It’s said that The Shambles inspired Harry Potter’s Diagon Alley and it’s quite easy to see why. It has its own kind of magic with old-fashioned overhanging buildings and a narrow footpath through the middle. The shop windows are adorned with a whole host of interesting things such as ghost statues, potions old-fashioned sweets and more. Just walking down and exploring is an incredible experience in itself. 9 Soak up the atmosphere of the famous York Market Credit: Unsplash Pope's Head Alley, measuring only 80cm wide this is one of the narrowest and darkest of York's streets. Francis Drake mentions it briefly in 'Eboracum', his history of the city. It is a favoured haunt of many of the ghost walks in the city. You can pre-book online here. 6. Find York’s ‘secret garden’ the Treasurer’s House Gardens Credit: Treasurer’s House To make a trip through the old capital of England’s north a little easier, here some of the essential stops to make along the way: The transepts feature wooden roofs. The nave was completed in 1350 and is England's widest Gothic nave. The central tower is 235 feet tall (72 meters). The choir is 102 feet tall (31 meters). The octagonal Chapter House was built in 1280 and features wonderful stone carvings.

a narrow place to walk along, leading from somewhere to somewhere else, usually in a town or city, especially in the city of York.” The fact is, this gem of a city has so many medieval treasures and so many twisting lanes and alleys that it is really possible, to simply lose one or two of them. Running parallel to Pope’s Head Alley, Peter Lane connects Market Street and High Ousegate as well. Its entrance islocated on the other side of the Lakeland shop on High Ousegate, between Lakeland and Byron. The York Minister is an impressive cathedral with a long and storied history. The Romans settled here and named the area Eboracum in 71 AD. King Edwin was baptized in a small wooden church here in 625. A stone church was built, and King Edwin was buried in the stone church in 633. In 1088, a new Minister was built. The Minister was expanded between 1154 and 1225. In 1328, the York Minister hosted a royal wedding between King Edward III and Philippa of Hainault.Whip-Ma-Whop-Ma-Gate – one of, if not the, smallest street in York; the name means "What a street!" or, the latest version, "Neither one thing nor the other".

The street roughly follows the line of an old Roman road, which ran between what are now St Helen's Square and York Minster. The Minister as it stands today was completed in 1471. It is the second-largest Gothic cathedral in Northern Europe. The name "minister" harkens to Anglo-Saxon missionary churches. The cathedral's official name is the Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of Saint Peter in York. Richard Scrope, Archbishop of York, was accused of treason by Henry IV and beheaded in 1405. His tomb lies in the Minister.The walk begins and ends at Bootham Bar. There’s a couple of great pubs near here, the Lamb & Lion (recently renamed the Fat Badger) and down the road the Guy Fawkes. I’ve eaten and stayed in both and can throughly recommend them. Almost immediately you disappear into the gap by the Hole in the Wall and you’re far from the crowds, hidden away, lost in time. You’ll get an excellent view of the Minster near the end of this passage. At Christmas it chimes carols for hours. Visitors will find a shrine to Saint Margaret Clitherow on this street. Known as the "Pearl of York," she was martyred in 1586 for refusing to enter a plea to the charge of harboring Catholic priests. Saint Margaret Clitherow was married to a butcher and lived on The Shambles. A vibrant city with Roman roots and a Viking past, York has played a central role throughout much of England‘s history. Despite its small size, Old Town York boasts a wealth of colorful heritage that draws tourists in droves from all over the world. If you find yourself on the sections by the river at dusk, either by the Ouse (round St Martins church, or Kings Staith) or the sections by the Foss, keep an eye out for bats. York has lots of them, although of course you won’t see them in winter.