No smoking on Goodramgate …

 or ner smerken depending which part of the north you're from. These tall fellows respecting the ban were seen from Bedern, for which follow the label.

Underneath the arches …

Inspired by Hilda of Manila, the arch of the Minster's west door beneath which you saw the schoolchildren two days ago. Even at a distance you can see that the sculptures in the arch itself have been restored. They show the story of redemption from creation onwards, starting bottom left and finishing bottom right. I'll post a close-up of a section sometime.

Bon dimanche!

Hidden treasure …

in the Treasurer's House garden, just behind the Minster.

The best days?

At the great west door of York Minster, a primary class not quite ready for the learned discourse about to be delivered. The teacher, however, knows his craft and doesn't keep them long. These are pupils from The Minster School, located a few hundred yards away on the other side of the cathedral. I have mixed feelings about school uniform, but they do look smart here, don't they? In cooler weather they wear red blazers.

Micklegate Bar, York

Taken this morning on the way back home from a school assignment, this shot from within the walls takes in two traffic and one pedestrian arch. The Norse suffix gate is common in the north of England for street. Whitby, for example, has its Flowergate and Sandgate. 

In modern English, this post would be entitled Grand or Main Street Gate or something similar, bar meaning gate rather than pub. I think that makes a pretty good case for sticking with the old.

Being more or less on the south of the city, Micklegate Bar is the royal entrance to York, though you'd have to wait a very long time for a monarch to pass through.

Micklegate curve

Gently curving down towards Ousegate and the river, Micklegate shows off its varied architecture. It is a very pleasant street with a variety of shops, cafés, pubs, churches and offices, plus some lanes waiting to be explored. 

Micklegate bookshop and café, York

Micklegate, which rises in a south-westerly direction from Bridge Street and the River Ouse to Micklegate Bar, used to be York's main street, its name deriving from the Old English mickle, meaning great.

The Blake Head Bookshop at 104 Micklegate has a large selection of books for all ages and the vegetarian café offers a good, varied menu. As you can see, there is free on-street parking!

For Leif - but not clover.

The upper gallery of Priory Street Baptist Church, York, just off Micklegate. This was where the baptisms mentioned yesterday were held, and as Leif of Eagen Daily Photo likes interiors, this is for him and anyone else who might be interested. Sorry, no water!

Boats, beer and baptism …

One of several photos taken on our way to an indoor water event, the baptism of two "young" Christians, one 17 and the other approaching 70. Never too late.

National Railway Museum, York

Taken yesterday during a visit with clients from Annecy and Istanbul. It's a hard life! Follow the label for more.

Newgate Market, York

This is the Parliament Street entrance to the market. The flowers and plants on the front stall here always look good.

Town or country?

You would almost think you were in a country village churchyard, but the Minster tower in the distance gives it away. Holy Trinity church is right in the town centre, an oasis of green in busy, commercial Goodramgate. For more on this York church, with shots of the rear and of the rather nice gate, try this.

The walls at Jewbury from the park

A lovely spot for a picnic lunch just off Peasholm Green, with the walls at Jewbury straight ahead and an Italian restaurant on the right. The old school building on the left is now an art gallery with regularly changing exhibitions.

Coming or going?

Half-way up the staircase at Gray's Court, showing the coveted window-seat. 

Lion petrified in rampant tree attack!

For the 100th entry, something for everyone - except shopaholics: a rampant lion, a tree in blossom, another pruned or pollarded à la française, a peep at the Minster and Chapterhouse, Gray's courtyard and some of the old stones that make York such a fascinating place to live or visit. If you must spend, turn right through the gateway and treat yourself to lunch here. 

For those who enjoyed yesterday's shot of Goodramgate's medieval timber frames, let me recommend my photographs of the amazing Troyes in Champagne, France. 

Goodramgate shops and signs

Originally Gutherumgate, after a local warrior, this street goes back to the Viking period 1100 years ago. It contains architecture spanning 700 years, including the oldest row of dwellings in York (1316). For more well-researched information go here.

Beauty and the beast?

To follow on from yesterday's post, this is the contrast which helps explain the uproar about the Stonebow tower.  Though the present St Saviour's is 15th century, there are older remains from the 11th onwards. It now houses DIG, a hands-on discovery of York's archeology through the ages. 

Stonebow

The appearance of this example of late 1950s New Brutalism created an uproar in the town. For an interesting account of the development, including a photo of the area before the concrete went up, go here.

Every cloud, Goodramgate

The front of an empty shop on York's Goodramgate, part advertising, part street prettification. Any takers? It's in the heart of York, opposite the Old White Swan and five minutes on foot from the Minster. 

Exhibition Square fountains, York

This is a busy rather than a pretty scene, though York's architectural features are always attractive. If the pink shop grabs your interest, follow the Mary Shortle label. This is not our first post on Exhibition Square, just off Bootham Bar, the north-western gate to the city, but it is the first to include the fountain. For views of the gate-tower and cathedral from this point, follow the labels below.

Gray's Court house and garden, York

A view of the other side of Gray's Court house, taken from the north-eastern walls. On a good day you can eat and drink out in the garden on the other side of the fence. There are sheltered areas should it get too hot; it does happen!

For the history of Gray's Court, follow the link in yesterday's post.

Gray's Court, York, inside and out

Between the Minster and the north-eastern walls, just off Chapter House Street, is Gray's Court. If ever you come to York, this is where we'll take coffee or lunch. We were fortunate enough to get this comfy window spot Saturday gone. More photos of the interior will follow, but the panelled interior of the window seat can be seen below. 

For the fascinating history of Gray's Court, which dates back in part to 1080,  call in at  the site. 

Osbaldwick, York

A ten to fifteen minute stroll east along the Derwent Valley cycle path brings you to this pretty village. The walk is a real treat at this time of year,  despite the disappointing temperatures; the blossom and birdsong are wonderful. See below for a view of a bridge over the beck.

Osbaldwick is a two-pub 11th century village about 2 miles east of York city centre, named after a Northumbrian earl. The suffix wick is Anglo-Saxon for an outlying farm rather than Norse for bay or creek.

Carolyn, thanks for your comments on yesterday's picture. I'm glad you enjoyed York so much. If ever you come again, be sure to let me know. We have been over The Pond but only to New York (city and state) with brief visits to Niagara and Toronto.

T. Becque, yes, it is still pretty cold here; I don't know if this word has crossed the Atlantic, but we were nithered! It seems to have originally been a Yorkshire term, but has spread throughout the north. 

Leif, thanks for your regular, faithful encouragement! I have some shots of the interior of the minster/cathedral on a CD somewhere, but can't find it! As soon as I lay my hands on it, I'll post a picture - I know you like an inside view.

Lunarossa, I wasn't expecting any comments on the Jewbury wall picture, so it was a pleasure to get yours. We too go into York this way and know the restaurant quite well. I quite often work freelance just off Peasholme Green in St Saviour's Place (see the York Associates link), so when the weather is good, take advantage of the public garden just behind Le Langhe to enjoy my pack lunch.

Bare Necessities, York

The icing on the cake of a day pottering around York was to enjoy this band playing a variety of pieces, from film scores to a medley of well-known hymn tunes. The latter includeed the Graham Kendrick composition, Shine, Jesus, Shine, apparently the UK's most popular modern hymn. The expertly performed tuba solo, The Bare Necessities, featured humorous interruptions from other soloists and sections of the band and a mock temporary walk-off by the tuba player.

As well as selling CDs and taking contributions, the band were promoting the Brass Goes to the Movies concert which is to take place in The Joseph Rowntree Theatre, 7.30pm, 12th June 2010. Two other bands will also be playing.

This end of Parliament Street (the Marks and Spencer end) is one of the most prominent street performance spots in York. Just a little further on, to the right of the All Saints Church window on High Ousegate, is another. 

As I missed yesterday, I'll squeeze in a second picture below, a bit of Georgian symmetry in St Saviourgate.

Two Towers, York

An photo of the walls on Jewbury taken a few months ago and showing the brick tower-like construction at the back of Sainsbury's on the inner ring-road. The young people in the distance are enjoying the skate park. 

Barnitts, York

The York home and garden shop, which began trading from here as an irongmongers in 1896, occupies a large part of Colliergate. If they don't stock it, you probably don't need it. Old-fashioned personal, friendly service, especially useful when you can't find your way out of this a-maze-ing store! 

This picture shows just a tiny part of the Colliergate frontage, and there's another entrance round the corner, and they are expanding into vacated premises next door, expecting to bring the workforce up to around 90. Bravo to the directors for staying in the city centre rather than moving out of town!

Daisy Taylor's, York

This inviting first floor window is on King's Court, just off Shambles. The ground floor frontage of the 15th century shop is also attractive, but it was past closing time when I went by. 

Assembly rooms, York

A dull view down Blake Street towards St Helen's Square. The building with the columns, right foreground, is the Assembly Rooms (1730-1735), probably the earliest neo-classical construction in Europe.

Originally built for high-class Georgian social gatherings, it is now home to Ask, an Italian restaurant, but remains open for viewing and hosts civic functions five times per year. It was bought by York Conservation Trust in 2002.  For excellent views of the interior, including a 360º tour, see the preceding link or this. 

St Martins le Grand, York.

Named after St Martin of Tours (France), the present church is a restoration of the one bombed in a 1942 air raid. For a detailed history, read this. St Martins is on Coney Street, a busy shopping thoroughfare; the sextant wielding "Little Admiral" on the double-sided clock is facing roughly east towards Spurriergate. 

Another not quite in the rules statue from the Rodin Museum, Paris, below.  Same photographic joke as last Saturday.