What is it about York that makes it such a wonder? Which part of York would feature in any list of seven man made wonders of Yorkshire?
These questions are too hard to fathom so York, with its own seven wonders and more, tops or nominations as one holistic ‘wonder’ city.
York’s Own Seven Man Made Wonders
The Walls are a wonder to wander around.
The Minster is exceptional in age and beauty and even has seven craftsman made, stained glass wonder windows.
The selection of Old Churches around the City includes several that have been re-purposed where necessary.
The Railway Station is a Victorian master piece. There must be seven wonders of Railwayana as well as the main station.
The Museums and historic visitor attractions are generally of excellent quality worthy of lists on their own.
The Viking relics and Yorvic are examples of how York has protected and embellished it’s architectural heritage
The Snickleways with pubs at either end and in the middle. Need I say more?
Some of the older residents of York have had their faces commemorated by the stone masons of the City in the gargoyles that you can see on buildings and in the Yorkshire museum.
It can be fun for the kids to find the carvings and associate them with their teachers, neighbours or family members. I may be up there with the many ghosts that are talked about by York’s wondering minstrels.
The bridges are an essential part of York. The crossing point on the Ouse was one of the main reasons the Romans chose York as a northern base for their empire. This photo was taken from Kings Reach where the road and pub often flood after rain in the dales.
The bridges now allow the boat hire companies to ply a colourful trade for tourists.
Clifford Tower is generally photographed with dancing daffodils in the foreground but the none man made sky was too good a picture to avoid.
On ghost walks Cliffords Tower is the centre of many gory tales.
This section of the wall is near Peasholme and shows part of the construction that is covered with embankments of soil elsewhere on the walls. The walls do not extend quite all the way around the city but you can walk any gaps or use the Bars (gates) to access the centre.
If you are still in doubt about Yorks place at the top of our seven man made wonders I suggest you try to count the pieces of glass in the Rose Window shown above by ‘Rose Window in York Minster by countrygirlatheart’CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 who says
‘The York ‘Rose Window’ is one of the most dramatic and famous in Northern England, appearing almost modern yet in fact a composition designed in 16th century to celebrate the marriage in 1486 of King Henry 7th and Elizabeth of York. This marriage finally brought to an end the ‘Wars of the Roses’ that had divided British feudal nobility in war between 1450 and 1485, thus linking the House of Lancaster to the House of York and bringing about peace. (Henry 8th was son of this union). The central sunburst motif was added by William Peckitt of York in the late 18th century, it being the badge of the House of York.’
More pictures of York Railway Station
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