England-Scotland Day 2 (Part 2) – Getting into the City of York and our B&B accommodation at York

4 April 2010

York is a city of extraordinary cultural and historical wealth and was one of the city we intended to stay over while on our road trip. It is surrounded by an old city wall that is worth a walk and in its city center, there is the immense, awe-inspiring York Minster, one of the most beautiful Gothic cathedrals in the world.

We arrived at York at about 2.30 PM. After check-in, we walked towards the York city centre to get our lunch.

Bootham Bar - York City Wall.

Friendly neighbourhood cat just outside our B&B.

 

The old town of York is surrounded by an old city wall. We had to pass through one of the gates (or Bar) to get into the city centre. In this city, gate means street and bar means gate. Confused?

Parts of the old outer City Wall. Roman built.

Could imagine arrows coming out from here during the medieval days.

Bootham Bar - York City Wall.

Bootham Bar – Bar here refers to “gate”, not a place to get drunk. This gate is one of the four main entrances to the old Roman fortress.  We went through the gates of the York City Wall and into the town centre. One of the key attractions in York is the York Minster.

Outside York Minster, on the West side.

York Minster -  The largest gothic cathedral in northern Europe. Built between the 1220s and the 1470s.

Beautiful stone carvings on the York Minster.

After seeing the exterior of the York Minster, we went into the pedestrian-only shopping areas in the city centre.

Where we stayed in York:

I had chosen to stay at the The Holme Lea Manor, a Bed & Breakfast accommodation in York. The B&B is located in the Bootham area, within walking distance of the York City Centre. There are many B&Bs along that street and in that area. The plan was only to stay one night in York and we would only be visiting the attractions in the town centre on foot.

I had booked a Family room for the 4 of us and the room allocated to us was on the top floor of the Victorian house. Learning from our experience with our B&B yesterday, we had packed a small hand-carry bag with only stuff that we would need for the overnight stay, and left the rest of our luggage in our car.

Entrance to our Family Room.

Family Room at The Holme Lea Manor.

Queen-size bed in one room.

Twin beds in adjoining room.

The ensuite bathroom was very large.

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England-Scotland Day 2 (Part 3) –York Shopping Streets and The Shambles

4 April 2010

The best way to explore York’s City Centre was on foot. From the York Minster, it was a short walk to the pedestrian-only shopping streets. This was a lively place with plenty to see, do, buy and eat.

Get a caricature done? Not for us.

Buying postcards for a friend who collects them.

Easter goodies on sale.

King-size chocolate Easter eggs!

“The Shambles” is located in the middle of the pedestrian-only shopping area near the York Minster. It is known as the best preserved medieval street in the world. Many of the buildings date back to around 1350-1475. The Shambles was a street of butchers’ shops and houses, many complete with a slaughterhouse at the back of the premises, ensuring a ready supply of fresh meat.  The meat was hung up outside the shops and laid out for sale on what are now the shop window-bottoms.

Lacking modern-day sanitation facilities, there was a constant problem of how to dispose of the waste produced by the slaughter of animals in the city.  The pavements were raised either side of the cobbled street to form a channel where the butchers would wash away their offal and blood twice a week.

Narrow cobble street leading to the Shambles. Note the levels of the cobbles street and sidewalks.

The Shambles.

In some sections of the Shambles, it was so narrow that it was possible to touch both sides of the street with your arms outstretched.  The architecture which now appears so quaint had a very practical purpose.  The overhanging timber-framed fronts of the buildings were deliberately close-set so that it is difficult for sun to shine on the meat in the butcher shop below. 

So close! Almost cannot see the sun from the street.

Look and feel of a medieval town.

Shrine to St. Margaret Clitherow (with green plaque) who met a rather gruesome martyrdom in 1586 for being a Catholic in a newly Protestant England.

York - Market Centre, England.

We had our lunch at a pie shop here. Colourful interior of the pie shop.

Colourful street windows in York.

 Not all of York are medieval looking. Some parts are more modern.

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England-Scotland Day 2 (Part 4) – Walking the Old City Walls of York

4 April 2010

A visit to York is incomplete without walking on the old city wall of York. According to one of the brochures, a walk on the wall is “A walk through 1,900 years of history”.

“The Bar Walls of York are the finest and most complete of any town in England. There are five main “bars” (big gateways), one postern (a small gateway) one Victorian gateway, and 45 towers. At two miles (3.4 kilometres), they are also the longest town walls in the country. Allow two hours to walk around the entire circuit. In medieval times the defence of the city relied not just on the walls but on the rampart underneath and the ditch surrounding them. The ditch, which has been filled in almost everywhere, was once 60 feet (18.3m) wide and 10 feet (3m) deep! The Walls are generally 13 feet (4m) high and 6 feet (1.8m) wide. The rampart on which they stand is up to 30 feet high (9m) and 100 feet (30m) wide and conceals the earlier defences built by Romans, Vikings and Normans.” – according to a guidebook.

We did not have the intention, energy and time to walk the complete wall. So it was “Let’s see how much we can cover”.  We started our walk at Lendal Bridge, after visiting the shopping areas in the town centre and taken our lunch.

Crossing Lendal Bridge to start the City Wall walk.

Lendal Tower is very unusual in that from 1631 it was used as a water-tower, one of the earliest in the country. On the opposite bank of the river is the 14th century Barker Tower. In the old days, an iron chain could be stretched between the towers to close the river in times of trouble and to ensure that boatmen paid a toll.

View of Ouse River from Lendal Bridge.

Fancy lamp posts on the Lendal Bridge.

Fancy railings of Lendal Bridge.

Views of the city from the York City wall.

Views of the York Minster from the battlements York City wall.

Outside view of the wall – what an attacker may see.

On the battlements of the York city wall.

Turret and battlements – expecting to see Robin Hood appearing anytime.

Micklegate Bar (Gate).

Description from a brochure:

Micklegate Bar was the most important of York’s medieval gateways and the focus for grand civic events. The ruling monarch traditionally stops at Micklegate Bar to ask permission from the Lord Mayor to enter the city. For many hundreds of years Micklegate Bar was also home to the severed heads of rebels and traitors, which were skewered on pikes and displayed above the gate. There they were pecked by crows and magpies - a suitable indignity. The last of the severed heads was removed in 1754. The Bar is now a museum.

Source :

www.visityork.org/explore

We decided that Micklegate Bar was as far as we go for the City Wall walk. At this stage, we had only completed about a quarter of the wall walk.

We headed back towards town, via the Micklegate Bridge Road. We passed by a church with replica of wooden stocks used to imprison and punish people who commit minor crimes and nuisances in the old days. Holy Trinity Stocks!

Holy Trinity Stocks! Used to imprison and punish people who commit minor crimes and nuisances in the old days.

View of the Ouse river from Ouse Bridge. Several York Attractions are located near here -  Original Ghost Walk, York Dungeon, and river cruise boats.

Then we went back to the shopping area near the Shambles. We saw the York Minster again. This time, from the South view.

York Minster, England.

Bronze statue of Roman Emperor Constantine the Great,  near the spot where he was proclaimed Augustus in 306.

We had decided that we would have dinner at a Thai restaurant called The Siam House, located near the York Minster. As it was too early for dinner, we decided to see the inside of the York Minster.  The inside of York Minster, with the stained glass were beautiful and impressive. See the next post for details.

My original plan was to take the Ghost Walk of York after dinner. The ladies in the family were not too keen. So, it was back to the The Holme Lea Manor B&B for a good rest after dinner.

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England-Scotland Day 2 (Part 5) – Inside the York Minster

4 April 2010 

The York Minster is one of the must-see attraction when visiting the beautiful city of York, England. It is beautiful on the outside and also on the inside. The highlights of this building were the stained glass windows.

High in the gable of the South Transept in York Minster is the Rose Window which is one of the best known stained glass windows in England. The red and white roses commemorate the union of the Houses of York and Lancaster. The sunflower at the centre was painted by William Peckitt in the 18th Century.

The Rose Window at York Minster.

The Rose Windows – circular stained glass at top.

Details of the stained glass panels at bottom of Rose Windows.

The High Altar and the Great East Window of York Minster.

The Great East Window, which is the size of a tennis court, is the single largest expanse of medieval stained glass in the country.

The choir (quire) screen separates the transept and nave areas. 15 nearly-life-size statues of the Kings of England from William I to Henry VI are guarding entrance to the choir.

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England-Scotland Day 3 (Part 1) – York to Jedburgh

5 April 2010

Day 3 required some long distance (about 310 km) driving from York to Edinburgh where we stayed for 2 nights. Along the way, we stopped by Jedburgh and also visited the Rosslyn Chapel, which is located south of Edinburgh.

The journey to Jedburgh took slightly over 3 hours, through a combination of A1 motorway towards Newcastle, round the “ring road” bypassing Newcastle and then followed by A68 towards Jedburgh. A68 passes through the town and we followed the road signs to the Jedburgh Abbey.

We parked the car at a public car park next to the river, across from Jedburgh Abbey, a prominent tourist spot in this town. An information board described how Jedburgh got its name. It used to be called “Jedworth” – meaning “an open space by a twist in the river”. Later, it was given the status of a “burgh” – a place with special privileges granted by the King. Hence Jedburgh.

View of Jedburgh Abbey and Mill House from the car park.

We crossed the stone bridge and walked pass the abbey on the way to the town centre or market place.

Jedburgh Abbey Mill. Scottish flag reminding us that we have crossed the border into Scotland.

Jedburgh Abbey, Scotland.

Jedburgh has a few other interesting sites such as the Castle Jail and Mary Queen of Scots Visitor Centre. Our main focus was to look for a place to have lunch.

We walked past the Castle Jail and Museum but did not venture inside.

Soon to be obsoleted red telephone box on the way to the Market Place.

Colourful houses at the Jedburgh Market Place.

Town was quiet and almost deserted.

In commemoration of Golden Jubilee of the reign of Queen Victoria 1887.

Vintage looking postbox at Jedburgh. Soon to be obsoleted too?

It was about 2 PM when we had our lunch.

Coffee with love – at the restaurant serving fish and chips.

From Jedburgh, we continued up the A68 towards Edinburgh. We decided to go to the small town of Roslin, to see the Rosslyn Chapel which is a location featured in the book and movie “Da Vinci Code”.

Roslin is located on the outskirt of Edinburgh. It required a short detour off the A68, through some smaller A-roads and residential areas to get there. It was not difficult to find, thanks to signposts and directions from the Rosslyn Chapel website. 

From the car park at the Rosslyn Chapel, we walked towards the historic and famous building but it was shrouded in tarpaulin and scaffoldings. A major restoration was in progress, so no photos of the chapel from the outside. The admission fees into the chapel was steep, and it was almost closing time. So we decided not go into the chapel but just took a walk and look from the outside.

Then, it was off to Edinburgh which is about an hour away from Roslin.

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England-Scotland Day 3 (Part 2 ) – Edinburgh Pearl Apartments and first glimpse of Edinburgh, Princes Street

5 April 2010

I have booked a service apartment called the Edinburgh Pearl Apartments at Lochrin Place from the internet.  Upon arrival, we gave a call to the caretaker who promptly showed up with the keys and let us into the underground garage. We brought all our luggage up to the apartment this time, since we were staying for 2 nights and there was a lift from the garage to the apartment.

The apartment was very nice; with free wi-fi and free parking in the garage below. We planned to explore Edinburgh on foot and this apartment was chosen for its location near to the city centre.

Here are some pictures of the apartment.

The caretaker gave us some maps of the town and also instructions on what to do on the day of our check-out (where to drop the keys) and that was the last we saw of him.

Then it was off to explore Edinburgh. It was about 5 PM when we walked to Princes Street. On the way, we chanced upon a shop selling oriental food, and quite crowded with Asian students. We bought some “comfort food” – instant Ramen since the apartment came with a fully equipped kitchen.

Princes Street was windy!

Strong, sudden gust of wind almost swept us off our feet at times.

The number of bus stops along thestretch of Princes Street is unbelievable. One bus stop every 100m, it seems.

Princes Street have shops on one side and Princes Street Gardens with views of Edinburgh Castle on the other side of the road. Statues of prominent figures lined the road by the Princes Street Garden.

Statue of Poet Allan Ramsay at the Princes Street Garden, viewed from Princes Street with Edinburgh Castle in the background.

The Scott Monument is 200 ft high and the top is reached via 287 steps. We did not venture up.

At the centre of the Scott Monument is Sir John Steell's statue of Sir Walter Scott. It is executed in Carrara marble and is more than double life-size.

Figures on top of roof of National Gallery of Scotland, Princes Street, Edinburgh.

We went as far as the junction of Princes Street, Leigh Street and Waterloo Place. 

North Bridge Road in Edinburgh as viewed from Princes Street.

At this place, the magnificent Balmoral Hotel and bronze statue of The Duke of Wellington mounted on a rearing horse are located.

Statue of The Duke of Wellington mounted on a rearing horse with Balmoral Hotel in background.

Magnificent bronze statue of The Duke of Wellington mounted on a rearing horse was sculpted by Sir John Steel (1804 - 1891) and erected outside Register House in 1852 .

Clock Tower of the Balmoral Hotel.

View of the tower on top of Carlton Hill. This was as far as we went along Princes Street before heading back to our apartment.

Instead of going back towards our apartment via Princes Street, we went to the Saint Andrews Square and walked back via George Street, running parallel to Princes Street.

Union Jack flying on top a building (Royal Bank of Scotland?) at Saint Andrews Square.

Interesting small public toilet at Saint Andrews Square, Edinburgh.

Another view of Scott Monument as we made our way back to our apartment along George Street.

As the sun sets, the temperature dropped quite a bit and it was a cold walk back. Dinner was at Nandos Restaurant, along Lothian Road. This was our first time eating at this restaurant chain in the UK. The hot and spicy Piri Piri chicken served in the restaurant tasted great and warmed us up in the cold weather.

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England-Scotland Day 4 (Part 1) – Edinburgh Castle

6 April 2010

After a breakfast of ramen noodles, we walked from our apartment (Edinburgh Pearl Apartments at Lochrin Place) to the Edinburgh Castle. We approached the castle from Johnston Terrace which offered us a view of the castle from the bottom of a steep cliff.

Edinburgh Castle, built on a steep hill. How could any enemy attack from this side?

Going up the stairs towards the Royal Mile and Edinburgh Castle.

In fact, three sides of the castle were steep cliffs and this was the only easy approach to the castle, from the east and that was where the main entrance is located.

Entrance of Edinburgh Castle. This is the Gatehouse, a new entrance added to the castle to make it look more formidable.

At the entrance to Edinburgh Castle. Statues of William Wallace (Braveheart!) and Robert the Bruce on both sides of the entrance.

More information on the two Scottish heros can be found here. The movie “Braveheart” probably distort some historical facts but it was the movie that got me interested in this two fellows while visiting Scotland.

Statue of Robert the Bruce.

Statue of William Wallace aka “Braveheart” aka Mel Gibson.

Upon entry, we bear right along a narrow cobbled path. We bought our tickets and also a souvenir guide book of the castle from the Visitor Information Booth here.

This area used to be a gun platform and an old guard house. We then entered the castle proper after passing through the Portcullis Gate.

Visitors would have to pass through this gate, with iron portculis and thick wooden doors.

We found ourselves at the Argyle Battery where 19th century cannons are located. This is a meeting point for a brief guided tour of the castle. We loitered here to enjoy the views of Edinburgh, in particular Princes Street below until the start of the next tour which was quite soon. 

Panorama of the views of Edinburgh from the Edinburgh Castle.

The new town of Edinburgh and Princes Street, viewed from Argyle Battery – North View.

The weather was good, so the Firth of Forth is visible in the distance.

View of Balmoral Hotel (building with clock tower), Carlton Hill and the Firth of Forth (name of bay in the background) – North East View.

Cannon at the Argyle Battery. What a gunner might see when defending the castle.

The One C Clock Gun is now a modern ceremonial 105mm field gun.

The One O'Clock Gun is a time signal, that is used to synchronise the timing and clocks on ships in the nearby bay. It was first fired from Edinburgh Castle on June 7, 1861, at 13:00 hours and has continued since then, six days a week, except Christmas Day, Good Friday and during the two World Wars.

The free guided tour was a good way to get an overview of Scottish History and also what were the attractions within the castle. The guide told us about the Stone of Destiny, the coronation seat of Scottish Kings. It was placed under the Coronation Chair in West Minster Abbey at London until recently when it was returned to Scotland and kept in this castle. It will be transported back to the Westminster Abbey in London when it is needed for future coronation.

The guided tour ended at the Crown Square, surrounding by a few key buildings such as the Royal Palace, Great Hall, Prisons of War Exhibition, Scottish National War Memorial and a building housing the Scottish Crown Jewels. After the quick guided tour, we explored the castle at our own pace.

The Royal Palace at the Crown Square. The family was resting by the “royal bench” outside the building.

 

The crown jewels, sceptre and sword are displayed in a Crown Room of the Royal Palace but no photography is allowed

Royal Palace inside Edinburgh Castle with gold Plated pipes leading down from the roof gutters.

Scottish National War Memorial at the Crown Square.

At entrance of the Scottish War Memorial. In Memory of Scots who Fell.

Stone Lion with shield bearing Union Jack at one side. An Unicorn with shield showing Scottish Flag on the other side.

Scottish Royal Coat of Arms with pair of Unicorns.

Impressive fireplace with the coat of arms.

This coat of arms has a Lion and an Unicorn.

Details on the ceiling.

View of Arthur's Seat from a window inside Edinburgh castle.  View from one extinct volcano to the other. It is said that Edinburgh Castle is built on top of an extinct volcano.

Many weapons and armour are displayed in the Great Hall.

Needs a strong arm to wield this heavy sword.

One of the interesting places in Edinburgh Castle is the Prisons of War exhibition. Over the centuries, the castle was used to hold state prisoners, including foreigners.  In medieval times, common criminals were thrown into dungeons beneath the castle.

Prisons of War Exhibition in Edinburgh Castle.

Carving on a prison door showing a ship bearing a flag with Stars and Stripes, made by American POWs.

Each prisoner received a daily ration of

• 2 pints (110 ml) of beer
• 1.5 pounds (689g) of bread
• 3/4 pound (340g) of beef
• + 0.5 pint (280 ml) of pease every other day.
• + 1/4 pound (110g) of butter and 6 oz of cheese instead of beef on Saturday.

That was a lot of ration for a prisoner.

Daily ration for a typical POW.

This may be what the American prisoners got. Since they are officially considered as pirates, they only get 1 pound of bread a day.

After visiting the dungeons, we went the Foog’s Gate and entered a compound where the St Margaret’s Chapel is located.

Foog’s Gate. St Margaret Chapel seen through the gate, in the background.

Stain Glass window with figure of William Wallacce at the St Margaret Chapel.

The chapel is the oldest building in Edinburgh, built in the year 1130. It is a small chapel. But next to the chapel and overlooking the Argyle Battery below, there is giant gun called the Mons Meg.

Mons Meg - high calibre siege gun at Edinburgh Castle.

This gun was not to defend Edinburgh Castle. Instead it was an offensive siege weapon that was used to break down other castles. It is displayed here after its useful life.

It is good to see that army and soldiers’ dogs are remembered and honoured for their contributions.

Time spent to visit Edinburgh Castle was about 3 hours. This was a very interesting castle with plenty to see and a good way to understand some Scottish history.

In front of the castle is a stretch of road called the Royal Mile. It starts at the Castle entrance to the gates of Holyrood Palace at the other end.

The plan is to spent the afternoon walking down this stretch of road. But first, we had lunch at one of the restaurant located near Castlehill, start of the Royal Mile.

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