York Yorkshire England

York has an ancient history dating back to the days of the romans and vikings. When a legion of Roman soldiers set up camp between the Rivers Ouse and Foss, they little knew they would become for hundreds of years the second city of England. The Roman camp became a fortress and a city, called Eboracum. As successive waves of conquerors invaded the land, the city was given new names; the Angles called it Eoforwic, the Vikings called it Jorvik, until the Normans renamed it York.

The Norms rebuilt the city they had destroyed and, by the Middle Ages, York was the most powerful and prosperous town in the north of England. The Minster, the city walls and many fine medievil buildings survived the Reformation and the English Civil War, but by the 18th century York, no longer an international port, had become a market town but also the elegant social capital of the North.

In the 19th century, they railways and two chocolate companies transformed York. Today the National Railway Museum and York's historic buildings attract 3 million visitors every year.

National Railway Museum | The Shambles | York Minster

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