May: A tale of 2 churches in York
May's trip out was another case of being a tourist somewhere local. I have lived maybe 40 minutes from York all my life. Have I ever been inside the Minster before? No. It's one of those things that, when you live close to somewhere, you seem to get a bit non-plussed about some of the amazing historical sites and attractions that it holds. I couldn't even begin to explain to you how many times I have walked past York Minster, so it seemed about time that I stepped foot over the threshold.
When I'm visiting York, the park and rides are my best friend. Parking charges are absolutely extortionate. They're maybe not so bad if you're in a group, and they're split a few ways. However, as a solo explorer, the bus fare was considerably more reasonable. Plus, it saves the bother of driving round York, which isn't too bad to be fair, but zoning out on the bus with your air pods in is definitely more relaxing.
The Minster itself is stunning inside. For all that I don't really believe in organised religion, there is something quite amazing about being inside a church, especially as one with so much history and longevity as York Minster. York has such a long and varied history, so it's really fascinating to be inside a building that has been standing watching over so much of that. You really could spend all day in there (well, I could), but if you have to see anything, then go check out the Chapter House. The whole room is a marvel of building skills and architectural design.
Then it was time to brave the tower climb. The climb is the only thing that you're on a time scale for. They have time slots that you have to book on to, to make sure that there aren't too many people up at the same time, and because it's the same staircase up and down, with no room for crossing paths. The photo above, is the tower from the inside of the Minster, and the patterned ceiling lies below the roof that I would soon be stood on. The climb itself is split over two sections. The first is something like 150 steps up a fairly narrow spiral staircase. Then, and this is the part that I was unprepared for, you emerge onto a walkway on the roof. There's a short walk to the next section at the bottom of the tower itself, and then another 125 steps, for a total of 275 steps. There aren't any breaks in the staircase, so you do have to be relatively OK health-wise to tackle it. I could see at that point why the ticket desk lady had made me read the pamphlet to check on whether I was in good enough nick to climb. When you get to the top, you can see for miles on a clear day, with lovely views over York. It's definitely worth all of the steps. Of course, you then have to do the whole thing in reverse. Back down the spiral staircase, across the rooftop, and then another spiral staircase down. Now, going up stairs has never bothered me, but going down spiral staircases always makes me feel like I'm going to run away with myself and topple, so this was my least favourite part. Also, if you've ever seen the part of The Lavender Hill Mob where Alec Guinness and Stanley Holloway run down the Eiffel Tower and get giddy at the bottom, that's the best way I can think of to describe how it feels when you get to the bottom. I felt slightly like I was listing left for a little while afterwards!
After I left The Minster, I went for a stroll through York. I love York. There's always something to see and somewhere to explore that you didn't realise was there. A couple of years ago, I saw a sign pointing down what I thought was a tiny alley. It said "Holy Trinity Church" and I thought I'd go have a little look into it. It's such a tiny, secluded, and peaceful place that so many people seem to walk straight past. If you're looking to see some 15th century stained glass windows, and box pews, then this is your place. It is also regarded as the church where the first lesbian wedding took place. Anne Lister and her partner Ann Walker came here in 1834, where they took communion together, therefore viewing themselves as spiritually joined in the same way as married heterosexual couples. The volunteers there are great, and last time I was there, I spent the better part of an hour with a couple of them discussing the 15th century glass trade. Well worth a fiver in their collection plate for all the hard work they do in maintaining such a beautiful chrurch.
It's funny that I, as a committed non-religious person, should spend a full day rattling round churches of various description. However, I do find them interesting places to visit. Plus, when you include the word "challenge" in there, I was powerless to resist their draw!
How long was I there?
In the Minster, I was there a good couple of hours, especially as the climb to the top of the tower and back down took about half an hour. In York in total, I was there pretty much all day having a stroll round The Shambles and looking in various shops.
How much did I spend?
York Minster entry: £20 + £6 to go to the top of the tower
Holy Trinity donation: £5
Park and Ride: £4
Total spend: £35
Would I go back?
To the Minster, maybe not. It was lovely, but I feel like I've done it now. It's been there for hundreds of years, so I have no reason to suspect that it will be going anywhere any time soon that I need to dash back to see it. To Holy Trinity on Goodramgate, maybe. Again, it's a lovely place but York is teeming with interesting places to see and discover, so I think I would focus on seeing somewhere new next time.
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