“The history of York, is the history of England” – King George VI.
Never a word more true was said about this ancient, walled city, famed for its great Cathedral, as York literally has layers of history at its archaeological and architectural heart. The city is full of attractions easily worthy of a visit for a few days but even a short stay will enthrall people of all ages. The National Railway Museum charts the history of locomotives and railways, while the Castle Museum charts the social history of Yorkshire with streets entirely recreated from old buildings sourced from the region. The Jorvik Viking Centre is a journey through time to experience the city as a Scandinavian settlement, and no visit to York is complete without a tour of the largest, medieval Gothic structure in northern Europe: York Minster.
In the north west you’ll find intriguing cities with some fantastic shopping opportunities such as Chester, England’s only other city (after York) with a complete set of city walls! … and the Lake District National Park is yet another area of stunning beauty. The region has inspired famous writers and poets over the centuries and you can visit their former homes and stroll through the countryside and along the banks of the lakes, which provided their distinct imagery. Haworth, in the Yorkshire Dales is a village caught in time as it exudes an essence of the past, and the era of the famous Bronte family, who produced novels such as “Wuthering Heights”, and “Jane Eyre”. Their former home in this pretty village is open to visitors – you can even access the village by a steam train on the local heritage railway.
The atmospheric region of the North Yorkshire Moors National Park has been used for the filming of scenes in “Downton Abbey” , 2 of the Harry Potter movies, and many other recognisable movies & TV shows. At the edge of the moors is the beautiful seaside town of Whitby which is the setting of various scenes from the world renowned novel “Dracula”. Every year, the town even hosts an annual festival to celebrate Bram Stokers famous fiend!
