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York Sightseeing with TM (see York TM notes)
Evening Ghost tour (dependent on itinerary)
Minster visit
- Entrances are paid by voucher.
- If York Ghost Walk is on itinerary call guide to fix time at the hotel (see voucher). Ensure you know how long hotel evening meal is likely to take.
- If you are arriving from Scotland, drop luggage off at hotel before conducting walking tour. If you have a free day in York, your group may prefer to do this in the morning.
- LAS tours – to maximize time in York, depart Edinburgh no later than 07.30.
- If you have the time there are a number of potential stops on the route (listed below). Take into account your schedule for the rest of the day and adjust accordingly.
- On tours with free day in York, group may wish to extend Hadrian’s Wall element with visit to Chesters Roman Fort (see below).
- To combine both Hadrians Wall & Alnwick is difficult, so a choice is best made between the two. If on a KBS Hadrian’s Wall can be visited on way to Edinburgh.
Edinburgh to Border:
For Hadrians Wall: Take the A68 South to Jedburgh. Ruined Abbey has car park & toilets. Jedburgh Woolen Mill (01835 863585) has toilets and café. Make a brief a stop at CARTER BAR (border between England & Scotland), usually a piper three. The A68 is a windy road. Warn passengers to take any motion sickness medication in advance. The A68 is roller-coaster like.
For Alnwick Castle: A1, then directions below:
Option One: Hadrian’s Wall
Heddon-on-the Wall, off the A69, and make a 15 min stop. There is a section of the wall at one end of village. The circular shape built-in is not a lookout turret, but a Medieval oven.
Chesters Roman Fort:
The site contains a full ground plan of a Roman Cavalry fort, a Roman Bathhouse down by the river, and a Museum full of Roman antiquities. There is also a good bit of wall with the base of a lookout turret if take the A6079 a ½ mile further south from where you met the B6318. Entrance Fee, Contact: 0800 015 0516.
Facilities at Chesters
Museum
Shop
Small Café (call ahead and warn them if planning to eat there).
Toilets
Option Two: Alnwick Castle Photostop:
Certain itineraries have now moved the Hadrian’s Wall photo stop to the journey into Scotland from the Lake District and added a photo stop at Alnwick Castle. Alnwick can be a combined photo stop and lunch stop. The market town has lots of cafes and shops.
Depart Edinburgh via Regent Road and follow the signs for the A1 south Berwick-upon-Tweed. Make your way around Berwick, on by Holy Island, if you are thinking about visiting Durham (see below) make sure to read up on your history of St Cuthbert
The best view of the Castle is from the opposite bank of the River Aln. How to get there with a coach creates a few problems.
- Most straightforward, leave A1 at the junction signed B1340 and follow that down into the town follow the signs for coach parking on Greenwell Road. There are toilets located at the far end of the car park which you pass as you drive in. Then walk group via the alleyway signed Town centre onto Bondgate Within turn right and follow this road all the way around to the main entrance to the castle.
- For groups who have people who cannot do the climb there is another option. Again leave at the junction of the B1340 but immediately turn right onto the road marked for Eglingham. Travel for 1 mile to a roundabout and turn left and descend down a road called The Peth. Halfway down there is a large pull in that allows a photo stop of the Castle. From here it is possible to descend into the town and make your way to the coach park, however due to the presence of several existing medieval gates for coaches it is convoluted. Better to retrace the journey onto the B1340 and head to the centre of town that way.
As you leave Alnwick you will pass the old railway station which has now been converted into one of the largest second hand bookstores in the country – Barter Books.
Rest Stops Hadrians Wall to York:
Washington or Durham Services (A1 (M) if in reverse) make good rest stops. Functional.
Alternative Lunches & Rest Stops
Heddon on the Wall: Swan pub in Heddon, call in advance 01661 853 161.
Durham City: Compact Cathedral City. Coaches can drop and pick up on Freemans Place. Tourist Office: 0300 026 2626
YORK:
York – sightseeing with Tour Manager
Drop off at Leeman Road coach drop off. Walk to Minster. Be aware that some people may require the restroom.
Walking Tour with TM: try to include
(Vary depending on hotel location/time available/group request)
- Stonegate
- The Shambles
- Petersgate
- Clifford’s Tower
- St Helen’s Square (Mansion House and Betty’s Tea Shop)
- The Minster (almost always a booked visit.)
The Minster
Entrance is now via West Door. Groups’ entrance, which is signed, is through left hand door. Hand in voucher at the Party Reception Desk. Entrance includes the Chapter House. You are not allowed to guide inside the Minster. Free guided tours are available for individuals to join. Voucher does not include entrance to Foundations, Crypt or Tower. There is no longer a charge for photo permits. Toilets located on north side of the High Alter.
Lunch and free time.
Depending on how hungry group are, you may want to schedule lunch before the Minster visit. If this is the case, arrange time/place to meet after lunch; in front of Minster (West Door) or by the Constantine statue at the south entrance are good places.
After the visit the group has free time to explore the city. Arrange meeting time/place after free time to walk group to dinner. (See voucher for location).
FACTS AND FREE TIME SUGGESTIONS
Tourist Information Office – 1, Museum Street
www.visityork.org – A great resource for info, ideas, booking etc.
Museums
jorvik viking centre – Coppergate. Book in for a group rate.
castle museum – Tower Street. See Dick Turpin’s prison cell.
national railway museum – Leeman Road.
yorkshire museum – In Museum Gardens off Museum Street
richard iii museum – Monk Bar. You get a chance to vote guilty or not guilty.
Other Places of Interest
Betty’s Tea Rooms – St Helen’s Square
City Art Gallery – Bootham
City Walls – 3 miles, you can walk nearly all the way round.
Evening Activities
ghost walk – Almost always included. Check voucher for details.
York theatre royal – St Leonard’s Place
river cruises – YorkBoat, from near Lendel Bridge and King’s Snaith (check times and availability)
Facilities
Cash-points – Most high street banks. Centered around Parliament Street area.
toilets – Some available on Parliament Street, opposite Coppergate
Bootham Bar – opposite Art Gallery
