England York Travel 1: Old Streets and Delicious Food

Tourists visiting the UK (United Kingdom) mainly travel around London and depart by plane from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. However, if you take a train a little north from London, you can find many cities that retain England's history and culture. In particular, ‘York’,** the capital of North Yorkshire, has served as a political center in England for a long time. The city, built during the Viking era, has continued uninterrupted for over 1000 years to this day. It is said that the world's most famous city, ‘New York’, originated from this ancient York.**

Shambles

The Shambles is a market located inside the York city walls. Originally, this market was a butcher's street that existed from the 11th century. There were 31 butcher shops along the main street. Most of the medieval wooden buildings have disappeared, but it is one of the best-preserved medieval shopping streets in Europe. The buildings with protruding second floors and the shelves where meat was displayed tell us that this was once a medieval butcher's street.**

There are no more butchers in the modern Shambles. However, it is now home to various restaurants serving British meat dishes and various cafes. In particular, this street is known as the prototype of ‘Diagon Alley’, the wizarding shopping street in Harry Potter. The Harry Potter souvenir shop ‘The Shop Must Not Be Named’ located in the Shambles blends seamlessly into this street.

‘Shambles Kitchen’ located in Shambles is a representative restaurant. Perhaps mindful of its history as a butcher's street in the Middle Ages, this restaurant specializes in pulled pork. It is famous for its pulled pork sandwich, and it also sells vegan or gluten-free menus. The prices are also reasonable, even among tourist destinations in England.

Pubs like Valhalla York retain the old-world atmosphere of York, offering a unique experience. This pub is designed with a Viking-style interior, inspired by the fact that York was once a Viking city. There are Viking round shields and Nordic murals everywhere. Ordering a beer and Yorkshire tablet is perfect as a light snack.

York City Wall

York is a city with over 1000 years of history. The walls, which have undergone Roman, Viking, and Norman influences, still surround the city. Walking around the city along these walls is also a great choice. As you walk along the walls, you can see the old cityscape and the river flowing beside it.

It takes about 2 hours to walk around the entire wall. The defensive facilities and stone structures found throughout the walls give you the feeling of having traveled back 500 years to England. Seoul's Seoul Fortress tour was modeled after this York City Wall tour.

You can find various cafes and restaurants while on the wall tour. Wheldrakes is a dessert cafe located inside the north gate of the York City Wall. While known for its desserts, its brunch menu also receives high praise.

Passing through the western section of the wall and crossing the River Ouse and entering Museum St, you will find many cafes. I had Yorkshire pudding at Bailey’s Cafe and Tearoom. Yorkshire pudding is a representative traditional food of York. It's a dish where beef or sausage is put into a bowl-shaped bread and topped with gravy. It's sold at various cafes and restaurants in York, so I recommend trying it.

Perky Peacock is another cafe located on the River Ouse. This cafe was originally a tower built in the Middle Ages. It was built to levy taxes on passing boats. There is another tower across the river facing this tower, and a chain was hung between these two towers to block passing ships. You can enjoy various teas and desserts at Perky Peacock while sitting in a medieval tower.**