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Many of the timber-framed buildings in York have been restored and converted to restaurants, shops, or boutiques.
Ruins of St. Mary's Abbey in the garden adjoining the Yorkshire Museum in York. The former Benedictine abbey was the richest in northern England; it was destroyed on orders of Henry VIII during the "Dissolution of the Monasteries" in the 16th century.
Ruins in the Museum Gardens adjacent to the Yorkshire Museum in York.
Promenade along the River Ouse in York. Lendal Bridge appears in the background.
During medieval times, the Merchant Adventurers' Hall was one of the most important buildings in York, UK. Built in 1357 as a gathering place for merchants to conduct business and socialize, the Hall is the largest timber-framed building in the UK still standing and used for its original purpose. In that time period a Merchant Adventurer was someone who risked or “adventured” his or her own money in overseas trade bringing back goods and wealth to York. In 1371 the members established an almshouse and chapel in the undercroft of the building for the sick and poor which operated until 1900. Today the Hall belongs to and is still used by The Company of Merchant Adventurers of the City of York who, though no longer are involved in mercantile business, still carry on the charitable work of the original group.
The ruined keep of the medieval Norman castle in York is referred to as Clifford's Tower.
Much of York's ancient walls still survive; they are punctuated by four main gatehouses (referred to as "bars"). Bootham Bar has some of the oldest surviving stonework - dating to the 11th century A.D. It was built almost exactly on the site of the northwestern gate of Eboracum, the Roman settlement that evolved into York. This view, taken from Exhibition Square, shows York Minster, the city's famous cathedral, in the background.
Substantial portions of York's city walls have been preserved. Although the Romans first constructed walls around the city (which they called Eboracum), most of the current walls date to medieval (12th-14th century) times.
Layers showing the build up of York's defenses through the ages.
A view of the towers on the western front of York Minster. Construction on this Gothic cathedral, one of the largest in northern Europe, began in 1220; it was not completed until 1472.
A closer view of the front facade of York Minster, whose formal title is "The Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of St. Peter in York."
Time, weather, and pollution have all taken their toll on the carvings decorating the exterior of York Minster. Sections of the cathedral continue to undergo restoration. Replacement stonework is fashioned in a special stoneyard next to the cathedral.
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