York

What a beautiful city York is. We walked along the wall surrounding the old city, admired the old gates (called bars) and wandered through the tangle of streets (called gates).

And we visited York Minster, 'the largest medieval cathedral in all of Northern Europe'. It's a huge building - not just one open space but a series of transepts, naves, chapels and towers. The south transept was badly damaged by fire in 1984 but has been almost restored. We saw a display of carvings, showcasing the work of stonemasons, that will be installed this year on walls in the south transept later this year. They are gargoyles depicting human suffering and humour. And we also saw a panel that shows the skills of the York Minster Broderers' Guild - depicting Birds and Beasts found in the Minster. (Click on the photos to enlarge so you can see the detailed work.)