Things to see in York

It may be far more advanced than York’s Roman equivalent, but the Jorvik museum can’t hide how rudimentary the Vikings’ technology was by comparison, despite arriving centuries later. However, York – or Jorvik – was an important trading hub in the Viking world, which in part contributed to it becoming England’s second city. Constructed by the York Archaeological Trust on the site of the famous Viking dig, the museum displays numerous artefacts including tools, jewellery and fine-crafted combs. There are also impressive interactive multimedia installations, and a glass floor at the entrance that allows visitors to look down at the Viking town lying beneath. The centrepiece is the sophisticated ride in rollercoaster-style capsules, which flies you through a recreation of Jorvik, complete with authentic huts and inhabitants brought to life by animatronics.

York’s undisputed icon is also the largest medieval Gothic cathedral in Northern Europe: York Minster is over 500ft (152m) long and 100ft (30m) wide, and has some of the oldest and finest stained glass in the country. The city’s first church was thought to have been built on the same site in the 7th century, while the heart of the ancient Roman fortress also lies beneath the Minster, remnants of which be glimpsed by delving into the bowels of the cathedral. The classic Gothic style was cutting-edge at the time of construction (between 1220 and 1472), and the masons weren’t sure of the load-bearing capacity of the pillars, so they built the impressive vaults in wood (an early example of no-nonsense Yorkshire practicality). Today’s restoration efforts use limestone from the same quarry as the original.

Hordes of people flock to The Shambles, one of Europe's best-preserved medieval shopping streets, to peer into its original shop-fronts leaning precariously towards each other. Now filled with whimsical cafés, restaurants and boutiques, it was once a busy street full of butchers. It is also the home of the Shrine of Margaret Clitherow, a 16th-century Catholic who is York's very own saint.

As with so many sites of historic importance in York, the so-called Barley Hall was rediscovered during building works in 1980s. Formerly home to the Priors of Nostell and Mayor of York, much of the structure is surprisingly intact despite being lost and forgotten for so long, with stunning exposed timber framing and an impressive great hall. It’s quite easy to tell which parts of the structure are new but even so, the building has been lovingly restored. With numerous hands-on items and artefacts, this is a rare glimpse onto England’s medieval past.