Thursday Doors: The City of York

Posted by: Darlene on: November 14, 2024

• In: Doors | Travel
• 111 Comments

“Books and doors are the same thing. You open them, and you go through into another world.” ~ Jeanette Winterson

My favourite city in England is York. It’s hubby’s hometown, and we were married there in 1977. We have visited often over the years and returned to celebrate our fortieth anniversary. Founded by the Romans in 71 AD, this ancient walled city is brimming with unique structures and fascinating history.

The most famous building is the York Minster, located in the centre of town. It is the seat of the Archbishop of York, the second-highest office of the Church of England. There has been a church on the site since 647 AD, but the bulk of the building was constructed between 1220 and 1472.

At every angle, there is a different view. The masonry is incredible. Any repairs are made by stone masons trained in medieval building practices.

A side entrance.

I love this view of the minster from the old city walls.

A door to stairs that lead up to the Roman walls. I enjoy walking these walls and thinking about all who have walked them before over the centuries.

The Roman walls still surround the old city.

St William’s College is a mediaeval building originally built to provide accommodation for priests attached to chantry chapels at nearby York Minster. The college was founded in 1460.

The Parish Church of St. Deny

 Door to the Church of St. Deny

The details around this church door are amazing.

What’s left of St Mary’s Abbey. St Mary’s was the largest and richest Benedictine establishment in Northern England. It was destroyed during the dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII.

Clifford’s Tower, a semi-ruined 13th-century remnant of York Castle, was originally built to subdue the rebellious north by William the Conqueror. Over the years it has been a royal mint, a medieval stronghold and a Civil War garrison.

This is just a taste of the doors of York. There will be more.

Welcome to Thursday Doors! This is a weekly challenge created by Dan Antion for people who love doors and architecture to come together to admire and share their favourite door photos, drawings, or other images or stories from around the world. If you’d like to join us, simply create your own Thursday Doors post each (or any) week and then share a link to your post in the comments on Dan’s blog post. Check out all the other door posts too.

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Tags: Cliffords Tower, Dan Antion, Doors, England, Roman walls, St. Mary's Abbey, Thursday Doors, travel, York, York MInster, yorkshire