York City (medieval walls and a Gothic cathedral)
York is one of England’s most beautiful cities, with medieval walls, a Gothic cathedral and is also apparently very haunted! It’s also known for The Shambles, a narrow medieval street.
Out walking? Follow the Countryside Code to keep all creatures safe. Keep dogs away from steep banks, mushrooms (and other toxic plants/trees) and on leads during nesting season (and near barnyard friends and wild ponies).
At the coast, keep away from nesting birds and never walk on sand dunes. Learn how to keep dogs safe by the seaside (check beach bans before travel).
Rumoured to have a ‘pub for every day of the year’ (let’s hope it stays that way’), it’s also home to a peculiar street name: Whip-Ma-Whop-Ma-Gate!
Where Judi Dench grew up
Judi Dench grew up in York (her father was a local GP, and she is an honorary freemason of the city). One of England’s best-loved actresses, she starred in the lovely sitcom As Time Goes By with Geoffrey Palmer, played the first female ‘M’ in James Bond movies. She has also played nearly every Shakespearean role on stage.
She enjoyed a blissfully happy marriage with actor Michael Williams (who she starred with in ‘A Fine Romance’ until his death). Interestingly, she is a Quaker and he was a Catholic, but they said this didn’t matter, quite happy to live in different faiths for their entire marriage.
Birth place of Guy Fawkes
The most infamous resident was Guy Fawkes, the conspirator behind the 1605 Gunpowder Plot to blow up parliament. Born to a Protestant family, he converted to the Catholic faith after his father’s death, and was caught on November 4th guarding 36 barrels of explosives.
Despite the yearly celebrations on November 5th, bonfires cause immense harm to wildlife especially hedgehogs, and fireworks terrify birds, pets, barnyard friends and wildlife.
Avoid fireworks (or at least only go to planned meets with warnings) and read up on keeping wildlife safe for bonfires, if used.
Guy Fawkes was tortured to reveal the names of his co-conspirators and committed suicide by jumping from the gallows ladder and breaking his neck, before being hanged by others.
Other cities of Yorkshire
- Leeds features Roundhay Park (one of England’s biggest)
- Sheffield is near the Peak District National Park.
- Bradford is ‘the curry capital of England!
- Kingston upon Hull sits on the Humber Estuary
- Wakefield is near the Pennines
- Doncaster has a lively market
- Ripon is Yorkshire’s smallest city
