| York has a long and celebrated history - during its | | | | Indeed, the Viking influence is still strong in the |
| almost two millennia as a large settlement it has been | | | | modern-day city of York, with the suffix of 'gate' |
| known by a variety of different names by its many | | | | derived from 'gata', meaning way or road, still in |
| rulers before becoming universally known as York. | | | | widespread use. Goodramgate, Micklegate, |
| There is evidence of settlement in the York area | | | | Coppergate and Stonegate are major 21st century |
| stretching back almost 6,000 years. But it was the | | | | York thoroughfares that were named during the era |
| Roman Ninth Legion, under the control of Governor | | | | of Viking control. |
| Qunitus Petilius Cerealis that was credited as formally | | | | Stonegate was originally the Roman stone road that |
| establishing the city of Eboracum at the confluence of | | | | went directly through the heart of the city and is still |
| the Rivers Foss and Ouse in 43 AD. | | | | one of the biggest attractions for modern-day visitors |
| The fifty acre fort soon became the most important | | | | to York, offering some unique boutique shopping and it |
| city in the north of England; the command point for all | | | | is also home to one of the oldest original York hotels. |
| Roman operations. During its heyday as a Roman | | | | Still in operation but only as a pub, Ye Olde Starre Inn |
| Colonia it witnessed the death of Emperor Septimus | | | | dates back to the English Civil War, retaining many |
| Severus in 207 and was also the location for the | | | | historic features and is said to be haunted by several |
| crowning of Emperor Constantine the Great by his | | | | ghosts, including rather bizarrely a pair of cats! |
| own troops in 306. | | | | William the Conqueror wasted little time in getting to |
| Following the collapse of Roman rule in the 5th century, | | | | Jorvik after winning the Battle of Hastings however, |
| Eboracum continued to thrive as the spiritual capital of | | | | the Viking name of Jorvik was not changed by the |
| the Anglo-Saxon Deira sub-kingdom of Northumbria. | | | | Frenchman but later became corrupted during the |
| During this period the Roman name of Eboracum | | | | Middle Ages; morphing first into Yerk and then finally |
| morphed into Eoforwic; the name by which it was | | | | into York by the time of the Tudors. |
| known until 866 AD when the Vikings under the joint | | | | Today, visitors marvel at York Minster, the cathedral |
| leadership of Halfdan and Ivar the Boneless conquered | | | | started in the 12th century but not completed for 200 |
| the city. Ten years later the renamed city of Jorvik | | | | years; the narrow streets and the wealth of history |
| became the capital of the Viking kingdom of the same | | | | hidden within this medieval-walled city, now firmly |
| name. | | | | known as plain old York! |