
Banishing The Winter Blues, By Finding Things To Do In York With Kids

Having loved visiting Durham earlier this week, we headed into nearby York via the easy Park’n’Ride option from Monks Cross… With Lottie gazing longingly at the myriad of shops at this ‘out of town’ shopping centre, we started discussing why York has grown in popularity in recent years to become one of the world’s most popular cities for families. But what does York have in store for kids in a perfect wintry day in February?
So after a great chat with the informative & helpful ‘Visit York’ staff, we headed towards the largest Gothic Cathedral in N.Europe. Taking over 250 years to construct it certainly rivals both Exeter & Durham. The lengthy climb to the tower was worth it for the staggering views over the Plains of York and the city below. However, it’s not for the faint hearted! Plenty of steep steps for little feet to climb, but the safe, enclosed tower at the top is perfect for kids to wander around and enjoy the views.
York is equally known for its extraordinary amount of ghosts (hence it’s numerous ghost tours) It’s easy to see why this may have been the case – old victorian prisons, regular hangings at the castle and small cobbled streets perfect to haunt at night… But none of this was of the least bit of interest to both girls, who both had their eyes set on visiting York’s Chocolate Story!


discovering York’s
confectionary history
Leaving the Chocolate Experience, we would have loved to have seen the impressive Jorvik Viking Centre in Coppergate, much like the one we’d seen in Ribes, Denmark earlier this year. However it’s currently closed, but reopens in April, but in the meantime you can work your way across the city to see ancient Viking mummified remains or exhibitions at various points including the Minister.

Journey through York’s history at the Castle Museum
Or the ‘Shaping the Body’ exhibition that provided some great talking points for us to perhaps include in our ‘Get Learning‘ section of this website
Before you find yourself in a thought provoking and brilliantly re-told account of WW1 and it’s impact on the lives of people from Yorkshire.. Having seen the Somme and Flanders Fields at first hand, both girls were immersed in the displays which offer a painful reminder of how important peace has been to secure… and what a price has been paid by so many to live the lives we all live today.
york
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