York recos
The centre of York is a safe, pedestrianised and, in general, a very buggy friendly area - other than the occasional cobbled street. It is very easy to walk around with plenty of historical landmarks, cafes, shops, and street performers to keep you entertained. It is a lovely little city for a bimble - with all sorts of winding streets, historical oddities, cultural stop offs, and cute cafes. You could easily lose half a day just strolling around.
things to do
Near the hotel are the Museum Gardens and Judi Dench Walk riverside path. Beautiful gardens with cathedral ruins and small food and drinks options. Generally just lovely to take a stroll through.
River cruises set off from near the Museum Gardens and last around 45-60 minutes. There are numerous operators, most of which are pushchair friendly. Tickets are approximately £15, infants go free.
Walking the Walls is a must when in York. However, due to the narrow staircases they are not suitable for pushchairs. The best section (in my opinion) is Bootham Bar (7 minute walk from the hotel) to Monk Bar. Great views of the Minster and other historic buildings. Anyone interested can walk this section with us, then back past the Minster to Eagle & Child for welcome drinks on Monday the 4th.
The Minster itself is pushchair friendly and is a beautiful building. Under constant renovation due to the effects of acidic rain on the limestone bricks, you might see stone masons working on repairs at an outdoor workshop at the foot of the building. The Mister’s Tower is the highest point in York and is 275 steps to the top. The trip to the top weaves through various parts of the minster, including along outdoor sections, giving great up-close views of the stone masonry and gargoyles. A pricey but worthwhile adventure.
JORVIK Viking Centre is a classic of school trips and birthdays for us Northerners. An It’s a Small World style ride which takes you through ancient York (Jorvik) finishing with a museum about the Viking history of the city. At the end of the ride there is an animatronic man taking a shit - worth the price of admission alone.
Clifford’s Tower is worth seeing from the outside but going inside is not pushchair friendly as it is at the top of a “man-made mound”. But this recently renovated historic site is well worth a visit. The architecture of the renovated insides is amazing, and the history of the tower is fascinating.
The Shambles is the famous street on which Diagon Ally is based. Can get very, very busy with tourists but is worth a visit. The official Harry Potter store is also here, as is The York Ghost Merchants – a funny shop that sells little models of ghosts which have, for some reason, become hugely popular and a bit of a must-have. Be prepared to queue for up to three hours to go into the Ghost Merchants (not an exaggeration) but the ghosts can be enjoyed by simply looking in the window – which I would argue is enough. At the end of The Shambles is Whip-Ma-Whop-Ma-Gate – a short street with a funny name.