“The history of YORK is the history of ENGLAND”
So said King George VI on a visit to York – and he wasn’t far wrong.
St William's College, in York's historic Minster Precinct
York began as a Roman settlement, expanded under the Vikings, suffered under the Normans, found trading prosperity during the Middle Ages, and was Britain’s northern rail hub during the Railway Age. It now boasts a vibrant service economy but, unlike many English towns today, retains much of its rich heritage for all to see.
On a visit to York you can see the city’s history painted by both the broad brush of wider national and international events and by the fine-tipped strokes of ordinary people. York’s historic scale is as big as the Minster and as small as Saint Margaret Clitherow, a Catholic martyr who lived on York’s Shambles during the Elizabethan reformation and died near the present-day Ouse Bridge.
Any trip to the city, whether for business or pleasure, will be enhanced by an understanding, however sketchy, of York’s history. The picture of a beautiful city only improves when you learn more about it.
Early York – prehistoric and Roman York
York’s history in the Dark Ages
[pages still under construction]
History of medieval York
Tudor York during the Reformation
Races, Assizes and Assembly Rooms: Georgian York and Regency York
York’s role in England’s Industrial Revolution
York’s history in the 20th century
Modern York: history re-visited
Note on historical sources
Much of the work contained in these pages derives from The History of York: From Earliest Times to the Year 2000
Some work is taken from other sources, many lost in the mists of time, and some is based on interviews with primary sources (in other words, what some bloke told us in a pub once). We’ve taken every effort to cross-reference facts to ensure accuracy where possible, but, if we’ve made an error we’d love to hear about it so we can correct it. Thanks very much!