A weekend in York

We've just returned from an enjoyable weekend away in York. Although the plan was for Christmas shopping, I did take my camera and a change of lens with me in the hope of getting some decent shots too.

However, Saturday was much too stressful with presents to buy, crowds of people in the way and too much fog, but by Sunday morning, with clear blue skies I had my chance...

Micklegate bar is a fine example of the city's gates, and because it faced south, it was arguably the most important. The upper parts of the tower date from the 1300s, but the lower section is from the 12th century. Several reigning monarchs have passed through this gate, and the severed heads of traitors were displayed above the gate, right up to the 1750s.

We were staying at a small hotel just up the road from Micklegate Bar and the walk into the centre was no more than 15 minutes or so. Despite the cold, the walk was pleasant enough, and it did allow us to spot a couple of places to eat in the evening.


This shot of York Minster was taken using my wide-angle lens and was partly inspired from an image on the front of a tourist's leaflet we'd picked up at the station. The picture on the leaflet was a collage of small photos which together made up an image of the Minster very much like the shot I'd captured.

The Minster is York's, if not the country's, most famous building. There's been a church on this site since 627AD, before the Vikings invaded, and the present building was constructed between 1220 and 1472. The Minster is in the Gothic style and dominates views across the city. It's size and beauty mean there's so much to photograph - I could happily have spent the afternoon there.





The Mansion House was built in the 1720s as a residence for the Lord Mayor fit for entertaining visiting dignatories. It was the first such building in the country, being ahead of London's Mansion House by 30 years.

The crowds of shoppers meant a clear view hadn't been easy all weekend, but before the light disappeared for good, I managed this shot of this impressive and distinguished building.

Ghost walks are popular in York, as with most historic cities these days, but as this last picture of Stonegate shows, the ghosts in York aren't camera shy!

These last two pictures were taken with the aid of a monopod, supported by a lamp-post. Although they're not perfectly sharp, the monopod was a good compromise between a tripod and the need to travel light. This last shot used an exposure time of around 4 seconds to create the ghostly effect.