Wednesday, February 23, 2011

I love the City of York

Can I state it again?  I loved York.  It was fascinating - the shambles, boat trips, ghost story tales, Roman ruins, my ancestors lived there, the vikings, there was never enough time to do all that I wanted to do and see in York.  I want to go back. 

Right next door to York Minster was St. Michael Le Belfry;  my 5th great grandfather Robert Dobson married Ann Haddock in 1768 in this church. He was a basket maker so he needed to be in a city where he could sell his wares.  

With my luck, the church was closed so I could not go inside. Being the last pre-reformation church to be built in York (1525 to 1536) by John Forman, it was called Le Belfry from its closeness to the bells in the SW tower of York Minster.  It is the only ancient church in the city that was completely erected at one time. To walk the streets and see the churches where my ancestors were married and christened, just gives me chills.  It is an incredible feeling that is hard to describe.


We stayed at the Cottage Hotel at 3 Clifton Green but I would not recommend it because it is above a pub which was rather loud and noisy.


All Saints Pavement Church is where my Robert was christened in 1780.  His family was hard to find because sometimes it was written as Dopson; apparently, back when spelling was not an issue, Dopson and Dobson were interchangeable.

All Saints Pavement Church stands in the center of the earliest paved streets; hence the name. It is mostly 14th century although there has been a church there on this site since Saxon times.


Small green door.  Darla is only 5'5" and she is taller than the door. Does anyone remember that song about the green door?

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