England Part Four: York

Part Four of the England travel series covers our stay in the charming town of York. Rooted deep in history and full of charm, York was a perfect two night stay in the middle of our trip.

In AD 71 York was a Roman capital, in the 9th century the Vikings took it over as a trading town, but the lasting aesthetics and ambiance of the city are completely medieval. You can still walk atop the medieval walls, which is a fantastic way to tour the city by foot. Scroll to the bottom of the post for more details about where we stayed and all that we saw in York. Enjoy!

Walking the medieval walls that still surround the city of York

This guy was walking the wall on his lunch break, he just fit the scene so perfectly

View towards York Minster from the wall, some lovely English gardens as well

My husband ready for battle at the Richard III museum, definitely York over Tudor

Our delicious adorable lunch spot, The Star Inn The City

The Little Shambles, a preserved medieval street that feels like it will topple over any second

Welcoming the new Princess! 

The hubs and I after touring Clifford's Tower, the weather was gorgeous that day

Where We Ate
The Star Inn The City - Lendal Engine House Museum Street, York YO1 7DR, United Kingdom
Golden Lion York - 9 Church Street, York YO1 8BG, United Kingdom
Bari Ristorante - 15 Shambles, York, North Yorkshire YO1 7LZ, United Kingdom
Monk Bar Chocolatiers - 7 Shambles, York, North Yorkshire, YO1 7LZ, United Kingdom
Jorvik Viking Center - Coopergate, York, YO1 9WT, United Kingdom

Where We Stayed
Hotel 53 - 53 Piccadilly, York, North Yorkshire YO1 9PL, United Kingdom

What We Did
Walked the City Walls - Mickelgate, York, North Yorkshire, YO1 6JX, United Kingdom
The Original Ghost Walk of York - The King's Arms Pub, Ouse Bridge (the famous pub that floods)
Clifford's Tower - Tower Street, York, North Yorkshire, YO1 9SA, United Kingdom
Richard III Museum at Monk Bar - 6 Goodramgate, York, North Yorkshire, YO1 7LQ, United Kingdom
York Minster - Deangate, York, YO1 7HH, United Kingdom

General Advice
The best advice I can give is to start walking the wall at keep hopping on and off. It is the best way to tour the city and is so unique! We had more fun walking the walls then anything else we did in York.
The Original Ghost Walk of York was fantastic. Spooky and historical with the occasional laugh. Very well done, it made for a great evening of learning more about the city.
You must eat at The Star Inn The City, it was so delicious and completely adorable.
Skip paying for the Richard III and Henry VIII experiences. I'm a War of the Roses/York vs. Tudor history buff and I thought both of these were poorly done. The best part was trying on the medieval armor and helmets!
Jorvik Center is cool for kids, not so much for adults. I'd pass on this museum unless you are traveling as a family.

England Part One: Bath

The Romans came to Bath around 50 AD, drawn to its natural hot springs. Upon the springs they built spectacular Roman Baths for wellness and healing. And in the late 1600's, Queen Mary came to Bath fighting infertility, and less than a year later gave birth to a son...and a revitalization of Bath itself.

This charming little town was the first stop on our England tour. Check out the photos below to get a sense for the beauty of Bath. Traveling tips and a list of hotels, restaurants, and tourist attractions are listed at the end. Enjoy!

Roman Baths with Bath Abbey in the background

View of Bath from the top of the Abbey

Bath Abbey doors

Stunning Fan Vaulted Ceiling inside Bath Abbey

Breakfast at Patisserie Valerie

Spring Rolls at Thai Balcony

Entree at Thai Balcony

Delicious Fish Pie from The Garrick's Head

Public Gardens along the river

Roof Top Pool at Thermae Bath Spa (they don't allow photos inside but I snapped this from another rooftop)

Where We Ate
The Roman Bath Kitchen - Abbey Street, Bath BA1 1LY, United Kingdom
Patesserie Valerie - 20 High Street, City Centre, Bath BA1 5AJ, United Kingdom
The Garrick's Head - 7-8 Saint Johns Road, City Centre, Bath BA1 1ET, United Kingdom
Thai Balcony - 1 Seven Dials, Bath, Somerset BA1 1EN, United Kingdom
Turtle Bay - 11 Bridge Street, Bath, BA2 4AS, United Kingdom

Where We Stayed
Hilton - Walcot Street, Bath, Somerset, BA1 5BJ, United Kingdom

What We Did
Roman Baths - Stall St, Bath, BA1 1LZ, United Kingdom
Bath Abbey - Bath, BA1 1LT, United Kingdom
Thermae Bath Spa - Hot Bath Street, Bath, BA1 1SJ, United Kingdom

General Advice
The Roman Baths have excellent exhibits with free audio guides. Well worth the two + hours you might spend here.
Do NOT do the Bizarre Bath walk. Ignore Trip Advisor and Rick Steves. We left halfway thru, it was that bad.
Go to Turtle Bay for drinks. Two for One drinks after 10pm - crazy good deal and super fun bartenders.
Skip the 'Twilight Package' at Thermae Bath Spa and just show up on the day-of. You can get the same spa services for a better price just by skipping the mediocre meal. If you want to do anything other than the pools and steam rooms, such as a massage, book in advance. Those spots filled up quickly.
Pay to take the Tower Tour at Bath Abbey so you can climb to the top. Very cool, but quite the work out with very steep steps.

Upcoming Blog Travel Series: England

My husband and I recently took 10 glorious days off from normal life and traveled to England for vacation. We made it through a decent portion of the country by train, plane, and automobile.

I'll be sharing our trip in a series of upcoming blog posts, which will be broken down by each stop on our trip. We visited London of course, but some of my favorite memories were far from the popular tourist sites.

Keep a look out for the posts starting this week. They will be full of great photos, restaurant recommendations, and general tips on navigating your way through this beautiful country.

Cheers!

Love this London shot with a Telephone Booth & Big Ben