Seniors Visit York, England

 Rick Steves. my travel hero, notes that York and Bath are his two favorite cities outside of London in the UK.  Having paid a visit to Bath with my family, senior travelers, get your coffee and let’s go explore York together.

York, rich in ancient history, romantic ambience and fun activities makes the perfect holiday destination for senior travelers. Renowned for its exquisite architecture and tangle of quaint cobbled streets, York is a flourishing city, just two hours by train from London.

York lies in the Vale of York, a flat area of fertile arable land bordered by the Pennines, the North York Moors and the Yorkshire Wolds. The city was built at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss on a terminal moraine left by the last Ice Age.

Seniors Seek Out The Shambles

The first mention of York by this name is dated to circa 95–104 AD as an address on a wooden stylus tablet from the Roman fortress of Vindolanda in Northumberland. The medieval city walls are a highlight for visitors, along with York Minster, the cathedral of York.

Seniors will enjoy the National Railroad Museum, the York Castle Museum, and The Shambles, York’s most famous street that is lined with timber-framed buildings housing a range of touristy shops, some dating back as far as the fourteenth century.

It was once known as The Great Flesh Shambles, probably from the Anglo-Saxon Fleshammels (literally ‘flesh-shelves’), the word for the shelves that butchers used to display their meat. As recently as 1872 twenty-five butchers’ shops were located along the street, but now none remain.

 Seniors Find Historic Walled City

York is a historic walled city at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The municipality is the traditional county town of Yorkshire to which it gives its name. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events in England throughout much of its two millennia of existence.

The city offers a wealth of historic attractions, of which York Minster is the most prominent, and a variety of cultural and sporting activities making it a popular tourist destination.

The city was founded by the Romans as Eboracum in 71 AD. It became the capital of the Roman province of Britannia Inferior, and later of the kingdoms of Northumbria and Jórvík. In the Middle Ages, York grew as a major wool trading centre and became the capital of the northern ecclesiastical province of the Church of England, a role it has retained.

TripAdvisor notes nearly 200 things for seniors to see and do in York. You will not be disappointed in the least as it is one of the top tourist cities in the UK along with London and Bath. -jeb