On Tour: York, Day 4

Monday March 9, 2026.

For the first time this weekend, I slept in, so I didn't go for a walk before breakfast.

However, after breakfast we went to Shambles Market and had a quick wander around the city, before heading back to the hotel to pack.

The rest of the morning was spent relaxing, before we headed to a bus stop so that Emma could catch a bus to the station, while I completed a final walk.

So, I headed south along 'Foss Island Road' and onto 'Paragon Street', keeping outside of the city walls, until I reached 'Skeldergate Bridge', which I used to cross the 'River Ouse'.

On Tour: York, Day 3

Sunday March 8, 2026.

Another morning and another early rise... for me.

Again I went into ninja mode, leaving Emma to sleep as I quietly left the room and made my way into the cool morning air. 

I headed south, along 'Foss Islands Road', before turning onto 'Navigation Road', then along 'Hope Street' until I reached 'George Street'. I entered 'St George's Churchyard' and found Dick Turpin's grave, having not been able to see it from the Necrobus the night before. 

On Tour: York, Day 2

Saturday March 7, 2026.

As per usual, when I am away, I awoke early at around 05:40. 

So, I quietly made my way to the bathroom, where I washed and dressed making sure not to wake Emma. I then made my way down to reception and out into the cool dawn morning, heading into the city.

I barely saw a single person as I made my way through the darkened streets, snapping photos of old churches and historic buildings as I made my way towards 'Shambles'. On our visit the previous night 'Shambles' had been full of visitors, but this morning was completely deserted. The early morning light giving it an otherworldly countenance.

From here I headed towards the Minster, with still no one in sight. More photographs were taken, before the light brightened and people began to appear, heading to their workplaces.

I followed my feet, confident that the layout of the city was stored correctly in my mind, as each lane, street or alleyway twisted and brought me to another wonderful building. 'The Golden Fleece' pub would become a landmark for the entire weekend, as it always seemed to be where we would end up.

On Tour: York, Day 1

Welcome to the first in a series of blogs about my visit to the historic city of York, this past weekend.

Eboracum was originally founded in AD 71, by the Roman Ninth Legion who had conquered the Brigantes Tribe. On its founding it became the Roman capital for Britannia inferior. 

Following the Roman withdrawal from Britain it became the capital of the kingdoms of Deira, Northumbria, and Scandinavian York.

During the Middle Ages, AD 735, York became the centre for the northern England ecclesiastical province, covering the northern third of England and the Isle of Man, consisting of 14 dioceses.

During the nineteenth century York became a major railway hub and a centre for the manufacturing of confectionery.

Today, York is a bustling Cathedral City covering an area of 33.7 km2 (13.0 sq mi). To put this into context, my hometown of Watford has an area of 21.5 km2 (8.3 sq mi), while London has an area of 1,572 km2 (607 sq mi). It is home to many historical buildings, streets and the Minster.

For the long weekend of Friday March 6 to Monday March 9, York would be where Emma and myself would be staying, as it was a place that neither of had visited. Our friend Steve was looking after Erin and Keilyn, at our house, for the weekend.

Friday March 6, 2026.

We left Watford via Watford Junction, taking a National Rail train to Euston. From there we walked the short distance to King's Cross station, stopping to grab some food from the Market on King's Cross Square.

We then made our way into the station and waited for the platform allocation to be announced, before heading through the ticket barriers to platform 3. After stowing our luggage we took our reserved seats and sat back and enjoyed the smooth ride to North Yorkshire.

Walking alone: Bromley-by-Bow to Aldgate... and beyond

Bow Creek & The River Lea (left) and Limehouse Cut (right).

Wednesday March 11, 2026. 

Clear skies, with light winds, 13°C (55°F).

Having spent the four days exploring York I was eager to get back to exploring London. 

Up early I accompanied Keilyn to school and then continued on to Croxley station, where I boarded a semi-fast Aldgate-bound train. As we zipped through the countryside and then into London's outer suburbs I was still deciding on where to go. With so many options running through my mind I finally settled on changing to a Hammersmith & City line train, at Moorgate, which I took to Bromley-by-Bow. I had picked this as a starting point as I had never been there before, but I also knew that there would be some interesting things to discover.

Alighting from the train and exiting the station I made my way through the underpass, where I stopped at a convenience shop to purchase a drink, before heading south along the Blackwall Tunnel North Approach and turning onto Twelvetrees Crescent.

Bromley-by-Bow Gasworks Memorial Gardens.

I passed over the River Lea and Bow Creek, with Bow Locks to the south, while ahead of me I could see the seven Grade II listed gasholders that are carefully being preserved. To the north of these gasholders lies the Channelsea River and Prescott Channel, where some of the stones from the Euston Doric Arch were disposed of. 

As the road turned south I noticed a lawn, surrounded by trees at the centre of which were white stone memorials, a statue and a gas lamp. This is the Bromley-by-Bow Gasworks Memorial Garden. Considering I was pretty much in an industrial park, with lorries trundling by, it was very peaceful.

Looking north along Bow Creek.

After taking some photographs I headed back to Twelvetrees Crescent and decided to drop down onto the River Lea path, heading south along the Limehouse Cut. I followed the river as far as Upper North Street, where I decided to leave the towpath as I have visited Limehouse on countless occasions.