Last October, we took our third trip to London. I felt a bit guilty about returning to a city we’ve been to a few times already, but there was something so tempting (and relaxing) about revisiting a familiar place. The only condition we had when booking was that we’d spend at least part of the time in another city, which would be easy since we hadn’t really explored other parts of the U.K. beyond London. We chose to spend two nights in the medieval city of York. Rumored to be the most haunted city in Europe, we chose York for its rich history, walkable city center, ancient architecture, and cozy pubs — not ghosts.
DAY ONE – While Dave was getting ready for the day, I popped over to Bangers in London to get breakfast (get the bacon butty with the bright, herby green sauce and hash browns on the side) before the two-hour train ride from the King’s Cross station to York. It was raining when we arrived at the York station around 11:30 a.m., so we made a beeline for the Hotel Indigo York to drop off our bags before exploring.
Our first stop was Brew York for a beer and lunch from their in-house restaurant, YUZU Street Food, where we shared the chicken katsu curry bowl and a serving of the salt and pepper fries. Our room wouldn’t be ready until 3 p.m., which gave us time to stroll through The Shambles, see to the Roman Column, gawk at the exterior of the York Minster, pop into The Red House Antique Center, and have another pint at House of the Trembling Madness before it was time to head back to check-in.
And this is where our first day in York took a bit of a turn. We received the keys to the room and it, well, wasn’t what I expected. The room was cramped and dusty, the bathroom smelled like sewage, and the bed couldn’t have been much bigger than a full-sized bed. I had booked a king room on the IHG website with points, not knowing that there were two types of “king” rooms at the hotel: a “standard room” with a British king-size bed (similar to an American queen, in theory) or a “premium room” with an American king. (The website doesn’t actually clarify this as both rooms have the bed sized listed simply as “king.”) I called to the front desk to ask for clarification on my booking and to see if another room was available. There wasn’t. We spent about an hour weighing our options and ultimately decided to book a room at the nearby Hampton by Hilton. The Hampton was basic, but it was clean and spacious, had an actual king-size bed and a massive window, and the staff was so kind. Plus, a full breakfast was included. It was the right decision, even if we had to pay for two hotel rooms. (I really hate coming off as a prima donna, but the Hotel Indigo room was so far from what I had anticipated based on reviews and photos. I was so frustrated and needed a reset — and a bigger bed.)
Having that debacle behind us, we set out to Pivni, a freehouse in a three-story 16th century building, and then to Cresci for Neapolitan pizza (make a reservation; there was a line when we left) before turning in for the night.
DAY TWO – My singular mission the next morning was to procure a set of ghost figurines from The York Ghost Merchants. York Ghost Merchants creates small, charming ghosts in an array of colors and they’ve really become a hot commodity. (Plus, they were the ideal souvenir from York as we were just weeks away from Halloween.) There are two locations: one in the Shambles and another called “The Dispensary” located in St. Anthonys Garden. Both have long lines, so you’ll be in it for the long haul. I was fortunate to only have an hour wait, which gave me time to enjoy a to-go coffee from a local café and work on the morning’s New York Times crossword. Dave, less enthused about the wait, walked around the gardens and snapped photos of the wiremesh “ghosts” he found that were part of a citywide annual installation called Ghosts in the Gardens.
Ghosts procured, we set out to the nearest access point of the York City Walls. The city walls were originally established in 71 AD by the Romans and were later expanded and fortified during the medieval period. They’re the longest medieval town walls in England, circling the city center with a 2.11-mile loop that’s free to access. We continued along the walls for about a mile before heading back to the city center in search of a break at Trembling Madness before going to the York Minster where we’d ascend 275 stairs to the top for views of the city.
We’re no strangers to climbing hundreds of stairs for a birds-eye view. However, unlike many other cathedral towers we’ve climbed, this only had one rest stop roughly halfway up where you pop back outside near the flying buttresses. If that’s not your speed, the Minster itself is still worth a visit inside for the impressive Gothic architecture.
Having had our fill exercise for awhile, we were past due for lunch and stopped by Ye Olde Starre Inn. It’s believed to be the oldest public house in York and, apparently, haunted — although we didn’t see any indication of the latter. We grabbed a table outside and shared the battered halloumi bites and a steak and ale pie that I’m still thinking about.
Afterward, we set out to the Museum Gardens to see the ruins of St. Mary’s Abbey and Saint Olave’s Church, snaking through the garden toward River Ouse. We stumbled across The Star Inn, which has an expansive outdoor patio overlooking the river — the perfect spot for an evening G&T before continuing along the river and back up to continue walking along the city walls.
By the time we lost daylight, we pub hopped to The Phoenix (they have an outdoor patio next to the city walls that would have been charming in the afternoon), back to Brew York for a pint and dumplings, and The Blue Bell. The Blue Bell is really worth a stop. It was established in 1798 and was last decorated in 1903 with its now signature Edwardian character. It’s a cozy, intimate space with a list of house rules: no swearing, no mobile phone noise (thank goodness), no groups, and no patrons under 18.
DAY THREE – Our train back to London was scheduled for 2 p.m. While there were still museums on our list that could visit, the weather was too nice and York too beautiful to be cooped up indoors. Instead, we grabbed a latte at 200 Degrees (which was mediocre at best; we struggled to find good coffee in York) and let ourselves get lost along the cobblestone roads and public gardens. We made a quick stop at the Nutcracker Christmas Shop for a York-themed souvenir ornament before collecting our bags at the hotel and hopping on a bus to the train station where we waited for our departure time at York Tap.
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