We really have dodged a lot of the intermittent rain that is common for September in England, and yesterday we were doing pretty well, but…never leave home without your raincoat and umbrella!
The 2-1/2 hour drive to York was uneventful, thanks to wider roads. And once we got here and could park our car, we felt unencumbered. We walked to view the exterior of York Minster, then explored the Shambles to find a cozy place for lunch.
Too much lunch!
When we were finished, the rain was still coming down, so we went straight to York Minster, though we were early for our 3 pm tour. We ended up staying 4 hours!
The church began as a monastery in the 7th century, then on that site they built a Norman style church, and finally the Gothic behemoth of today, begun in 1220 and finished 250 years later. It has more medieval stained glass than all the rest of England. It is stunning.
Here are pictures of the crypt, the choir and the ceiling of the Chapter house.
Because we just stayed after our tour, we were first in line for Evensong, and got to sit right beside the choir. The choir was gorgeous, with two rows of the most ethereal boy choir voices, blended with adult altos, tenors and basses, and led by a great choirmaster. The service, in the ancient, beautiful surroundings, brought me to tears.
Dinner was light (no one was hungry after that lunch!), then we came back to our B&B to relax. Let it rain!
What a beautiful church!! I would have loved to hear the choir.