| Did you know that York's minster has its own police | | | | the chocolate industry and indeed today you may still |
| force - its true! The only other cathedral in the world | | | | smell cocoa in the air when walking around the city's |
| which can boast this is St. Peter's in Rome which has | | | | streets. |
| its own police force in the form of the Swiss Guards. | | | | York holds the UK's largest food festival, held each |
| Here we have compiled a list of interesting facts about | | | | September and lasting 10 days. York also has its own |
| York. | | | | race course and annual music festival. The Association |
| There is a street in York called The Shambles which is | | | | of Voluntary Guides give free two hour walking tours |
| where ancient butchers used to ply their trade. The | | | | of York every day. The tours start in Exhibition |
| upper storeys of the fifteenth century houses lean | | | | Square, between April and October - there is generally |
| inwards so far that the roofs on either side almost | | | | 1 in the morning at 10 o'clock and one at 2 pm (check |
| touch. Walking this street, you will notice raised | | | | with tourist information on arrival in York). The tours |
| pavements either side of the main cobbled road which | | | | are free, informative and informal, and there's no need |
| form the channel through which the butchers would | | | | to book you just turn up. |
| wash away offal and blood. York is steeped in | | | | York was named the most haunted city in Europe by |
| medieval history, the battlement walls and bars (gates) | | | | the Ghost Research Foundation International (GRFI), |
| to the city were built during this period and are still | | | | the first recorded ghost walks began here in the early |
| greatly preserved today. Clifford's Tower is a popular | | | | 1970's and still run a busy trade today. For every room, |
| tourist haunt these days but has a grisly past, getting | | | | building or street seems to be haunted in this bustling, |
| its named from Roger de Clifford who was hung using | | | | beautiful city, there are apparently 140 ghosts haunting |
| chains from its battlements after the Battle of | | | | York, with an astounding 504 recorded hauntings. York |
| Boroughbridge in 1322. | | | | is apparently haunted by a lost Roman Legion. Harry |
| The minster is the 2nd largest gothic cathedral in | | | | Martindale, an apprentice plumber was installing a |
| Europe and its construction took an astonishing 250 | | | | heating system in the cellars of the old Treasurer's |
| years. The minster also has its own police force, the | | | | House in 1953, and reported seeing the 2000-year old |
| only other cathedral in the world which can boast this | | | | ghosts. He first heard a horn in the distance, and then |
| is St. Peter's in Rome which has the Swiss Guards. | | | | a disheveled Roman soldier on a horse emerged from |
| York's first Minster was built for the baptism of Anglo | | | | the brick wall, followed by a few hundred others, all |
| Saxon King Edwin of Northumbria in 627. The original | | | | carrying swords and spears. He reported that that the |
| church was a small wooden construction that had | | | | ghosts appeared to be walking on their knees. This is |
| been built for the baptism and was later rebuilt in stone | | | | an interesting observation since the old Roman road is |
| on Edwin's orders. | | | | located fifteen inches below the cellar and it is believed |
| York has featured in many film and TV series sets | | | | that Martindale wasn't aware of this when questioned. |
| over the years, such as Brideshead Revisited and | | | | So the ghosts would have been walking on their own |
| Robinson Crusoe. York also has more than 360 pubs, | | | | familiar road, on their way to the Minster. There have |
| at least one for every day of the year. York's | | | | been numerous other sightings since Martindales' but |
| economy was once largely driven by the railways and | | | | sadly, the old cellars are now closed to visitors. |