Shambles District York

The Shambles, York

The Shambles

The atmospheric Shambles district of York dates back to a 14th century meat market in the area. The area is known for its picturesque narrow streets and overhanging timber-framed buildings.

The Shambles in York is one of the most famous medieval shopping streets in the world, and its similarity to the fictional Diagon Alley that features as a location in the hugely popular Harry Potter books and movies is often noted.

Harry Potter author and creator J.K. Rowling denies any connection, but that has not stopped numerous Harry Potter-themed businesses opening in the Shambles. Among them are "The Shop That Must Not Be Named", and "The Potions Cauldron", selling official merchandise as well as other related products.

The Shambles architecture, York, England, UK. — Nary a right angle nor perpendicular can be found in the medieval buildings of York's the Shambles

History

Some of the wooden buildings date back as far as the 14th century. From then until the late 19th century there were mostly butcher's shops on the street, though, none now remain.

Also of historic interest in the Shambles area is the home of Margaret Clitherow, arrested in 1586 for harbouring Catholic priests and allowing the Mass to be performed on her property.

The unfortunate Margaret was duly condemned to death by the authorities of the day by pressing with a heavy stone for her "religious crimes".

Human statue on The Shambles in York. — Human statue on The Shambles in York

Street Performances

The Shambles is a very popular tourist attraction and so you will find many street performers and buskers entertaining the crowds.

As well as all kinds of musicians you might see jugglers, fire-eaters, acrobats, magicians, and the increasingly numerous "human statues", most commonly all painted in gold, but in the photograph above seen unusually in lilac.

The Golden Fleece, York. — The Golden Fleece is located on the Pavement, right across from the Shambles and a pub for more than 500 years

Pubs & Restaurants

The Golden Fleece is located on the Pavement, right across from the Shambles and has been a pub for more than 500 years. Still serving a variety of beers and other alcoholic beverages, as well as as a fine dining menu, the Golden Fleece is most well known for being the most haunted pub in York.

Lady Alice Peckett, wife of a former mayor who owned the Golden Fleece seems to be the most well known of the more than a dozen ghosts that are said to inhabit the pub.

Others include a Canadian airman from World War II, a young Victorian boy trampled to death by horses, and "One-eyed Jack". In spite of, or perhaps because of, these ghostly goings on, the rooms at the Golden Fleece are still very popular for overnight guests.

The Punch Bowl pub is an historic drinking venue near the Shambles area dating from the 18th century. This pub has stood at the corner of Blossom Street and Nunnery Lane since 1770. Ye Old Shambles Tavern is also another pub right on the street itself.

Gert & Henry's is the restaurant that currently occupies the Tudor building standing next to Shambles Market adjacent to the Shambles.

Shambles Market, between Parliament Street and the Shambles, is the new name given to the former Newgate Market refurbished in 2014. Open daily, the street market has several food kiosks and over 80 stalls including florists, butchers, fruit and vegetable sellers, craft and gift stores as well as the Cross of York fishmonger's.

Gert & Henry's restaurant, Shambles Market. — Gert & Henry's is the restaurant that currently occupies the Tudor building standing next to Shambles Market adjacent to the Shambles

Goods From Japan delivered to your home or business. — Goods From Japan delivered to your home or business

Little Shambles

Little Shambles is a narrow alleyway that connects the Shambles with the open-air market.

There seems to be several reasons behind the increasing size of each floor, in the kind of medieval buildings found at the Shambles, one being simply that you got more space.

However, a second reason being that taxes were paid only on the ground-floor area of a property.

A third reason directly related to the Shambles is that it drastically reduced the amount of direct sunlight that could fall on the meat on display at the street level, and so kept it from going off quickly.

Information

The Shambles area is a reasonably short walk from York Station, the National Railway Museum, and York Minster.

Shambles district of York. — The word "shambles" is believed to be derived from an Anglo-Saxon word for shelves, and was a term used to refer to what were in essence meat markets. In the 11th century Domesday Book two butchers are listed at this location, and in 1885 there were still 31 butchers operating here, but now not a one. A few of the shops do still have large meat hooks attached to their frontages though

Access - Getting to York

York Station, just outside the city walls, is York's main station with trains to Manchester Piccadilly, London King's Cross, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Durham, Inverness and Newcastle.

There are CrossCountry trains to Darlington, Durham, Newcastle Central, Berwick-on-Tweed, Edinburgh Waverley, Glasgow Central, Dundee and Aberdeen.

Services south on CrossCountry include trains to Leeds, Wakefield Westgate, Doncaster, Sheffield, Derby, Birmingham New Street, Bristol Temple Meads, Exeter St Davids, Plymouth, Penzance, Reading and Southampton.

First TransPennine Express has services to Leeds, Huddersfield, Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester Airport and Liverpool Lime Street as well as Scarborough, Middlesbrough, Darlington, Durham and Newcastle Central.

Northern Rail has rail connections to Knaresborough, Harrogate and Leeds, Bradford Interchange, Halifax, Blackburn, Preston, Blackpool North Selby and Hull Paragon as well as infrequent trains to Sheffield.

Long distance National Express buses run nationwide from the bus station in Rougier Street, a short walk north of York Station.