From the moment you walk out of York station you find yourself in a city of green. The medieval stone wall sits on extensive grassy ramparts that, in spring, are covered in a stunning display of daffodils – effectively becoming a two-mile-long flower bed. The bedrock of York’s abundant green spaces is the “strays”, 800 acres (324 hectares) of medieval common land that radiate out from the city, some of which still harbour herds of cattle and the occasional horse.
Many of the smaller green spaces around the city were originally part of these strays too: the cemetery is actually the north-west corner of Walmgate Stray, while Scarcroft Green is a sliver of Micklegate Stray, from which also comes Knavesmire, the site of the York Tyburn gallows where the highwayman Dick Turpin met his doom. It’s best to explore the area by bicycle if possible (rentable at the station), but the inner parks are easily reached on foot – and well worth a visit. Here are a few of the best.
York Museum Gardens
- Daffodils in York Museum Gardens
Heading east across the river from the railway station, you immediately encounter York Museum Gardens, a small area that harbours some unique gems. On the right, soon after entering, there is a section of Roman wall, probably erected around the time of Emperor Septimus Severus, who died here in AD 211. Connected to it is the nine-metre-tall (30ft) Multangular Tower, also Roman. Further into the elegant gardens you’ll find the ruins of a Benedictine monastery, St Mary’s Abbey, which was built by the Normans and demolished by the Tudors. There’s also the medieval Hospitium, a popular wedding venue, plus the Yorkshire Museum.
Dean’s Park Gardens
- Inside the Chapterhouse
A short stroll brings you to Dean’s Park Gardens, the best spot for admiring York Minster, the largest gothic cathedral in Britain (open daily from 9am until dusk). Look out for what must be the finest park bench in England: an octagonal seat adorned with gargoyles, dragons and heraldry. It’s actually not old – put there in 2000 – but fits in perfectly with all the medieval magnificence around you. The chapterhouse, opposite the bench, is a 13th-century gem. Further into the park there’s the cathedral library (open 9am-4pm). Gray’s Court restaurant-hotel and garden is worth seeking out around the back of the park, or accessible from the city wall.
- Supper at Gray’s Court restaurant-hotel; Chapter House Street with a view of the cathedral
York cemetery
Opened in 1837, York cemetery is a hidden delight, the final home to 124,000 residents, including four men who survived the Charge of the Light Brigade, 52 lord mayors, and John Severs, a man whose 1893 epitaph reads: “A quiet life he lived, he left no stain, free from enthusiasm, yet free from blame.” Wander up the avenues and paths, enjoying copious quantities of weeping stone angels and many other pithy elegies, not all ancient. “York will remember Columba,” reads one from 2000, “sculptress, printmaker, musician, singer, linguist, teacher, booklover, cook, dancer, friend.” The 10 hectares (24 acres) are also now a nature reserve with owls, bank voles, amphibians, 20 species of butterfly, and many unusual plants, including apple trees of old varieties such as ribston pippin and dog’s snout. On Fridays, the genealogy office can help with locating particular graves, and on summer Sundays there are guided walks.
Rowntree Park
- Bishopthorpe Palace, the archbishop of York’s current residence
No name is more linked with York than Rowntree – the Quaker family who made a fortune from chocolate then ploughed a lot back into projects such as the ornamental Rowntree Park on the south bank of the river Ouse. There are tennis courts, a playground, a skate park and table tennis tables, plus the Reading cafe (in the former park keeper’s cottage) that makes a good stop for a coffee before exploring downriver. On the east side of the river the path takes you through Fulford Ings, where Harald Hardrada defeated an English army on 20 September 1066, forcing King Harold II north to defeat the Vikings, then march back to Hastings for an eye-watering appointment with destiny. Walking down the west bank takes you to Bishopthorpe where the archbishop of York has his residence; you can then curl back across the Knavesmire racecourse.
Homesteads Park
Head north upriver on the east bank of the river Ouse and you are on National cycle route 65. Homesteads Park is just behind the youth hostel (a good budget option for overnight). It’s a quiet 5.7-hectare (14-acre) plot, perfect for picnics and entertaining smaller kids – there’s a very good playground. If on bikes, you could continue up the river, following the route north across Rawcliffe Meadows nature reserve, then onward until you reach the National Trust’s Beningbrough Hall, a lovely eight-mile ride all on quiet roads and bridlepaths. In spring and summer watch out for the green metallic tansy beetles, a species of insect only found on the banks of the river Ouse near York. A full-grown one is the size of your little finger nail and a truly dazzling sight.
Book your trip to experience the great gardens of York, and more, with CrossCountry. Find out more at crosscountrytrains.co.uk
