Elegant Creature at Home on English Countryside
by tpal
When I was young my parents would take me to the zoo and one of my favorite stops was the peacock pen. They were always cooperative and displayed their glorious fan tails. I think now they were trying to look huge and fierce so we would just go away. It, of course, didn't work...we stayed and always came back again. Back then, I don't think I would have ever believed it possible to encounter such unusual creatures outside of a zoo.
In fact, I have seen peacocks in several places in Europe and the first was in York. This proud fellow was one of several who was roaming freely around the grounds of Castle Howard. Now, I'm not certain whose decision it was for them to take up residence here but they surely looked as though they belonged.
There is a bit more to this story. The hotel we stayed in was in the center of the City of York. As I looked out my 3rd story window across the rooftops I saw several peacocks there as well. Not nearly as elegant a setting but it was definitely their venue of choice!
York Minster is the largest...
by Jillworld
York Minster is the largest medieval structure in the UK, and the largest gothic cathedral in all of Northern Europe - you won't miss it! The building began in about 1220 and was finally completed in 1472. You will see fine stained glass windows, and countless other highlights. Admission to the Minster is free - you should also visit the Minster's crypt.
Flooding
by Sjalen
The river Ouse sees the Nidd, Swale and other rivers entering it further upstream in the Vale of York. This means that in winter, the city centre is often flooded as the snow melt is in full swing in the Yorkshire Dales hills, adding an enormous amount of water to the Ouse. The King's Arms pub in this picture (otherwise not my favourite) has a nice river setting most of the year but can in February be closed as water is just about everywhere in it. Inside the pub there is a flood mark on the wall, telling you which years have been the worse and just how flooded it all became. Amazing! The site below is the central UK floodwatch.
Homestead Park - the secret park
by calverley
Most tourists don't venture out of the city centre (why should you?), so the parks they visit are Museum Gardens, and possibly the Joseph Rowntree Park near the Millennium Bridge.
However, York's philanthropist sweetie manufacturer also left the city another park, which tourists (and a lot of York residents) don't tend to know about.
Homestead Park is in Clifton, at the north of the city, so not far to walk from the bed and breakfast places in the Bootham area. You enter through an assuming black wrough iron gate at Waterend (more or less opposite the Clifton Bridge Hotel), and from the road there is very little indication that there is a park behind it.
The park itself isn't huge, but it has everything that you want a local park to have: lots of grass and trees, a pretty duck pond, flower beds with lots of interesting varieties of plants, places to sit, a green space where kids and dads play football on Sunday's, and a small swings and roundabouts playground for younger children. It feels more secluded and private than any of the other parks in York - more like a London square garden - and because it is maintained by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (which has its HQ next door) it is very calm and well-kept.
If you're tired of trekking round sight-seeing and the weather's nice, get a book, buy a nice homemade cake from the lovely people at the Clifton sandwich shop/cafe (the one next to the chemist's), and go to Homestead Park to chill out for the afternoon.
Castle Bolton
by mdchachi
Castle Bolton gives a glimpse into life in the 'middle ages.' It is in a state of half-repair. There's is enough detail left to get an idea of how castle life was. The castle, having been home of 11 generations of the noble Scrope family, is most notable for having housed Mary, Queen of Scots, in a sort of house arrest in the 16th century.
This castle is still privately held and can be rented for occasions such as weddings.
See the Castle Bolton web site for more information.
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Guy Fawks Inn
The gatehouse from inside the city
The Hospitium
York Minster
