12 October 2023

  We awoke to a day of glorious sunshine. It was also nice to have our bodies and brains recharged. After a leisurely breakfast we put on walking shoes and climbed onto the old city wall that runs right past our place. Our destination: York Minster. 

Some portions of the wall have no railing on the other side, so it felt a little precarious when we had to pass people. We were pleased to discover, however, that we can access the wall just one block from our place, and it will take us almost the whole way to the Minster (about a 15-20 minute walk). Our front window looks directly out at the city walls (the wall is about two-thirds of the way up in this photo):

After walking around the Minster yard and viewing the stonemasons’ work area, we stopped in a nearby bookstore and then an antique mall, where we bought some Rackham prints. Antique stores are fun because they are filled with so much history. Ruth found a lovely beaded flappers dress from the 1920s that we thought would be perfect for Becca. 

We wandered the grounds and gardens of the Yorkshire Museum, past the ruins of St. Mary’s Abbey, and found an ancient cemetery.

It would have been nice to linger and browse through the nearby York Museum, but we had a pressing need: Groceries. So we walked to Sainsbury Local to purchase food for the next few days (roasting chicken, veg, fruit, bread, cheese) and had a lovely lunch on the back patio of our airBnB. Background music was provided by an organist in a nearby church practicing hymns for Sunday service.

We have the loveliest, elegant Georgian apartment, just the right size for the two of us:

Here’s a view of our front door, taken from up on the city wall:

We’re on Dewsbury Terrace, a short block of similar attached homes, built around the turn of the last century, each with a small garden in front. Several have cats.

After lunch and a nap, we set off to explore two churches in our neighborhood. The first was the Church of St. Mary, Bishophill Junior, founded before 1066. Its square Norman tower is the oldest church building in the city of York, predating even the Minster. Inside we found a portion of a Saxon cross and an ancient baptismal font. 

The next was the Priory Church of the Holy Trinity, once part of a large monastic community, said to have been built on the site of a Roman temple that was converted to Christian use in 180 AD. It is the only monastic building to have survived as a place of worship in York.

At the front of the sanctuary was an interesting sculpture depicting the Trinity—a replica of an original carving:

We also visited an Oxfam charity shop. Many of these shops thrive in English cities and villages, filling up empty shop fronts and providing cheap clothing, housewares, and books.

Then home for a cup of tea before heading off along the city walls again to the Minster for evensong at 5:30. The music was ethereal, the readings and prayers satisfying—a good way to end the day. The city walls were closed to walkers after dusk, so we crossed the River Ouse, enjoying the sunset, and walked back along the streets. 

Home to enjoy a dinner of tender, succulent roast chicken, roast potatoes, and Brussels sprouts. Yum! Followed by reading, and thence to bed.