Shambles

The Shambles

While in York we visited one of Britain's most well known streets, The Shambles. Tiny heavenly home made chocolate store, traditional sweet shop and a charming little gallery are all part and parcel of the attraction. The tops of the houses lean over giving you a sense of almost being inside away from the elements, limited light helps you feel at home as all the of the shops sparkle and illuminate the street. Doing some further research I discovered that these leaning buildings is typical of the 15th century. However this street was mentioned in the Domesday book, which dates back to over 900 years ago, and therefore it had made The Shambles one of the oldest streets in York. Recently, well in the 19th century, it was a street full of butchers, and the raised curbs on either side of the street creating a channel was used to wash all of the blood and waste down from the shops.

All in all this part of York is certainly worth a visit if you are in the area. You will not only be able to go in the unique shops along the street but also get an overwhelming sense of taking a leap back in time. However when i was there it was extremely busy, for a better atmosphere and much more relaxed where you can move at your own pace i suggest not going at mid-day.

York

The city of York

Recently I had the pleasure of visiting the quite charming city of York. I have always been on the receiving end of praise for the city, but I have to say it really was a magnificent place. The architecture. culture and history all seemed so pleasant, we were more than happy to just mooch around taking it all in. Undoubtedly the whole experience was enhanced by the glorious day, the sun cast brilliant shadows and highlights all over the range of architecture around the city. The third picture down is Clifford's Tower and is apart of York castle. It was once the central stronghold of York Castle, and has survived turbulent centuries of fire, siege and attempted demolition. A remnant of the years of William the Conquerer and his northern campaign, it stands tall peering over the city. It stands up high and from the bottom it becomes intimidating and overpowering, taking this picture looking up at it I found it hard not to think about how hard it would be to try and actually attack this strong hold (back in the day).

York Minster stopped me in my tracks, my feet were fixed to the floor and all i could do was move my head and admire how immense it was. Both in scale and the intricate details that covered the minster. I hope that the pictures I have taken can portray it's brilliance. The Minster took around 250 years to complete, with work finally finished in 1472, it was a mammoth project with simply the best results. The main entrance tower is perfectly Bi-symmetrical and raises high up stamping its place and dominance in the city. In terms of its architecture it is phenomenal, highly complex, highly dynamic and highly inspiring.