Visitor Guide 2008 Europe’s Favourite City Attractions • Shopping • Restaurants • Accommodation www.visityork.org Events 2008 10 – 11 Battlegroup North & Military November & Wheels & Wings Show – featuring the September December 2007 largest gathering of historic military 7 Allied Services Commemoration Day. vehicles in Yorkshire. Music, parade and historic aircraft flypast. 29 Nov – 2 Dec St Nicholas Fayre. Yorkshire Air Museum. Yorkshire Air Museum. City-wide markets both open air Tel: 01904 608595 Tel: 01904 608595. and housed within historic buildings. Tel: 01904 552270 14 – 16, 30 & 31 York Races. 19 - 28 York Festival of Food and Drink. www.yuletideyork.com Tel: 01904 620911 Annual celebration of regional produce. Celebrity chefs, wines from around 6 – 9 Dec York Early Music 25 & 26 Ryedale Festival of Food & Drink. the world and competitions. Christmas Festival. Performances at Castle Howard. Tel: 01904 466687 venues across the city. Tel: 01653 648333 www.yorkfoodfestival.com Box office: 01904 658338 www.castlehoward.co.uk 12 - 13 York National Bookfair. 8 & 9 Dec Festival of Angels. June Racecourse. The Quarter. Map ref. DD3 Tel: 01763 248400 Tel: 01904 610676 6 – 14 York Late Music Festival – www.pbfa.org www.yuletideyork.com National Centre for Early Music. Box Office: 01904 658338 19 - 21 Northern Motorcaravan Show. 2008 www.ncem.co.uk Tel: 01778 391123. www.northernmotorcaravanshow.co.uk January 13 & 14 York Races. Tel: 01904 620911 5 York Book Fair. Racecourse. October Further info: 01763 248400 16 – 21 York Youth Mysteries 2008. www.pbfa.org 25 - 26 York Roman Festival. Performances in a big top on the Citywide. Knavesmire. www.yorkromanfestival.com February Tel: 01904 554660 www.yorkyouthmysteries.com 7 Feb – 31 Dec ‘China in York’ – 30 Oct – 2 Nov Illuminating York. Exhibition at the Castle Museum. Tel: 01904 554550 21 & 22 York Cycle Show, Racecourse. www.illuminatingyork.org.uk Tel: 01904 687687 Tel: 0870 8730660 www.yorkcastlemuseum.org.uk www.yorkcycleshow.co.uk November 13 – 17 JORVIK Viking Festival. 22 Classic Wings & Wheels Show. 27 - 30 St Nicholas Fayre. Tel: 01904 543403 Popular gathering of classic cars with www.jorvik-viking-centre.co.uk Citywide markets both open air historic aircraft flypasts, trade stands and and housed within historic buildings. March children's activities. Yorkshire Air Museum. Tel: 01904 550099. Tel: 01904 608595 www.yuletideyork.com 1 – 15 York Literature Festival – citywide. July Futher info: 01904 554316 29 Nov – 21 Dec Christmas opening www.readwriteyork.co.uk at Castle Howard. 3 – 12 York Early Music Festival. Tel: 01653 648333 National Centre for Early Music. www.castlehoward.co.uk 7 – 16 York Festival of Science and Box office: 01904 658338 Technology – citywide. www.ncem.co.uk Tel: 01904 554493 December www.sciencecityyork.org.uk/community 11 & 12, 25 & 26 York Races. 11 - 15 York Early Music Christmas Festival. Tel: 01904 620911 13 – 16 Sightsonic Digital Arts Festival. Performances at venues across the city. Tel: 0773 6646920 Box office: 01904 658338 13 East Yorkshire Thoroughbred Car Club www.ncem.co.uk www.sightsonic.org Rally - Annual gathering of classic cars and motorcycles. 21 Mar – 6 April York Chinese 13 & 14 Festival of Angels. Yorkshire Air Museum. The Quarter. Map ref. DD3. Festival – citywide. Tel: 01904 608595 Tel: 01904 686248 Tel: 01904 610676 www.festivalofangels.co.uk 13 – 27 Festival of the Rivers. 22 – 24 York Model Railway Show. Tel: 01904 554253 York Racecourse. www.yorkfestivals.com York Markets Tel: 01653 694319. www.yorkshow.freeserve.co.uk York Markets host a full programme of events 14 Dragon Boat Racing. throughout the year including Farmers’ and Riverbanks and Museum 23 & 24 Easter fun. Castle Howard. Continental Markets. Gardens area. Tel: 01904 551355. Tel: 01653 648333 www.yorkrotary.co.uk/dragonboat.htm www.castlehoward.co.uk Visitor information: Tel: 01904 550099 York Maze. From mid July until early www.visityork.org www.whatsonyork.com April September – York’s amazing maize maze. Elvington. While information is believed to be correct at time of going 4 – 6 York Open Studios – www.yorkmaze.co.uk local artists in an informal setting. to print, dates and events may change. We recommend www.yorkopenstudios.co.uk August that you check to avoid disappointment. May 3 Thunder Day! – Flypasts and displays. Yorkshire Air Museum. 4 York Carnival. Tel: 01904 608595 Tel: 01904 554253 www.yorkfestivals.com 16 Castle Howard Proms Spectacular. Open air picnic concert with fireworks. 7 – 10 Spring Festival of New Music. Tel: 01653 648623 Box Office: 01904 432439 www.castlehoward.co.uk www.yorkconcerts.co.uk 19 – 22 York Races – Ebor Festival. Tel: 01904 620911 Athens, June 2007: York awarded European Tourism City of the Year. Dragon Boat Racing 02/03 Visitor Information 01904 550099 Be enriched, challenged and entertained. Come and explore York, one of England’s most Spend an afternoon in one of the many museums or memorable cities. Unearth its secrets and enjoy a vibrant browse at your leisure through the rooms in the city’s art and surprising mix of history and culture. gallery, its celebrated collections drawing visitors from far and wide. Some things about this lovely city never change – the impact of the Minster towering above the tangle of Let the assortment of street performers and buskers medieval streets with their shops and chic cafés, the entertain you or visit one of the many festivals. As the sun views from the City Walls and the River Ouse with its small goes down, sip a glass of wine at a riverside bar or join a boats and pleasure cruisers plying their way under nightly ghost walk as it sets off around the narrow streets graceful bridges. and snickelways regaling amused followers with stories of York is a place to be explored on foot. Climb the Minster unexplained ‘ghostly’ sightings. or Clifford’s Tower for a bird’s eye view of all that it has to offer or choose the easy route with a ride on the gigantic observation wheel, its pods soaring 60 metres above the ground. Contents Booking Accommodation . 26 – 27 Events . 2 Hotels . 28 – 39 Shopping . 10 – 11 Guest Accommodation . 40 – 53 Must See Attractions . 12 – 14 Self Catering . 54 – 57 General Attractions . 15 – 17 Holiday Parks and Camping . 58 Evening Attractions . 18 Hostel Accommodation . 59 Surrounding Attractions . 19 – 21 Timeline . 60 Restaurants, Bistros and Bars . 22 – 25 Maps and Journey Times . 61 – 63 www.visityork.org Enrich your mind, body and soul with a visit to one of the country’s most inspiring cities. York is a city of living history; you can’t help but be For a different kind of enrichment, enjoy a little body enriched as you walk its cobbled streets, taking in the pampering. Alquimia Spa in the city centre offers historic architecture. Marvel at the interior of Fairfax facials, massage and spa body treatments in period House, the city’s finest Georgian townhouse, admire surroundings. Just on the outskirts of the city, Merchant Adventurers’ Hall, one of the best preserved Middlethorpe Hall Hotel & Spa, a luxurious eighteenth medieval guildhalls in Europe or stroll past Barley Hall, a century house is a haven of tranquillity. Rejuvenate with window into the life of a medieval household. a session in the steam room or sauna, lounge in the whirlpool bath or pamper yourself with a treatment. Broaden your mind with a visit to world class museums. Meander through Kirkgate, the recreated Victorian street For ultimate enrichment of the soul, immerse yourself in at the Castle Museum, soak up the atmosphere of a the glories of York Minster – the largest gothic cathedral reconstructed Viking city at JORVIK and wonder at some north of the alps and allow its sheer splendour to of Britain’s finest archaeological treasures at the Yorkshire elevate and inspire. Alternatively, travel south to the Museum. market town of Selby with its superb abbey which has defied destruction for nearly 1000 years and was the Learn about railways and locomotives at the National birthplace of Henry I. Railway Museum, the largest of its kind in the world and, for a true taste of Wartime Britain, visit the Cold War Explore the surrounding countryside and discover Bunker, the Yorkshire Air Museum or Eden Camp. breathtaking scenery awash with country houses and picturesque gardens. The evocative ruins of Fountain’s Art lovers can spend an appreciative hour or two at the Abbey and the gardens at Castle Howard will captivate art gallery or visit the city’s newly constructed Quilt your soul, whilst the Yorkshire Moors, Dales and coastal Museum. Set to open in spring 2008, this will be the only resorts will leave you feeling pleasantly and peacefully museum in Europe dedicated to quilting and textile arts. reflective. If, after all this, your mind is still thirsty for knowledge, you could always enjoy a short, special interest course. Local photographer John Potter holds landscape photography workshops, whilst the Red House Antiques Centre’s three day course on antique furniture has achieved national acclaim. Castle Howard 04/05 York Minster: Five Sisters Window Be Enriched... www.visityork.org YorkBoat hires out self-drive Red Boats Be Challenged... 06/07 Visitor Information 01904 550099 Come to York and challenge your image of a medieval, historic city. Renowned for its heritage; quaint, cobbled streets and windsurfing, sailing or kayaking at Allerthorpe Lakeland the iconic York Minster, York is fast developing a Park. Saddle up and either hire a bike or try your skill at flourishing, cutting-edge scene. Chic wine bars, some polo. housed in old churches, and modern art displayed in historic venues make for a city of contrasts and exciting Hold your nerve whilst placing a bet at the prestigious discoveries. This is a place where the old encompasses York Racecourse or face your fears and explore, if you the new and the commonplace meets with the dare, the terrifyingly gruesome York Dungeons – a unexpected.