On Saturday I am moving to Dresden and in this way I will be starting a new chapter in my life. But before I turn these new pages, I must first finish an old chapter. A dusty old chapter full of Medieval architecture, cobbled streets, cosy coffee shops, and a huge Gothic cathedral.

I am, of course, speaking of York.

Perhaps the most telling part of how much you love a place, is that as soon as you leave, you immediately start furiously house-hunting so as to return as soon as possible. This is me, for as excited as I am to move to a brand new city in a brand new country, a part of me will always love York, and I undoubtedly intend to return as soon as I can.

This blog post is me sharing my love of such a wonderful and beautiful city and inviting you to discover my favourite places. It’s a collection of photos, new and old, through all seasons, taken during my time at university.

This is my ode to York.

View from Millennium Bridge #1

Rowntree Park #1

Rowntree Park #2

Rowntree Park #3

View from Millennium Bridge #2

Clifford’s Tower

York Minster #1

York Minster #2

York Minster #3

York Minster

York Minster #5

Hull Road Park #1

Hull Road Park #2

Illuminating York #1

Illuminating York #2

Illuminating York #3

(You can find out more about Illuminating York here – it’s a city-wide light festival which takes place every October, and it’s awesome.)

And, of course, I cannot finish without a mention of the variety of cafés and coffee shops which have served me well as places to hide myself and begrudgingly finish prescribed books, or else just to drink copious amounts of coffee and eat lots of cake. So thank you Gatehouse Coffee for your quirky style, nestled into the gatehouse of the city walls. And thank you Kafeneion for all your things cake and pastry. I really should have got a loyalty card.

And I guess that means I should say a final thank you and goodbye to the city itself, from the beautiful Rowntree Gardens to the magnificent Minster, from the medieval King’s Manor, where I spent many an hour in the library trying to fathom the importance of sanctity in Anglo-Saxon Kingship, to the city walls which provided me with many a great Instagram post. I urge everybody to come and find their own favourite places, and to discover for themselves the wonderful city. 

Thank you York for an amazing three years. I promise I will be back soon.