{"id":1870,"date":"2021-11-08T10:36:14","date_gmt":"2021-11-08T10:36:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.fiveminutesspare.com\/travel\/?p=1870"},"modified":"2021-11-08T11:04:08","modified_gmt":"2021-11-08T11:04:08","slug":"york-the-five-minute-spare-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fiveminutesspare.com\/travel\/york-the-five-minute-spare-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"York: The Five Minute Spare Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"

One of Britain\u2019s oldest, finest cathedral cities.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Somewhere near the confluence of the River Ouse and situated in its own historic county, York is one of England\u2019s treasures. This formerly fortified town is one of few which still has its original city wall intact. Asides from the pleasure of walking the full way around the town proper, there are many other upsides to being in York for a holiday.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s examine some of the history surrounding York and then talk about the attractions you might find there. Our tour will include both York trivia and famous faces. Stick it out to the end and we\u2019ll even tell you how to get there.<\/p>\n

Early History of York<\/h2>\n

York has been around since Mesolithic people first settled here. The Mesolithic period rand from 10,000 BC to 8,000 BC \u2013 and that\u2019s when the area of York was first settled. After this and before the Romans officially founded the town of Eboracum, later to become Jorvik in the Danish tongue and then reduced to \u201cYork\u201d over the years, the Brigantes tribe were the ones who occupied this mass of England. To commemorate this, the Archbishop of the Cathedral of York still signs his name with an Ebor at the end.<\/p>\n

Despite all this earlier activity, the Romans moved into the region of Yorkshire circa 71 AD. When they came, they made alliances with several of the clans so that they would pay tribute to Rome and be part of their rule (see TV show \u201cBritannia<\/a>\u201d). The Brigantes tribe was one of these amalgamated clans. However, they didn\u2019t suffer Roman rule for long. As soon as they started replacing Gods it was time to turn hostile.<\/p>\n

The 9th<\/sup> Legion was sent north to dispatch the resistance and built a wooden fortress above the Ouse so that they could execute their control. The 6th<\/sup> legion and the 9th<\/sup> legion would also be stationed here for a while, showing its importance as a strategic position. The walls were even built in stone, that\u2019s how long it was needed for. The people of then-York did not go quietly into the sweet night.<\/p>\n

In 71AD the Romans finally turned their fortress into a real town. Initially, it covered 61 acres of land and housed some 6k troops. The original fortress is underneath York Minster. The town was incredibly important to the Romans. Several emperors stayed here until the Romans retreated in the 4th<\/sup> century. For 400 years they used York as the capital of the rest of Britain that could not be reached from London. It would be the base from which legions headed north to the frontiers of Alba. The soldier\u2019s garrisoned there attracted all types of crafters, from house and boat builders to smiths and brewers. The Romans built the wall in the 300s, but they were completely gone a hundred years later.<\/p>\n

York Reclaimed<\/h3>\n

King Edwin of Northumbria reclaimed York circa the 600s. He built a minster and appointed a Bishop here. It is thought that he made it his primary city and even perhaps built his palace here. This was enough to kickstart the town\u2019s growth into the 8th<\/sup> and 9th<\/sup> centuries. Pottery was made here, and weekly markets allowed traders to buy and sell. The population in post-Roman York was about 2,000 people \u2013 substantial for a town of the time. It even had its own school in 627 AD.<\/p>\n

The Viking invasion and conquering of Yorkshire and most of the rest of England in 866, led to the Danes holding York and shortening its name. Ivar the Boneless and Halfdan both attacked the town on All Saints Day. Smiths worked here making arm rings and weaponry, wool was dyed and woven here, and pottery was fired. Combs were carved here out of bone. The crafters came to live on Cooper Gata, now Coppergate<\/a>. The Danes wouldn\u2019t have been around later than the 11th<\/sup> century, at the end of which the Normans invaded and the Anglo-Saxon-Roman-Danish people of York had a population of about 10,000 people.<\/p>\n

Under Viking rule, York became a massive river port and trading centre. The town had its own mint, and the population was said to have rivalled London. It was part of the Viking trading routes all over Europe and remained thus until 954 when King Eadred unified England.<\/p>\n

Rebellion<\/h3>\n

York was part of the rebellion against Norman rule in 1069, three years after the invasion. The castle was overrun by the people of York and the Normans there were killed. In retaliation, King William retook York and sacked it. He then built another castle to keep tabs on the first castle and its people. This time period is known as \u201cThe Harrying of the North\u201d and it led to the ultimate submission of the English to Normandy.<\/p>\n

By the time the Domesday Survey<\/a> was conducted in 1086, York was listed under 12 separate owners and was still a large city. 10 of those owners were the King, which shows how many landlords were evicted and replaced with the conquering forces. The two other owners were the Bishop of York, who owned 60 acres of meadow and 17 teams to plough it, and Richard, son of Herfast, who made 1 pound and 10 shillings a year from his share of York.<\/p>\n

Fun Facts about York<\/h2>\n
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Guy Fawkes of the Gunpowder Plot fame was born in York in 1570<\/p><\/div>\n

This city had so much early history that we need a break already. We\u2019ll get to medieval times in a moment. For now, let\u2019s review some of the coolest facts about York that you can bring up at parties:<\/p>\n