theobalds Park, Cheshunt to form a grand entrance to a country estate. The project to return the gate to London was started in 2001 and completed in 2004 retaining 95% of the original stone work.
I came upon this gate quite by accident, not knowing it even existed.

The statue in front of St Paul's is of Queen Anne, who was said to be over fond of alcoholic drinks. She had 17 children, with only 11 surviving to adulthood; and you wonder why she drank. The statue doesn't face St Paul's; Queen Anne's back is to St Paul's and her head turned slightly to the right. Legend has it she was looking longingly at a pub that use to sit on the corner. Some place where she could have a quiet pint away from all the children.

This is one of two 'illegal' photos I took as I was climbing the 528 steps to the highest point of St. Paul's open to the public. I did take a break part way up to view the whispering gallery which was so noisy with people trying to whisper so someone on the other side of the gallery would hear them clearly.

The whispering gallery - I downloaded thses photos from the web. It is approximately 132 feet across.

The view from the top of St Paul's. The Millennium bridge across the Thames.

A closer view of the Millennium Bridge.

From my viewpoint I believe I am higher than the London Eye, the large Ferris wheel to the left of the photo.

The other illegal photo.

The massive front door of the cathedral only opened for special occasions.

I attended the 12:30 Eucharist in the Nave. The attendants were vergers and the priest was proceeded by a verger carrying his staff of office. He held the silver rod out in front of him grasping it much like one would grasp a baseball bat. He looked to be prepared to hit anyone aside who might approach the priest.

After St Paul's a quick lunch and a bit of a walkabout. The ship below is HMS Belfast, a light cruiser that took part in the sinking of the Scharnhorst, a World War Two German Battleship.