Vikings, ghosts, and disco ball cocktails
From cobbled streets to ghostly pubs, York is a city steeped in history where there’s a tale around nearly every corner
If you’re a fan of ghosts, Vikings, pubs, and cobbled streets, then you need to visit only one city in the north of England. The term ‘steeped in history’ is used with lots of towns and cities across the UK, but there are few it’s more applicable to than York.
Located in the north of the vast and diverse county of Yorkshire, York is a city where you can get lost down enchanted streets and wander down by a river that will have more than a fair share of its own stories.
On a weekend visit, I stayed on the outskirts, and in a party of five, I was able to explore what this fine city and all it had to offer. A sunny Saturday afternoon saw us make our first walk down the many cobbled streets that wind through the city’s heart like a vast network of veins and arteries.
I’m a man who likes a pint, almost as much as I like a good pub. York has both of these in abundance, and after a wander around the streets and circling the dramatic York Minster, this is a fine pairing.
Our evening activity was In addition to all of this, York also gives you a chance to drink in haunted pubs, and the last stop on a crawl around the city centre took us to the supposedly most haunted inn anywhere in the country. The Golden Fleece is a stone's throw away from the Shambles, the compacted cobbled street that welcomes thousands of visitors every month.
This part of the city has a different feel at night, and the Shambles is quietly illuminated whilst nightlife occupies the streets around it. The Golden Fleece is a welcoming pub, and I love the fact they have taken their reputation as the most haunted Inn in the country and run with it. The names of five ghosts are written on the wall by the doorway, and in the back bar, you can have a pint whilst standing next to a skeleton (which I’m sure isn’t a joke about long waiting times at the bar).
Earlier in the night I’d enjoyed a Taylor Swift-themed cocktail that came in a disco ball cup. A fruity start to the night, my drinks would take a different turn once in the Fleece.
The drinks choices in the supposedly spooky pub, with plenty of lager options for a man who likes lager (that’s me). It is said that the most haunted part of the pub is the cellar- a place where punters can’t go because, well, it’s a working pub. If you feel a chill around your neck it may be one of the specters wandering the hallways, if you see them you might as well ask them to buy you a pint for your troubles.
York’s vibrant pub scene expands away from the Golden Fleece, and a particular favourite of mine was Valhalla. An ode to the Viking influence on York, named Jorvik by the bearded Scandinavian conquerors, the bar has three floors and the top floor is a large long room much like Vikings would sit around. I’m confident in saying that their cups would not have been filled with Budvar, however.
The good weather continued into our Sunday, and we started it with a walk around the city walls. Back when it was required of York to have defensive positions, the walls commanded lovely views of the Minster and other iconic buildings.
A walk that takes you a little out of the city centre is a path that leads to Clifford’s Tower. A stunning building on top of a hill which, during our visit, was covered in daffodils. This tower had its own ghost story, but I might just leave it untold for you to discover on your own…
All in all, York is a gem of a city with cool bars and plenty to do. It might not get the attention of Leeds and Sheffield, but as far as cities in Yorkshire go it’s comfortably by favourite. I encourage a visit, and also a ghost walk- whether or not you have some drinks beforehand is up to you.
