Essential Hotels > England > North Yorkshire > York

York has been described as England’s finest historic city, a thoroughly deserved accolade. The vibrant city of York has a unique blend of historical intrigue, dramatic and often violent events from the past, folklore, legend and cultural diversity. This combines to make it a major tourist attraction and one of the UK’s most popular locations. Within the superbly preserved city walls can be found the largest Gothic cathedral in Northern Europe, the beautiful Rivers Ouse and Foss, and the world’s largest and best railway museum. It also has the country’s only interactive museum dedicated to the Viking invasion and occupation, as well as a host of other unique attractions. It is not just 2000 years of fascinating history that make York so special. There are thousands of shops in the city, including many unique specialist retailers. With a number of excellent shopping centres and streets such as the Shambles and the popular McArthur Glen designer shopping outlet on the outskirts of the city, York is something of a shopper’s paradise. According to legend, there are 365 pubs in York, one for each day of the year! Many of the historic inns in the old city centre are thought to be haunted and ghoulish guided tours of Europe’s most haunted city abound. York is home to an annual Viking festival, celebrating the city’s Norse heritage, as well as Britain’s largest annual festival of food and drink.

The history of York is somewhat turbulent. It began as the fortified Roman settlement of Eboracum. This was the capital of Lower Britain and the Romans effectively controlled the North of England from here. Following the departure of the Romans, the Anglo-Saxons reclaimed the area, naming it Eoferwic. The Viking invasion and capture of York in 866 heralded yet another change of name, this time to the familiar Jorvik, and the town became an important river port. In 1066, William the Conqueror invaded Britain, but like many northern outposts, York rebelled against their new ruler. An uprising in 1069 led to the town being sacked by the Normans, who fortified the town with a castle. A further castle was added in 1190, the only remains of which today is the keep, Clifford’s Tower.

The building of the magnificent York Minster seen in the city today began in 1220 and continued over more than 250 years. Medieval York was the second largest and most important city in England. During the Civil War it became a Royalist stronghold, besieged by Parliamentarians in 1644. York continued to be a military garrison until the late 17th century, by which time it was becoming the social and cultural centre for the North of England. The railway was brought to York in 1839, and with it came great expansion. The city became famous for its railways, chocolate factories, and industries. York city centre was designated a conservation area in 1968. Today, tourism plays a large part in York’s economy as it continues as one of England’s most visited and best-loved cities.