York itinerary, Peak District

I would get a tour of the minister which you cannot do on Sunday.

We did one of the free walking tours of York. We had a great guide and it was one of the highlights of our trip.

Hi Sherrie -

York Minster is worthy of detailed inspection, even if it strikes me as a bit pricey these days. Evensong, is of course, free to attend. As you leave the railway station at York head leftish to head for Lendal Bridge - you get a great view of the Minster from there.

The Jorvik Centre gets mixed reviews, some like it, some think it’s a bit like a kids fairground ride. You pays your money... Either way, I don’t think it will take you too long to do. I’m not sure how busy it gets and I’m assuming not that busy in October.

The Roman Baths are situated in a small museum underneath the pub of the same name. The museum it should be noted is nothing like the same scale of the baths in Bath, but it gets generally good reviews on on Trip Advisor (the reviews for the pub a little more...mixed).

The Shambles is interesting but again won’t take you all that long to visit. It is after all just one short street. Nearby here though is the Merchant Adventurers Hall - enter under the brightly painted archway in Fossgate - and it is worth a visit, although there is an entrance fee. I’m not sure what the opening hours will be in October but a stroll down Fossgate will reveal all! The other museums I haven’t visited in a while, but other posters may have more recent views on them.

I note that you haven’t got the railway museum on your list. I would certainly check it out. I believe it is free to enter and is of interest even if you are not especially into railway engines. The other thing I think is definitely worth doing is to walk the mediaeval city walls if you can and if the weather is fair (they close them sometimes in ‘inclement’ weather when the polished stone can be slippery underfoot).

There are two branches of Betty’s in York. The big one on the corner of Coney street (I think) is interesting because of the mirrors downstairs that were defaced by airmen stationed in York or nearby in WW2, scratching their names in them, which the cafe has kept as a now historic feature. Some were US, some were Canadian and some presumably were British. The other smaller branch, which I personally prefer, is Little Betty’s on Stonegate. Both do much the same menu and personally for what you get they strike me as a bit on the expensive side, but there is a certain olde worlde charm you don’t get anywhere else and the quality is always good.

Another slightly eccentric thing thing to do is to buy the book ‘The Snickleways of York’ (widely available) and follow all these tiny backstreets and alleys through the city, especially if you like to walk and the weather is kind.

You certainly don’t need a car in York. Finding somewhere to park the thing is a trial in itself! Driving...well, let’s just say in mediaeval times they really didn’t consider the invention of the internal combustion engine!

As regards driving through the Peak District you need to head by motorway south towards Sheffield and turn west from there into the Peak District. The Hope Valley, Hathersage, Winnats Pass, Monsal Dale to name a few are all worth a visit if only fleetingly on your journey towards the Cotswolds - as are the Malvern Hills, south of Birmingham if you have time.

Feel free to contact me if I can be of further help. I hope you have an excellent trip!

Ian

If you head for The Peak , the route will take you south on the A1 - M1 toward Sheffield and enter west of Sheffield . Castleton is quite charming and head south to Bakewell , Baslow , and Matlock Bath . The star attractions in the south of the Peak are Chatsworth and Haddon Hall . This documentary will whet your interest in visiting Chatsworth - https://youtu.be/LWBg8TmePDQ

In York, my “must sees” would be the Minster, walk the walls and the Railway Museum, although with only a day and a few hours, it’s going to be a rush.

Betty’s is a cheesy tourist trap and expensive for what you get.

The star attraction of the Peak District is the stunning scenery, not any buildings.

Edale and the Hope Valley are two of the picturesque areas good for walking. Bakewell and Buxton are much bigger towns but also have merit. I am not a fan of frangipane, so I don’t like Bakewell puddings/tarts, but are a must if you like nuts.

To avoid the hideous drive and inevitable delays through Sheffield, exit the M1 at junction 36 and take the A61 then the A616 west as far as Midhopestones. Turn left just after Underbank Reservoir and head south towards Bradfield Dale and Ladybower Reservoir. Drive the Hope - Edale loop. Head to Bakewell for a visit, then back to the M1 /A46 towards the Cotswolds. I drove this part of the A616 this morning. It’s a lovely ride.

Exactly the kinds of replies I was hoping for! Thanks y'all! Jennifer, where would you suggest as an alternative for tea? I've only had one proper tea (in Scotland) and we loved it. I have heard of Bakewells through Great British Bake Off, so that might be interesting. Frangipani is not something we get much in the US.
Thanks!

We enjoyed Jorvik's, the Castle Museum was really good, evensong and the free walking tour where I walked the city wall.

In York, Gatehouse Coffee in Walmgate Bar ,is worth seeking out.
There's a roof top patio with view of the Minister.
The National Mining Mus. is near Wakefield and excellent I went the other week ,you go underground for and hour plus and the whole Mus. is £5 to get in.
The switchback roads north of Sheffield thru to the Hope valley are very quiet and have good views.
Despite being famed for heavy industry a third of the city is in the National Park.
The Old Horns at High Bradfield has good food.
Edale ,sits beneath Kinder Scout nothing higher further south in England.
The Rambler has the best food and happens to be my local .
Blue John Cavern is just over the hill, it has the best tour.
The days are getting short in Oct. so an early star will be needed from York or if you want to pack everything in.
Buxton to Ashbourne runs high up ,open skies.

We did three nights in York and loved every minute of it.

I would advise you to skip the Jorvik Viking Centre, unless you have kids.
We spent over 3 hours in the Minster. They have a great tour for everyone there. There is a lot to see.
The Yorkshire Museum was nice. The Castle Museum was good, but not what we expected. There are a couple of small museums near the Shambles that are great.
Suggest walking the ancient walls, with great views. Also, the National Railway Museum was wonderful.

I agree, skip the Yorvik Museum, it was quite interesting at the beginning with the glass floor and viking remains beneath but the actual ride is dated and quite naff, even my kids thought it was a bit cringy (13 and 11 at the time).

I'm not as gushing about the railway museum as others are but I can certainly see its appeal, I was actually more interested in the royal carriages than anything else and I'm far from a Royalist. The added advantage is that it's 'free' (actually funded by the British taxpayer) so a donation by non British taxpayers would be apt.

The Shambles is a very short street and you'd be hard pressed to extend much beyond 30 minutes unless you're a HUGE Harry Potter fan and can manage to visit all three Harry Potter shops next to one another that incredibly manage to co-exist and make a profit!

We liked Cliffords Tower (we had free entry due to English Heritage membership) and also the Yorkshire Museum and Gardens. Didn't visit Betty's Tea Room because a) I have no interest in afternoon tea b) It's an expensive tourist trap. If you're after an authentic local experience then Betty's Tea Room doesn't look like it will offer you that, one look through the windows as we passed suggested that there were few, if any, locals in there. You're more likely to find the locals in the surrounding pubs or not so local groups of stag and hen parties, mostly drunk quite early (the stag and hen parties not the locals!) but usually friendly enough.

We were there for a weekend so didn't cram too much in. We rented a fantastic AirBnB with a superbly equipped kitchen so I cooked dinners and one breakfast for us. We had lunch in a Polish restaurant that had very good reviews but it paled in comparison to my grandmother's cooking and, dare I say it, my own. Whilst we didn't eat dinner at The Star Inn The City which received a particularly savage review from restaurant critic Jay Rayner www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/oct/05/star-inn-the-city-restaurant-review-jay-rayner, we were staying next door and had a very good breakfast with the finest black pudding I've ever eaten (I don't typically like black pudding) however the poached eggs were let down by an exuberant use of vinegar in the poaching water.

For street food I would look at the market that is held on one of the side streets from the Shambles. Lots of food stalls there but I'd already eaten so didn't get an opportunity to try anything. Failing that there's plenty of pie and pasty shops or fish and chips if you'd consider that street food, there isn't really a street food scene in much of the UK as there is in parts of the US.

Hi again -

Forgot to mention, we were in York the other day (great production of Twelfth Night in the pop-up Shakespearean Rose Theatre - like a demountable Globe Theatre! - recommended, but not there too much longer unfortunately - seems to be an annual event in summer) and had a good lunch at Rustique, a French Restaurant opposite Fairfax House, not far from Cliffords Tower. Very nice and reasonably priced I thought.

Ian

I believe the Jorvik Viking Centre was re-configured a bit after floods in recent years, although they have continued to reduce the experience of the smells which in the early days were very strong (yet probably more authentic). Two other places that might be worth a look - The Treasurer's House and King's Manor. Both are not far from the Minster; the latter is part of the University (it is home to the Archaeology Dept) so only some of it can be visited by the public but the refectory is open for all and has reasonably priced drinks and snacks.

Thanks all! I have noted all your suggestions/recommendations, especially as regards the drive south, tea and restaurants. I think we will cross off the Betty's, Jorvik Viking Center and maybe add the Railway. Neither of us is particularly taken with trains, but it sounds like it may appeal to a wider audience. And, we will plan to do the Minster Tour on Monday, as it's not available on Sunday. (I didn't know that, so thanks!)

SherrieF
Congratulations on your upcoming trip to York! We just got back from a trip this July. It seems you got your itinerary squared away, so here's a recommendation on food and tea in York.

Food - for tradition English pub food, try The Rose and Crown on Lawrence street just outside the walls at Walmgate. They have hearty food, steak pies, bangers and mash, fries etc. with wood paneling and a cozy atmosphere.

Tea - Try Castle Tea Rooms on Castlegate just north of Clifford's tower. Here you can get a nice cream tea with scones in a small tea room and it will be near York Castle Museum so maybe you can tie these together.

I would also recommend the Ghost Tours that leave from the front of the Kings Arms Pub, at the end of Kings St., 8:00pm each night, if you like stories, and need something to do in the evening.

I hope you have a great trip!

Thanks Oreon, and WDE! (my children are both AU people)