4__ All Saints Church’s Stained Glass A remarkable window into the past
Here’s one of those odd curiosities that you never tire of discovering in York. Head to All Saints Church – not on Pavement, but the one on North Street. Seek out the Orders Of Angels window and study it carefully. Can you spot him? One of the figures depicted in 14thcentury stained glass is a chap sporting a fine pair of spectacles. True, they’re quite clunky and made of metal, and are clearly not designer frames. But come on – how many medieval fellows sporting specs do you see? The answer is very few: this myopic Middle Ager is one of the earliest depictions of eyewear. Now that you’ve found him, enjoy exploring the rest of the church, beginning with the other windows. All Saints’ medieval stainedglass collection is among the most important in Britain. The most remarkable is the Pricke Of Conscience window. This is the end of the world, depicted in glass. It is based on a medieval poem about the final 15 days of the Earth, with each day given its own panel. Tsunamis, earthquakes, and infernos rage, stars fall from the sky, men cower, and the dead rise from the grave. If you’re having a bad day, a visit to this window puts your woes in perspective. Originally dating from the 11th century, the church in its present form – with tower, octagon, and 120-foot spire – took shape at the end of the 1300s. In the 1420s Dame Emma Raughton, an anchorite or hermit, lived in a two-storey dwelling attached to the aisle. She received visions of the Virgin Mary. Brother Walter came to live in a room on precisely that spot after the First World War; he was even interviewed for one of Alan Whicker’s BBC documentaries. From the hexagonal wooden pulpit to the angels holding musical instruments that adorn the chancel ceiling, All Saints contains stories wherever you look. Just remember to bring your spectacles. 16
Address All Saints Church, North Street, York, YO1 6JD, Tel +44 (0)1904 706047, www.allsaints-northstreet.org.uk | Getting there 2-minute walk from Tanner Row car park. Closest bus stop: Micklegate | Hours Winter, Mon – Sat 10am – 3pm; Summer, 10am – 6pm | Tip Almost next door to All Saints is the Whippet Inn, a contemporary steakhouse and bar which has earned many rave reviews.
16__ Bile Beans Advert
How a painted wall advert became a loved work of art
Found on an end terrace at the busy junction which sees Lord Mayor’s Walk trot around the corner into Goodramgate, this painted advertisement has been a comforting sight for generations of York commuters. Promoting the health-inducing benefits of Bile Beans, the giant sign came with a winning slogan: Nightly BILE BEANS Keep You HEALTHY BRIGHT-EYED & SLIM. In this age of the probiotic yogurt, it is a reminder that the business of quick-fix remedies is a long and entertaining one. The advert probably dates from the start of the 20th century. Using walls as canvases for giant painted billboards was a popular way to get a message across in the pre-screen era – particularly if those walls faced a busy railway line. Like us, the Victorians and Edwardians were suckers for the latest health tonic. With its laxative qualities, Bile Beans would “disperse unwanted fat” and “enrich the blood” – or so the makers claimed. Manufactured in Leeds supposedly using a vegetable source known only to aboriginal Australians – but in fact made from much more prosaic ingredients like rhubarb and liquorice – it was billed as the perfect pick-me-up. So effective were adverts like these that Bile Beans continued to be popular even after a court found that the company behind them was based on a fraud. As the paintwork flaked and faded, it looked as though this “ghost sign” would be lost forever. But it has been repainted twice, first in the 1980s and again in November 2012, after a public appeal to restore it raised the necessary funds in weeks. Not everyone agrees with the restoration of an old ad for a product that no longer exists – but most Yorkies would miss it if it were to disappear. Peter Brown of York Civic Trust put it perfectly when he explained the appeal of this natty bit of promotion: “It puts a smile on your face when you go past it.” 40
Address 18 Lord Mayors Walk, York YO31 7HA | Getting there 2-minute walk from Monk Bar car park off St John Street. Closest bus stop: Monk Bar | Tip The building on which the mural is painted belongs to Me & Mrs Fisher, a family-friendly cafe. Not only does it serve up delicious buns, it holds regular craft sessions for all ages.
28__ Constantine’s Statue
Paying tribute to the real father of Christmas
Considering Constantine was proclaimed Roman emperor in York a good few years ago – ad 306 to be precise – the city took its time in marking the occasion. It wasn’t until 1998 that the York Civic Trust commissioned a statue of Constantine. Since then, the imposing bronze has become a familiar friend to locals, and the site of a thousand selfies. Its location, on the York Minster piazza, is appropriate. The present minster would not arrive until a thousand years or so after Constantine’s accession, but it sits on top of the Roman basilica where the ceremony took place. He became emperor after his father, Constantius, died, on July 25, 306. Constantine’s loyal soldiers proclaimed him Caesar before anyone else could fill the vacancy. Their judgement was sound. Such was his impact that the emperor was to become known as Constantine the Great. Under his leadership, the politically fragmented Roman Empire was united. And his faith in Christianity was to have a profound effect on European history. At this time only around 10 percent of the empire’s population was Christian, while most of the ruling elite worshipped the old gods of Rome. Not only did Constantine allow Christians to worship freely, helping to unite and promote the faith, he also instigated the celebration of the birth of Christ. So the man who was declared emperor in York … invented Christmas! Philip Jackson, who sculpted York’s larger-than-life statue of Constantine, resisted the urge to tuck a sprig of holly behind his ear. Instead he undertook research to ensure the clothing and armour was accurate to the period, and so we see Constantine dressed in a leather toga, flowing robe, and armoured shin pads. One hand holds a sword, its broken blade resting on the plinth to form the shape of a cross – a fitting Christian symbol for the pioneer who sits next to York Minster. 64
Address York Minster piazza, Deangate, York YO1 7HH | Getting there 8-minute walk from Monk Bar car park. Closest bus stop: Exhibition Square | Tip The Association of Voluntary Guides provide free tours of York every day except December 25. They start at Exhibition Square, take in the Minster, and finish in Shambles.
47__ Gray’s Court
The oldest continuously occupied house in the country
In a city blessed with a surfeit of beautiful buildings, none is lovelier than Gray’s Court. It is approached down Chapter House Street, which the 1980 Bartholomew Guide rapturously described as “York at its best: Cobbles and pleached planes, gateposts with belligerent lions framing pretty gardens by the walls.” Gray’s Court has quite the history. It is believed to be the oldest continuously occupied house in Britain. Commissioned in 1080 by the first Norman archbishop of York, it was home to the treasurers of York Minster before Treasurer’s House was built. Surrendered to the Crown during Henry VIII’s dissolution of the monasteries, Gray’s Court passed into private hands. Among the owners were Sir Thomas Fairfax, who preceded Oliver Cromwell as commander-inchief of the Parliamentary armies in the Civil War; and John Aislabie, notoriously chancellor of the exchequer when the South Sea Bubble burst in 1720. Aislabie’s father, George, died in the Long Gallery in 1674 from a wound received in a duel for the honour of a lady, Miss Mallorie. It was in the same gallery in which James I knighted eight noblemen in the 17th century. In 1718, Elizabeth Robinson was born in Gray’s Court: she went on to found the Blue Stocking Club, “where literary topics were to be discussed, but politics, gossip, and card-playing were barred.” Interest and intrigue cling to Gray’s Court like ivy. An awardwinning documentary made a star of Helen Heraty after it charted her attempt to stay afloat after buying the 72-roomed mansion in 2005. The credit crunch, and battles with the National Trust and York council, turned her dream into a nightmare. But Helen is a redoubtable character and has transformed Gray’s Court into a stunning boutique hotel and restaurant. With beautiful gardens which include the only private access to the city walls, Gray’s Court has begun its second millennium in fine fettle. 102
Address Chapter House Street, York YO1 7JH, Tel +44 (0)1904 612613, www.grayscourtyork.com, enquiries@grayscourtyork.com | Getting there 7-minute walk from the Monk Bar car park; or 1-minute walk northeast on Chapter House Street from York Minster; parking on-site is limited. Closest bus stop: Monk Bar | Hours Restaurant: daily 11am – 9pm; bar: Sun – Thu until 10:30pm, Fri – Sat until 11:30pm | Tip Nearby College Street has a number of independent cafes serving tea, cake, and lunches.
57__ Ice Cream Boat
A tasty treat by – and on – the river
On a hazy summer afternoon it is very easy – recommended, even – to doze off on York’s riverbank. But if you drift away only to imagine a giant pink ice cream floating past your eyes, you’re not actually dreaming. This is the Two Hoots Ice Cream Boat. Since launching in 2013, the boat has become a familiar sight on the Ouse on warmer days. With that enormous cone at the prow, like some sort of sugary figurehead, and a hull decorated to look as though it were topped with raspberry sauce, it offers temptation at six knots. The vessel is a marvellously bonkers mash-up. Businessman Steve Blakeman built it by combining a tugboat from the Yorkshire town of Hebden Bridge with an ice cream van which did its last landlocked rounds in the coastal resort of Robin Hood’s Bay. The tug has an engine with up to 80 horsepower, which it needs to pull half a van and dozens of litres of the finest local ice cream along the Ouse. Best of all, Steve managed to save the van’s chimes, whose traditional tinkling rendition of “Greensleeves” transports everyone within earshot to childhood summers of old. Equipped with serving hatches on both sides, the boat can dish up the finest cones and cups to daytrippers on either bank of the river. And if you happen to be on the water yourself, you can guide your boat up alongside to choose your treat. Perfect for those competitive rowers, who burn through so many calories… Flavours include the classics plus unusual varieties such as orange and ginger. Seasonal specials like rhubarb go by the name “Lick of the week.” In 2015, the Two Hoots was joined by a second vessel. In its former life this narrow boat transported torpedoes for submarines down the Forth and Clyde Canal, but the Full Moo now delivers nothing more harmful than scoops of raspberry ripple. And it is believed to be the first solar-cooled ice-cream boat in the world. 122
Address Two Hoots Ice Cream Boat, on the River Ouse, upstream of Millennium Bridge, Facebook: TwoHootsIceCream | Getting there Head down to the riverbank via Skeldergate Bridge. Closest bus stop: Tower Street | Hours “Term-time sunny weekdays from 3 till tea, summer holidays and weekends from about 12 if the sun shines, and often if it doesn’t” | Tip More in the mood for tea and cake? Try Dyls Cafe Bar on Skeldergate Bridge.
72__ Minifigs & Bricks The world’s smallest Lego shop
What’s small, multi-coloured, and filled with infinite possibilities? A box of Lego – and the very same could be said of Minifigs & Bricks. Described as “the world’s smallest Lego shop,” Minifigs & Bricks packs a lot into its small home in a business park on the outskirts of York. Anyone who remembers the childhood joy of clicking those bricks together to make everything from a spaceship to a tree house will get itchy fingers as soon as they walk in. As you would expect, there are plenty of sets, large and small. But these aren’t restricted to the modern stock, as the shop carries a range of vintage sets as well. And for freestylers: you can buy bricks by the kilogram, and trade in your old sets. Unusually, the mini figures are sold separately. There are shelves filled with neat crowds of them. Displayed chronologically, they are arranged with Series 1 figures (including a spaceman and a superhero) at the back, and more recent additions at the front. Prominence is given to some eccentric “minifigs” – Lego disco dancers, mad scientists, and zombie cheerleaders. Who knew there were such things? David Kirkham, the owner of Minifigs & Bricks, that’s who. A Lego fanatic, he gambled on there being enough people of a similar persuasion out there to make the business profitable. And the risk has paid off. Turns out we can’t get enough of the Danish building blocks (well, it has been voted “the greatest toy ever” more than once). Of course, it is not just children who love a bit of Lego. And when the kids are in bed you can go along to the shop’s adult build night for all those AFOLs (that’s Adult Fans of Lego). David also runs speed-building competitions and co-organises the annual YorBrix Lego Show, which attracts thousands of enthusiasts to gape in awe at various dioramas, including 2015’s awesome Lego stadium, complete with 3,000 minifigs. 152
Address Cliftongate Business Centre, The Fold Yard, Wigginton Road, York YO32 2RH, Tel +44 (0)1904 690527, www.minifigsandbricks.co.uk, york@minifigsandbricks.co.uk | Getting there On Wigginton Road 2.5 miles north of city centre, just past the ring road (A 1237). Bus 20 or 40 to Wigginton Road | Hours Mon – Fri 2pm – 5pm, Sat 10am – 5pm, Sun 11am – 5pm | Tip If you are taking your kids along, treat them to a visit to the neighbouring Web Adventure Park, with its indoor play area, outdoor high ropes, and animal zone.
93__ St Peter’s School
The only place they never burn Guy Fawkes
You had to have been something of a forward thinker to open a school in ad 627 – these were the Dark Ages, after all. So hats off to St Paulinus, who founded St Peter’s School and still had time to open the first York Minster next door. Both landmarks looked very different from what we see today. The school’s own account describes them as “small wooden buildings in the middle of a compact, ramshackle town on the River Ouse.” But from that rude structure grew a school with a proud – and in the case of one pupil, notorious – history. Now said to be the fourth-oldest school in the world, St Peter’s has only sketchy records of its early days. We do know that the distinguished scholar Alcuin was a teacher and librarian there, and became headmaster in 778. The pupils, all boys of course, studied such subjects as Latin, grammar, rhetoric, time-reckoning, logic, astronomy, geometry, arithmetic, and natural history, many of which still feature on the curriculum today. Over the centuries the school has moved around the city. In 1289. it relocated from the nave of the present Minster to a house near the cathedral’s East End, and then, in 1557, to Horsefair, on the corner of Gillygate and Lord Mayor’s Walk – roughly where the Union Terrace coach park is now. This was the building that Guy Fawkes attended as a pupil in the 1570s. He went on to become Britain’s most notorious vanquished terrorist (see p. 104). While Guy effigies are put on top of bonfires around the country on fireworks night, the school doesn’t follow suit, considering it unseemly to burn an old boy. A portrait of him hangs close to the front entrance. After a brief relocation to, bizarrely, a Turkish bath on Coney Street, St Peter’s School settled into its present home on Clifton in 1844. Today, as well as educating a new generation of scholars, it hosts a series of free public lectures featuring everyone from comedians to scientists. 194
Address Clifton, York YO30 6AB, Tel +44 (0)1904 527300, www.stpetersyork.org.uk, enquiries@stpetersyork.org.uk | Getting there 8-minute walk from Bootham Row car park. Closest bus stop: St Peter’s School | Hours Visit the website for the schedule of public lectures. | Tip Just up the road on Clifton, try Café D’Licious, a vintage tearoom which serves fine homemade cakes.
The Author Chris Titley is an award-winning journalist and writer. During his time as features editor at the Yorkshire Evening Press he wrote a weekly column, two books, and a number of supplements on the history of York. Since turning freelance in 2006 he has written for the Guardian, the Times Educational Supplement, and Yorkshire Life. Chris also researched and wrote the text for the History Of York website on behalf of the city’s Museums Trust, and a biography of York’s confectionery pioneer Joseph Rowntree. He is co-founder and editor of the online news magazine YorkMix.
The Photographer Richard McDougall is a multi-award winning designer. He cut his teeth at the Yorkshire Evening Press and has subsequently managed creative accounts for clients including J Sainsbury, Caledonian Brewery and Whitbread Plc. With more than 20 years’ creative industry experience, he has a passion for all things visual. He is an active amateur photographer with a particular eye for architecture and places.