The ancient
city of York, in northern England, stands where the rivers Ouse and Foss join, midway between London and Edinburgh. More than 100,000 people live in York, which has played an
important part in the history of England.
The great cathedral of St. Peter, generally known as York Minster, is the seat of the Archbishop of York, who is next in importance to the Archbishop of Canterbury. The Minster, begun in 1154 and finished in 1470, has many beautiful stained-glass windows, of which the most
famous is probably the “Five Sisters”.
York dates from the time of the Romans, who called it Eboracum. It was an important military
centre and several Roman emperors are associated with it. The Danes conquered York in 867 and gave it the name Yorvick. Around the older part of the city are the walls which were
built in the Middle Ages to keep invaders out. At four places stand great turreted gateways known as “bars”.
In the Middle Ages, York was almost as important as London and was referred to as northern capital. It became rich because it was an important port for the wool trade, and its merchants traded all along the coast of Europe. As larger ships were built that could not go up the Ouse from the sea, York became poorer. However, it became one of the main cities to be used by stagecoaches, and later, when the railways were built, it became an important junction. York has its own university at Heslington, just southeast of the city.
Many people visit York to see its historic
buildings and museums, including the National Railway Museum, and the popular Jorvik Viking Centre, which features a life-like reconstruction of the old Viking settlement. Other notable buildings
include the Merchant Adventurer’s Hall and Clifford’s Tower. The York mystery plays, performed in the ruins of St. Mary’s Abbey, tell the story of the Bible, from the Creation to the Crucifixion. Famous citizens of York include Guy Fawkes (1570-1606), who attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament, and the poet W. H. Auden (1907-73).
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