10th October 2008 - by Gaizka Pujana
Tourists Interested in Medieval Culture are Drawn to York,
England
The City of York lies in North Yorkshire, England. It was once
considered just the land lying inside the city walls. However,
in 1996, the city was expanded to include nearby parishes in
the districts of Harrogate, Ryedale, and Selby.
York is situated where the rivers Ouse and Fess meet. This
area is known as the Vale of York. It is an area of fertile
land surrounded by the Pennines, North York Moors, and the
Wolds. As a flat area of land, it is highly susceptible to
flooding from the River Ouse.
To prevent this, a flood defense system has been put in place.
Unfortunately, the system isn't entirely foolproof, so in
October and November of 2000, the city suffered a flood of
levels not seen in over 350 years. The flood caused a lot of
damage even though it never managed to breach the floodwalls,
which had been reinforced with sandbags. In spite of its flood
defenses, a great deal of the land within the city isn't
considered suitable for building because of its propensity to
flood.
York was founded in 71 AD and was the capital of the Roman
Province of Britannia Inferior. The name "York" originally came
from the old Latin name for the city, Eboracum, meaning "place
of yew trees." It later became the county seat of the
Archbishop of York, and remains so today.
Although York was considered an important city for quite some
time, it lost some of its prominence during the Industrial
Revolution. Though it probably wasn't considered a good turn at
the time, it was this decline in reputation that resulted in
the great number of medieval buildings that are still intact
there today. When the 19th century brought about a new interest
in medieval culture, the city was renovated and now garners a
lot of attention from tourists.
There are a number of attractions for tourists to visit in
York, England. One of them is York Minster. This enormous
Gothic cathedral is at the center of the city and is the
largest cathedral of its kind in Europe.
The center of the city is still surrounded by walls built in
medieval times. Within the walls is Clifford's Tower, which is
a keep built atop a Norman motte. Clifford's Tower has the
dubious distinction of being the location of a horrible
massacre of Jews in 1190.
Also inside the city is The Shambles, a medieval street where
there are many boutiques, shops, and tearooms. Many of these
businesses are housed in former butcher shops, so the hooks and
shelves once used to display meats are still apparent in some
of them. Another attraction along The Shambles is the Shrine of
Margaret Clitherow.
The Snickelways is also located in the center of York. The
Snickelways are a network of pedestrian routes that lead to
what was once the main marketplace. Also within the city are
many museums, such as the Castle Museum, Yorkshire Museum and
Gardens, the York Art Gallery, and many more.
York is also a major destination for people interested in
horse racing. In the Knavesmire area of York is the York
Racecourse.
Another reason many tourists choose to travel to York is its
many pubs and medieval churches. Some say that a spot doesn't
exist in York where you can't stand within site of both a
church and a pub. While that might be an exaggeration, the city
is indeed known for its many charming pubs.
Tourists visiting York will enjoy access to a variety of
vacation accommodations, such as hotels and holiday
apartments.
Article Source: http://www.bb-articles.com
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