Must See Sights and Landmarks in Towthorpe Area

"Family friendly York Castle Museum is centrally situated near Coppergate Shopping Centre – green signs direct you to the ‘Castle Area’. Collections of Costume and Textiles, Military and Social History and a collection on York Castle’s most famous prisoner Dick Turpin, eventually hanged in 1739, all feature in exhibitions. A favourite with children, the recreated Victorian and Georgian rooms here display historic every day items from the collection of North Yorkshire country doctor John Kirk."

"Clifford's Tower is an excellent first stop when visiting York. The panoramic views from the top of the tower give visitors a spectacular overview of Old Minister, York, and the North York Views. The tower is situated on a tall hill, perfect for providing defense to York."

"There's precious little left of York Castle except for this evocative stone tower, a highly unusual four-lobed design built into the castle's keep after the original one was destroyed in 1190 during anti-Jewish..."

"As the name implies, York’s Merchant Adventurers were merchants. They traded along the English coast, northern Europe and sometimes as far as the Baltic and Iceland, bringing back an assortment of desired goods to York. The city was an important river port and the wealthiest city in Northern England, second only to London for most of the Middle Ages, allowing the merchants to make enough money to build the Hall between 1357 and 1361."

"Merchant Adventurers’ Hall on Fossgate is one of the finest medieval guild halls in existence. A fascinating museum also available for weddings and events (great vintage fairs take place here), the venue’s centrepiece is the Great Hall where medieval merchants once gathered. A collection on display inside includes a range of fine silver, paintings and furniture."

"The York Cold War Bunker has to be one of the city’s most captivating attractions. Tucked down a quiet residential cul-de-sac, you’ll find the inconspicuous entrance through an industrial-looking bomb-proof door. Go past the decontamination room, and down to the control centre, dormitory, and staff room where, for more than 30 years, this place hummed with activity, staffed by volunteers ready to map and manage the fallout from a nuclear blast."

"A train station may seem like an unusual location to describe as ‘Instagrammable’ but York train station is far from ordinary. The beautiful building is home to some stunning pieces of architectural work, as well as modern film interest!. The bridge that connects the platforms at York train station is actually the one that Harry and Hagrid walk over in the first Harry Potter film!"

"Rarely does one come across a church with so much personality. The 15th century building, hidden away from the hustle and bustle of the town, has a marvellous architectural design. The Goodramgatearea comprises of some of York’s oldest structures."

"Tucked away behind an inconspicuous gate and seemingly cut off from the rest of the town, the Church of the Holy Trinity is a fantastically atmospheric old building, having survived almost unchanged for the past..."

"King’s Manor is a stately house in York city centre that has played host to some of British history’s most important visitors. In the days before the Reformation, it was the home of the Abbot of St Mary’s, before becoming the headquarters of the Council of the North in Henry VIII’s time. The Tudor king himself stayed there, giving rise to its current name."

"St Mary’s Abbey is a picturesque ruined Benedictine abbey in York, located in York Museum Gardens. Once the richest abbey in the north of England, it now tells the story of York’s influential ecclesiastical past, and its degradation through Henry VIII’s dissolution of the monasteries. The first church on the site of St Mary’s was built in 1055 and dedicated to St Olaf of Norway, and following the Norman conquest was refounded by King William Rufus in 1088 during his visit to York."

"The park also serves as a romantic backdrop to St. Mary’s Abbey… or what’s left of it. The monastery was first built in 1088 and was among the wealthiest and most powerful Benedictine monasteries in England. In the 1530s King Henry VIII banned all monasteries in England in 1530s and St. Mary’s gradually fell into the medieval ruins you can see today."

"Offering authentic Chinese food in York, Chef Lu’s dishes range from traditional to modern varieties. This restaurant will take you back to China. You will definitely get to taste the authenticity of Chinese food in the UK, even though you haven’t visited China, yet."

"We have reopened our coffee shop with a breakfast and lunch menu, speciality coffee and cakes all available to sit in or take away. We have also reopened our bar on Thursday, Friday & Saturday nights until 11pm. On these nights we will be serving our New York style stonebaked pizzas – available for takeaway or eat in!"

"Located within the Poppleton Community Centre, the Poppleton Social offers delicious homemade cakes, sandwiches and coffee. It also has a great play area very nearby. To enjoy a pre or post cake walk, park at Poppleton Community centre, then walk out of the centre and turn left."

"Serving takeaway pizzas for collection Thursday, Friday & Saturday evenings 5pm-9pm – to pre-order, email [email protected] or call during opening hours."

"Loch Fyne was “brought to life by two oyster enthusiasts, Johnny and Andy, who started selling their oysters from a small shack on the west coast of Scotland. We now have 22 Restaurants up and down the country, providing fresh, sustainably sourced seafood dishes; much of which is delivered fresh from the loch itself.”  Loch Fyne have a good brunch menu including Baked eggs, Loch Fyne Kippers, Avocado, pink grapefruit and chilli and the Loch Fyne Breakfast (grilled sausage, back bacon, black pudding, haggis, mushroom, baked beans, tomato, egg how you like it and toasted sourdough)."

"Although Loch Fyne is part of a chain, it still provides a personal experience to your dining. Starting out in the 1970s on the west coast of Scotland, Loch Fyne has spread all the way down to the south of England. Its wonderful location in York has it sitting on the gorgeous River Foss (Loch Fyne is on the right in the photo), in a beautiful old building that has retained much of its original fixtures that provide a unique experience for its costumers!"

"We’ll be opening our beer garden next Monday and we can’t wait to see you all,” say staff at The Newlands. Opening times will be 3pm-10pm between Monday and Friday, noon-10pm on Saturday and Sunday. They will have limited space under our marquee and our other tables will have parasols so make sure you layer up."

"Proof that a pub under the tutelage of charismatic licensees can thrive under any economic landscape, The Maltings celebrates 25 years in the hands of Shaun and Maxine Collinge. You’d be forgiven for thinking you’d stumbled into The Old Curiosity Shop when you first enter to an eclectic collection of furnishings and rusting advertising signs from bygone times. The selection of beers is cutting edge though with expertly selected beers from local breweries pushing boundaries."

"This squat, matt-black boozer off Lendal Bridge is easily mistaken for a goth or rockers' pub. In fact, this toasty bolthole (weathered beams, chunky no-nonsense furnishings, rusting tin-plate adverts for Gold Flake tobacco) is one of York's best beer houses. Maltings' seven cask ales include permanent Black Sheep, regular staples such as York Brewery's Guzzler and beers from newer, smaller breweries, such as Coxhoe's Sonnet 43 and Morpeth's Anarchy."

"You should try The Maltings if you are looking for the best noghtlife experience in York. At The Maltings you will find great beer, great food and great times all in a traditional English Pub setting. We are conveniently located at the foot of Lendal Bridge in the center of the Historic City of York."