93-697: The Guildhall York is a municipal building located in St Martins Courtyard, Coney Street, in York . Located behind the Mansion House , it is a Grade I listed building . The building was constructed as a meeting place for the City's guilds between 1449 and 1459. King Richard III was entertained in the building in 1483, and the Guildhall was the venue for the trial of St Margaret Clitherow ,
186-444: A minster , castle , and city walls . It is the largest settlement and the administrative centre of the wider City of York district. It is located 27 miles (43 km) north-east of Leeds , 90 miles (140 km) south of Newcastle upon Tyne and 207 miles (333 km) north of London . York's built-up area had a recorded population of 141,685 in 2021 . The city was founded under the name of Eboracum in 71 AD. It then became
279-568: A non-metropolitan district (the City of York), which also includes surrounding villages and rural areas, and the town of Haxby . The current district's local council, City of York Council , is responsible for providing all local services and facilities throughout this area. The city's name is derived from Brittonic Eburākon "place of yew trees", from eburos " yew tree " (compare Welsh efwr , Breton evor , "alder, buckthorn"; Old Irish ibar , Irish iobhar , iubhar , iúr , Scottish Gaelic iubhar ) + *-āko(n) ,
372-472: A non-metropolitan district in the county of North Yorkshire, whilst retaining its Lord Mayor and its Sheriff. As a result of 1990s UK local government reform , York regained unitary status and saw a substantial alteration in its borders, taking in parts of Selby and Harrogate districts, and about half the population of the Ryedale district. The new boundary was imposed after central government rejected
465-691: A Catholic martyr, in 1586. It was also the place where a ransom of £200,000 was counted before being given to the Scots in payment for the release of Charles I in 1647 during the English Civil War , and where Prince Albert , the Prince Consort to Queen Victoria was a guest of honour at a royal banquet in the building in October 1850. At the north end of the Guildhall was a stained glass window painted by Henry Gyles in about 1682. In 1811
558-535: A building, designed by Peter Atkinson the younger as a council chamber, was erected to the south of the original hall (this is now known as "the Atkinson Room"). Then in 1891, another building, designed by Enoch Mawbey, the city surveyor, accommodating a larger council chamber, was built to the north of the original hall (this building is now known as "the Municipal Offices"). The new council chamber
651-699: A comment by a German propagandist . Gustaf Braun von Stumm, a spokesman for the German Foreign Office, is reported to have said on 24 April 1942, "We shall go out and bomb every building in Britain marked with three stars in the Baedeker Guide", a reference to the popular travel guides of that name . Goebbels was furious. Keen to brand British attacks as "terror bombing", he was equally keen to designate German efforts as "retaliatory measures". Stumm's off-the-cuff remark "effectively admitted
744-410: A demoralising effect on the population." After the bombing of Rostock he reported "the air raid ... was more devastating than those before. Community life there is practically at an end ... the situation is in some sections catastrophic ... seven-tenths of the city have been destroyed ... more than 100,000 people had to be evacuated ... there was, in fact, panic". Adolf Hitler
837-506: A halt. To find new ways to continue the pressure, the Luftwaffe experimented with both low-level and very high-level attacks. In August 1942 two modified Ju 86P bombers were employed making high-altitude runs over southern England. These operated with impunity for several weeks, and one raid on Bristol on 28 August resulted in 48 fatalities. These flights were halted when the RAF fielded
930-478: A major railway centre by the late 19th century. The introduction of the railways established engineering in the city. At the turn of the 20th century, the railway accommodated the headquarters and works of the North Eastern Railway , which employed more than 5,500 people. The railway was instrumental in the expansion of Rowntree's Cocoa Works . It was founded in 1862 by Henry Isaac Rowntree, who
1023-582: A palace for the King to stay in while he visited York on his Royal Tour. Anne of Denmark came to York with her children Prince Henry and Princess Elizabeth on 11 June 1603. The Mayor gave her a tour and offered her spiced wine , but she preferred beer. Guy Fawkes , who was born and educated in York, was a member of a group of Roman Catholic restorationists that planned the Gunpowder Plot . Its aim
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#17327982782001116-462: A port and industrial centre, and King's Lynn , a market town of no military value. All these raids were less intense than those of April and May, involving some 20 aircraft apiece. This reflected the steady and increasing losses suffered by the Germans as Britain's night-fighter defences improved and German casualties mounted. By the autumn KG 2 had lost 65 of its 88 crews and the offensive had come to
1209-408: A raid on Grimsby saw the use of delayed-action anti-personnel " butterfly bombs ", which resulted in 163 civilian casualties, most of them from these devices as people returned to their homes after the all clear was sounded. In November 1943, following the RAF and USAAF bombing of Hamburg and the first use of the " Window " radar countermeasure , the Luftwaffe were able to respond with
1302-464: A raid on Norwich, using Duppel , their equivalent. While British radar was negated, the raid caused little damage. With the continuing losses of experienced personnel, the German crews were increasingly made up of inexperienced replacements, with a corresponding drop in effectiveness. By the end of 1943 the Luftwaffe had mounted some 20 raids, in which more than 10 tonnes of bombs had been dropped,
1395-428: A similarly modified flight of Spitfires and caught one of these bombers in the highest air battle of the war. On 31 October 1942, thirty German fighter-bombers escorted by sixty fighters made a low-level attack on Canterbury, dropping 28 bombs on the city and causing 30 deaths. Three of the attacking aircraft were shot down. By the end of 1942, 3,236 people had been killed and 4,148 injured in these raids. However,
1488-413: A suffix of appurtenance meaning "belonging to", or "place of" (compare Welsh -og ). However, Eburos ( Eβουρος , Eburus , Eburius ) was also a Celtic personal name, so Eburākon could also mean "the property of Eburos". Indeed, the 12th‑century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth , in his fictional account of the prehistoric kings of Britain, Historia Regum Britanniae , suggests
1581-469: A total of 2,320 tons for the whole year. These caused 2,372 deaths and 3,450 injuries, according to a report by Lord Cherwell . The report contrasted this with the RAF's achievement of a total of 136,000 tons dropped during the year, and pointed out that a single raid on Berlin made in the same week that the report was published had dropped 2,480 tons, more than the entire German effort. The report pointed out that these raids were confined to towns on or near
1674-601: Is Councillor David Carr, and the Sheriff is Suzie Mercer. York Youth Council consists of several young people who negotiate with the councillors to get better facilities for York's young people, and who also elect York's Member of Youth Parliament . The results of the 2023 City of York Council election saw the Conservative Party with three councillors, the Liberal Democrats with 19 councillors,
1767-532: Is a unitary authority that operates on a leader and cabinet style of governance, having the powers of a non-metropolitan county and district council combined. It provides a full range of local government services including Council Tax billing, libraries, social services, processing planning applications, waste collection and disposal, and it is a local education authority. The city council consists of 47 councillors representing 21 wards , with one, two or three per ward serving four-year terms. Its headquarters are at
1860-504: The Luftwaffe attacked Norwich , dropping more than 90 tons of bombs and causing 67 deaths. On 28/29 April, they attacked York , causing limited damage but 79 deaths. On the night of 3/4 May the Luftwaffe returned to Exeter, causing heavy damage to the city centre, considerable damage to the south side of the Cathedral and 164 deaths. The following night they attacked Cowes , a target of both cultural and military value, being
1953-726: The Luftwaffe had switched its resources to the invasion of the Soviet Union . Thereafter it had confined itself to hit-and-run raids on British coastal towns. Meanwhile, the Royal Air Force 's (RAF) night bombing offensive had been shown to be largely ineffective, as revealed by the Butt Report in August 1941, and by Christmas 1941 such attacks had largely petered out. When the RAF offensive resumed in March 1942 with
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#17327982782002046-603: The Baltic and exported grain to Gascony and grain and wool to the Low Countries. York became a major cloth manufacturing and trading centre. Edward I further stimulated the city's economy by using the city as a base for his war in Scotland. The city was the location of significant unrest during the so-called Peasants' Revolt in 1381. The city acquired an increasing degree of autonomy from central government including
2139-763: The Bar Convent and the Guildhall which was left in total disrepair until 1960. With the emergence of tourism, the historic core of York became one of the city's major assets, and in 1968 it was designated a conservation area . The existing tourist attractions were supplemented by the establishment of the National Railway Museum in York in 1975, the Jorvik Viking Centre in 1984 and the York Dungeon in 1986. The opening of
2232-594: The Boundary Commission for England recommended the creation of two new seats for the City of York, in time for the general election in 2010 . These are York Central , which covers the inner urban area, and is entirely surrounded by the York Outer constituency. York is within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire and, until 1974, was within the jurisdiction of the Lord Lieutenant of
2325-555: The Council of the North in York in the dissolved St Mary's Abbey. The city became a trading and service centre during this period. King Henry VIII spent a lot of time travelling around the country on official Royal Tours also known as 'progresses' In the year 1541, Henry VIII and Catherine Howard visited the city of York on their royal tour. The Royal Party would have been met outside the walls by civic dignitaries before formally entering
2418-842: The Domesday Book . Jórvík , meanwhile, gradually reduced to York in the centuries after the Conquest, moving from the Middle English Yerk in the 14th century through Yourke in the 16th century to Yarke in the 17th century. The form York was first recorded in the 13th century. Many company and place names, such as the Ebor race meeting, refer to the Roman name. The Archbishop of York signs his surname as Ebor (abbreviating Eboracensis ). Archaeological evidence suggests that Mesolithic people settled in
2511-508: The German Luftwaffe on English cities during World War II . The name derives from Baedeker , a series of German tourist guide books , including detailed maps, which were used to select targets for bombing. Luftwaffe commanders planned the raids in response to the increasing effectiveness of the Royal Air Force 's (RAF) area bombing offensive against German targets as a result of the area bombing directive , starting with
2604-504: The Guildhall and West Offices in the city centre. York is divided into 21 administrative wards: Acomb , Bishopthorpe , Clifton , Copmanthorpe , Dringhouses and Woodthorpe , Fishergate , Fulford and Heslington , Guildhall, Haxby and Wigginton , Heworth , Heworth Without , Holgate , Hull Road, Huntington and New Earswick , Micklegate , Osbaldwick and Derwent , Rawcliffe and Clifton Without , Rural West York , Strensall , Westfield , and Wheldrake . The members of
2697-784: The Humber into Brigantian territory. The city was founded in 71 AD, when the Ninth Legion conquered the Brigantes and constructed a wooden military fortress on flat ground above the River Ouse close to its confluence with the River Foss . The fortress, whose walls were rebuilt in stone by the VI legion based there subsequent to the IX legion, covered an area of 50 acres (20 ha) and
2790-598: The Labour Party had 24 councillors and one Independent. The council went from no overall control in the 2019 election, to being run by the Labour Party holding a majority. York is the traditional county town of Yorkshire , and therefore did not form part of any of its three historic ridings , or divisions. Its Mayor has had the status of Lord Mayor since 1370, one of 23 in England. Only five of these have
2883-820: The University of York in 1963 added to the prosperity of the city. In March 2012, York's Chocolate Story opened. York was voted European Tourism City of the Year by European Cities Marketing in June 2007, beating 130 other European cities to gain first place, surpassing Gothenburg in Sweden (second) and Valencia in Spain (third). York was also voted safest place to visit in the 2010 Condé Nast Traveller Readers' Choice Awards. In 2018, The Sunday Times deemed York to be its overall 'Best Place to Live' in Britain, highlighting
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2976-471: The bombing of Lübeck in March 1942. The aim was to begin a tit-for-tat exchange with the hope of forcing the RAF to reduce their attacks. To increase the effect on British civilian morale, bombing targets were chosen by the Germans for their cultural and historical significance rather than for any military value. The majority of the raids took place in late April and May of 1942, but British towns and cities continued to be targeted for their cultural value over
3069-602: The raid on Bath , Goebbels reported that Hitler intended to "repeat these raids night after night until the English are sick and tired of terror attacks" and that he "shared [Goebbels'] opinion absolutely that cultural centres, health resorts and civilian centres must be attacked ... there is no other way of bringing the English to their senses. They belong to a class of human beings with whom you can only talk after you have first knocked out their teeth." The raids were referred to on both sides as "Baedeker raids", derived from
3162-465: The restoration of the monarchy in 1660, and the removal of the garrison from York in 1688, the city was dominated by the gentry and merchants, although the clergy were still important. Competition from Leeds and Hull , together with silting of the River Ouse, resulted in York losing its pre-eminent position as a trading centre, but its role as the social and cultural centre for wealthy northerners
3255-439: The " Blue Bridge ". In October and November 2000, York experienced the worst flooding in 375 years; more than 300 homes were flooded. In December 2015, the flooding was more extensive and caused major disruption. The extreme impact led to a personal visit by Prime Minister David Cameron . Much land in and around the city is on flood plains too flood-prone for development other than agriculture. The ings are flood meadows along
3348-755: The 19th century, having come to England as a refugee after serving as a Polish lancer in the Austro-Hungarian war. In 1942, the city was bombed during the Second World War (part of the Baedeker Blitz ) by the German Luftwaffe and 92 people were killed and hundreds injured. Buildings damaged in the raid included the Railway Station , Rowntree's Factory, Poppleton Road Primary School, St Martin-le-Grand Church,
3441-519: The 2006–07 financial year. The city's estimated population in 2019 was 210,620. Having "No Religion" was higher than the national average for York in 2011 and 0.9% lower than having a religion in 2021. Baedeker Blitz RAF Fighter Command Luftflotte 3 Britain The Blitz 1942–1945 The Baedeker Blitz or Baedeker raids was a series of bombing raids in April and May 1942 by
3534-400: The 76,920 households in York, 36.0% were married couples living together, 31.3% were one-person households, 8.7% were co-habiting couples and 8.0% were lone parents. The figures for lone parent households were below the national average of 9.5%, and the percentage of married couples was also close to the national average of 36.5%; the proportion of one person households was slightly higher than
3627-659: The British Isles, the weather is changeable. York experiences most sunshine from May to July, an average of six hours per day. With its inland location, summers are often warmer than the Yorkshire coast with temperatures of 27 °C or more. Extremes recorded at the University of York campus between 1998 and 2010 include a highest temperature of 34.5 °C (94.1 °F) and a lowest temperature of −16.3 °C (2.7 °F) on 6 December 2010. The most rainfall in one day
3720-755: The County of York, West Riding and the County of The City of York . The city does retain the right to appoint its own Sheriff. The holder of the Royal dukedom of York has no responsibilities either ceremonially or administratively as regards to the city. York lies in the Vale of York , a flat area of fertile arable land bordered by the Pennines , the North York Moors and the Yorkshire Wolds . The city
3813-598: The Germans were targetting cultural and historic targets, just what the German leadership did not want to do, and Goebbels took steps to make sure it did not happen again". The British Ministry of Economic Warfare issued the Bomber's Baedeker in 1943, a methodical analysis of bombing targets in Germany. A second edition followed in 1944. The task of carrying out the attacks was given to bomber groups of Luftflotte 3 . These were KG 2 and KG 6 , formed from
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3906-731: The Ouse, while the strays are open common grassland in various locations around the city. York has a temperate climate ( Cfb ) with four distinct seasons. As with the rest of the Vale of York, the city's climate is drier and warmer than the rest of the Yorkshire and the Humber region. Owing to its lowland location, York is prone to frosts, fog, and cold winds during winter, spring, and very early summer. Snow can fall in winter from December onwards to as late as April but quickly melts. As with much of
3999-414: The RAF had attempted to conduct precision bombing , aiming at individual factories, power stations, even post offices, in multiple strikes across the country; this had been costly and ineffective. Following the example of the Luftwaffe 's November 1940 attack on Coventry , the RAF began concentrating a single blow against an area where several worthwhile targets existed, including the homes and morale of
4092-573: The Venerable Bede. Edwin ordered the small wooden church be rebuilt in stone; however, he was killed in 633, and the task of completing the stone minster fell to his successor Oswald . In the following century, Alcuin of York came to the cathedral school of York. He had a long career as a teacher and scholar, first at the school at York now known as St Peter's School , founded in 627 AD, and later as Charlemagne 's leading advisor on ecclesiastical and educational affairs. In 866, Northumbria
4185-522: The War Cabinet that the government should do all it could to "ensure that disproportionate publicity was not given to these raids" and "avoid giving the impression that the Germans were making full reprisal" for British raids. Whilst the term "Baedeker Blitz" is sometimes limited to the raids on those five cities (Exeter, Bath, Canterbury, Norwich and York) in April and May 1942, the Luftwaffe continued to target cities for their cultural value for
4278-480: The arrival of William the Conqueror the rebellion was put down. William at once built a wooden fortress on a motte. In 1069, after another rebellion, the king built another timbered castle across the River Ouse. These were destroyed in 1069 and rebuilt by William about the time of his ravaging Northumbria in what is called the " Harrying of the North " where he destroyed everything from York to Durham. The remains of
4371-515: The bombing of Lübeck, there was a marked change in effectiveness. New heavy bombers (the Stirling and Halifax , followed by the unreliable Manchester from which was developed the excellent Lancaster ), improved navigation systems ( Gee and Oboe ), new leadership (with the appointment of Air Vice-Marshal Harris ) and new tactics (the bomber stream , use of incendiary bombs , and particularly area bombardment ) all contributed. Prior to this
4464-638: The cabinet, led by the Council Leader , makes decisions on their portfolio areas individually. Following the Local Government Act 2000 , the Council Leader commands the confidence of the city council; the leader of the largest political group and head of the City of York Council. The Leader of the council and the cabinet (consisting of all the executive councillors) are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to
4557-482: The capital of the Roman province of Britannia Inferior , and later of the kingdoms of Deira , Northumbria , and Scandinavian York . In the Middle Ages , it became the northern England ecclesiastical province 's centre, and grew as a wool-trading centre. In the 19th century, it became a major railway network hub and confectionery manufacturing centre. In the Second World War , part of the Baedeker Blitz bombed
4650-461: The city became a major river port, part of the extensive Viking trading routes throughout northern Europe. The last ruler of an independent Jórvík, Eric Bloodaxe , was driven from the city in 954 AD by King Eadred in his successful attempt to complete the unification of England. In 1068, two years after the Norman conquest of England , the people of York rebelled. Initially they succeeded, but upon
4743-723: The city council. The current Council Leader, Liberal Democrats ' Cllr Keith Aspden, was appointed on 22 May 2019, following the 2019 City of York Council election . York's first citizen and civic head is the Lord Mayor , who is the chairman of the City of York Council. The appointment is made by the city council each year in May, at the same time appointing the Sheriff, the city's other civic head. The offices of Lord Mayor and Sheriff are purely ceremonial. The Lord Mayor carries out civic and ceremonial duties in addition to chairing full council meetings. The incumbent Lord Mayor since 26 May 2022
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#17327982782004836-417: The city's "perfect mix of heritage and hi-tech" and as a "mini-metropolis with cool cafes, destination restaurants, innovative companies – plus the fastest internet in Britain". The result was confirmed in a YouGov survey, reported in August 2018, with 92% of respondents saying that they liked the city, more than any of 56 other British cities. The City of York is governed by the City of York Council . It
4929-440: The city. The civic dignitary would have been the Lord Mayor of york, who at the time of their arrival on 15 September 1541 was Robert Hall. He owned the residential property at 74 Low Petergate. Following a special service held in their honour at York minster. Henry VIII and Catherine rode from the minster down to Petergate, one of the five gateways, and over to the closed Benedictine abbey of St. Mary which had been converted into
5022-408: The city. Although York was less targeted during the war than other, more industrialised northern cities, several historic buildings were gutted and restoration took place up until the 1960s. Historic local governance of the city was as a county corporate , not included in the county's riding system . The city has since been locally governed as a municipal borough , county borough , and since 1996,
5115-474: The civilian population living there. The destruction of Lübeck, and of Rostock the following month, shocked both the German leadership and population. Up to this point they had been mostly unaffected by the RAF's bombing campaign. Now, Joseph Goebbels reported, "the damage was really enormous" and "it is horrible ... the English air raids have increased in scope and importance; if they can be continued for weeks on these lines, they might conceivably have
5208-508: The coast, and that fires caused by bombing only accounted for one-thirtieth of all the incidents dealt with by the National Fire Service . The Baedeker-type raids ended in 1944, as the Germans realised they were ineffective; unsustainable losses were being suffered for no material gain. January 1944 saw a switch to London as the principal target for retaliation. On 21 January the Luftwaffe mounted Operation Steinbock , an all-out attack on London employing all of its available bomber force in
5301-472: The complete destruction of St James Chapel on the south side and considerable damage to the South Quire Aisle. The German bombers suffered heavy losses for minimal damage inflicted, and the Axis 's need for reinforcements in North Africa and on the Eastern Front meant further operations could only continue at a reduced scale. Intermittent hit-and-run raids on coastal towns by Focke-Wulf Fw 190 fighter-bombers continued. On 27 April, Winston Churchill told
5394-481: The earlier Küstenfliegergruppe 106 maritime aviation group, to be led by the pathfinders of I./KG 100 . Each raid involved 30 to 40 aircraft, and to increase their effectiveness it was planned each would fly two sorties per night. Each raid involved two periods of 60 to 90 minutes, separated by two or three hours. The first raid of the Baedeker Blitz was directed against Exeter , the ancient county town of Devon with its immense heritage of historic buildings, on
5487-448: The element Ebor- with a Germanic root * eburaz ('boar'); by the 7th century, the Old English for 'boar' had become eofor . When the Danish army conquered the city in 866, the name was rendered in Old Norse as Jórvík . The Old French and Norman name of the city following the Norman Conquest was recorded as Everwic (modern Norman Évèroui ) in works such as Wace's Roman de Rou and as Euruic in
5580-411: The figure as high as 500. The city, through its location on the River Ouse and its proximity to the Great North Road , became a major trading centre. King John granted the city's first charter in 1212, confirming trading rights in England and Europe. During the later Middle Ages, York merchants imported wine from France, cloth, wax, canvas, and oats from the Low Countries , timber and furs from
5673-400: The following two years. By any measure, the raids were a failure. In the year following the Blitz of 1940 and 1941, the RAF had dramatically improved its night fighter capability and introduced the AMES Type 7 radar specifically for night-fighting operations. The raids resulted in unsustainable bomber losses for the Luftwaffe , and for a variety of reasons the damage to the targeted cities
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#17327982782005766-451: The former city council's own proposal. From 1997 to 2010, the central part of the district was covered by the City of York constituency, while the remainder was split between the constituencies of Ryedale , Selby , and Vale of York . These constituencies were represented by Hugh Bayley , John Greenway , John Grogan , and Anne McIntosh respectively. Following their review in 2003 of parliamentary representation in North Yorkshire ,
5859-482: The home of the J. Samuel White shipyard. On 8/9 May Norwich was attacked again, though the raid was ineffective despite more than 70 aircraft taking part. During May the Luftwaffe also bombed Hull , a major port, and thus a military target, Poole , Grimsby and, at the end of May, Canterbury . This raid, which coincided with the RAF's first thousand-bomber raid on Cologne , involved 77 bombers, dropping 40 tons of bombs, which resulted in 43 deaths. Across all
5952-453: The name derives from that of a pre-Roman city founded by the legendary king Ebraucus . The name was Latinised by the Romans as Eboracum or Eburacum , and is called Eabhraig in Scottish Gaelic and Eabhrac in Irish, derived from the Latin name. The Latin Eboracum became Anglian Eoforwic in the 7th century: a compound of Eofor- , from the old name, and -wic , meaning "village", probably by conflation of
6045-410: The national average of 30.1%. In 2001, the population density was 4,368/km (11,310/sq mi). Of those aged 16–74 in York, 24.6% had no academic qualifications, a little lower than 28.9% in all of England. Of York's residents, 5.1% were born outside the United Kingdom, significantly lower than the national average of 9.2%. White British form 95% of the population; the largest single minority group
6138-451: The next two years. In June 1942 they attacked Ipswich , Poole and Canterbury again, Southampton (a port target), Norwich again and Weston-super-Mare . In July there were three raids on Birmingham , another three on Middlesbrough and one on Hull, all industrial cities of military and strategic value. In August the Germans returned to "Baedeker" targets: Norwich, Swansea, Colchester and Ipswich. In September they attacked Sunderland ,
6231-421: The night of Saint George's Day , 23/24 April 1942. While this raid caused little damage, a second raid the following night was more severe, with over 80 fatalities. On the nights of 25/26 and 26/27 April, the bomber force attacked Bath , causing widespread damage and some 400 casualties. These raids came a month after the Lübeck raid and coincided with the RAF's four-night offensive against Rostock. On 27/28 April,
6324-556: The offensive. On 17/18 January 1943 they raided London, followed by a low-level attack on the city on 20 January. After a lull in February they returned in March leading to the Bethnal Green Tube disaster , where 178 people died. Throughout the year raids were made on a variety of targets; some of strategic value (Southampton, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Hull, Sunderland , Newcastle) and others with little or none ( Eastbourne , Hastings , Maidstone , Cheltenham , Chelmsford , Bournemouth , Lincoln ). Again, new tactics were tried. In June 1943
6417-562: The privileges granted by a charter of Richard II in 1396. The city underwent a period of economic decline during Tudor times. Under King Henry VIII , the Dissolution of the Monasteries saw the end of York's many monastic houses , including several orders of friars , the hospitals of St Nicholas and of St Leonard, the largest such institution in the north of England. This led to the Pilgrimage of Grace , an uprising of northern Catholics in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire opposed to religious reform. Henry VIII restored his authority by establishing
6510-458: The province of Britannia Inferior, and it is likely that it was he who granted York the privileges of a ' colonia ' or city. Constantius I died in 306 AD during his stay in York, and his son Constantine the Great was proclaimed Emperor by the troops based in the fortress. In 314 AD a bishop from York attended the Council at Arles to represent Christians from the province . While the Roman colonia and fortress were on high ground, by 400 AD
6603-415: The raids in this period a total of 1,637 civilians were killed and 1,760 injured, and over 50,000 houses were destroyed. Some notable buildings were destroyed or damaged, including York's Guildhall and the Bath Assembly Rooms , but on the whole most escaped – the cathedrals of Norwich , and Canterbury and the minster at York included. Exeter Cathedral was hit in the early hours of 4 May with
6696-579: The rebuilt castles, now in stone, are visible on either side of the River Ouse. The first stone minster church was badly damaged by fire in the uprising, and the Normans built a minster on a new site. Around the year 1080, Archbishop Thomas started building the cathedral that in time became the current Minster. In the 12th century, York started to prosper. In 1190, York Castle was the site of an infamous massacre of its Jewish inhabitants , in which at least 150 were murdered, although some authorities put
6789-631: The region of York between 8000 and 7000 BC, although it is not known whether their settlements were permanent or temporary. By the time of the Roman conquest of Britain , the area was occupied by a tribe known to the Romans as the Brigantes . The Brigantian tribal area initially became a Roman client state, but later its leaders became more hostile and the Roman Ninth Legion was sent north of
6882-464: The strength of the Luftwaffe in the west had drained away while the RAF had gone from strength to strength, regularly mounting raids of 200 or more aircraft on Germany. In 1943, the Luftwaffe in the west was revitalised and Luftflotte 3 brought back up to strength. In January KG 2 had 60 bombers ( Do217s ) and KG 6 the same number ( Ju 88s ). These were reinforced with a fast bomber wing, SKG 10 of Fw 190 fighter-bombers. These renewed
6975-514: The time of the 2011 UK census , compared with 137,505 in 2001. The population of the City of York (Local Authority) was 198,051 and its ethnic composition was 94.3% White, 1.2% Mixed, 3.4% Asian and 0.6% Black. York's elderly population (those 65 and over) was 16.9%, however only 13.2% were listed as retired. Also at the time of the 2001 UK census , the City of York had a total population of 181,094 of whom 93,957 were female and 87,137 were male. Of
7068-549: The title " The Right Honourable ", the others being the Lord Mayors of London , Bristol , Cardiff and Belfast . York is an ancient borough , and was reformed by the Municipal Corporations Act 1835 to form a municipal borough . It gained the status of a county borough in 1889, under the Local Government Act 1888 , and existed so until 1974, when, under the Local Government Act 1972 , it became
7161-594: The town vulnerable to attack and unprepared for battle. After it was conquered, the city was renamed from the Old English Eoforwic to Jorvik . It became the capital of Viking territory in Britain, and at its peak boasted more than 10,000 inhabitants. This was a population second only to London within Great Britain. Jorvik proved an important economic and trade centre for the Vikings. Norse coinage
7254-552: The town was victim to occasional flooding from the Rivers Ouse and Foss, and the population reduced. York declined in the post-Roman era, and was taken and settled by the Angles in the 5th century. Reclamation of parts of the town was initiated in the 7th century under King Edwin of Northumbria , and York became his chief city. The first wooden minster church was built in York for the baptism of Edwin in 627, according to
7347-414: Was 88.4 millimetres (3.5 in). York's urbanised areas are surrounded by a green belt that restricts development in the rural areas and parts of surrounding villages, to preserve the setting and historic character of the city. The green belt surrounds nearly all of the city and its outer villages, extending out into North Yorkshire. The York urban area (built-up area) had a population of 153,717 at
7440-456: Was built at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss on a terminal moraine left by the last ice age . During Roman times, the land surrounding the Ouse and Foss was marshy, making the site easy to defend. The city is prone to flooding from the River Ouse, and has an extensive network of flood defences with walls along the river, and a liftable barrier across the Foss where it joins the Ouse at
7533-542: Was carried out to remedy serious structural issues, was completed in 2022 and the building was subsequently leased to the University of York , as a centre for start up businesses. The Guildhall York - York Conferences and Events - 3D Tour Available York York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire , England , with Roman origins , sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss . The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as
7626-554: Was created at the Jorvik mint, while archaeologists have found evidence of a variety of craft workshops around the town's central Coppergate area. These demonstrate that textile production, metalwork, carving, glasswork and jewellery-making were all practised in Jorvik. Materials from as far afield as the Persian Gulf have also been discovered, suggesting that the town was part of an international trading network. Under Viking rule
7719-437: Was decorated by Kendal, Milne and Co in the 1890s. The interior of the original building, including the stained glass window, was destroyed during a Baedeker raid in 1942. After the war the Guildhall was rebuilt and a new stained glass window, depicting five aspects of the city's history (architecture, war, civic affairs, commercial trade and religious education), was designed and installed by Harry Harvey of York. The complex
7812-489: Was discovered. On the arrival of Prince Rupert , with an army of 15,000 men, the siege was lifted. The Parliamentarians retreated some 6 miles (10 km) from York with Rupert in pursuit, before turning on his army and soundly defeating it at the Battle of Marston Moor . Of Rupert's 15,000 troops, 4,000 were killed and 1,500 captured. The siege was renewed and the city surrendered to Sir Thomas Fairfax on 15 July. Following
7905-479: Was enraged, and demanded that the Luftwaffe retaliate. On 14 April 1942 he ordered "that the air war against England be given a more aggressive stamp. Accordingly when targets are being selected, preference is to be given to those where attacks are likely to have the greatest possible effect on civilian life. Besides raids on ports and industry, terror attacks of a retaliatory nature [ Vergeltungsangriffe ] are to be carried out on towns other than London". After
7998-529: Was in the midst of internecine struggles when the Vikings raided and captured York. As a thriving Anglo-Saxon metropolis and prosperous economic hub, York was a clear target for the Vikings. Led by Ivar the Boneless and Halfdan , Scandinavian forces attacked the town on All Saints' Day. Launching the assault on a holy day proved an effective tactical move – most of York's leaders were in the cathedral, leaving
8091-492: Was inhabited by 6,000 legionary soldiers. The site of the principia (HQ) of the fortress lies under the foundations of York Minster , and excavations in the undercroft have revealed part of the Roman structure and columns. The Emperors Hadrian , Septimius Severus , and Constantius I all held court in York during their various campaigns. During his stay 207–211 AD, the Emperor Severus proclaimed York capital of
8184-537: Was joined in 1869 by his brother the philanthropist Joseph . Another chocolate manufacturer, Terry's of York , was a major employer. By 1900, the railways and confectionery had become the city's two major industries. York was a centre of early photography , as described by Hugh Murray in his 1986 book Photographs and Photographers of York: The Early Years, 1844–79 . Photographers who had studios in York included William Hayes , William Pumphrey , and Augustus Mahalski who operated on Davygate and Low Petergate in
8277-595: Was minimal compared to the Blitz or to the contemporaneous RAF bombing campaign against Germany. Nevertheless, the raids resulted in over 1,600 civilian deaths and tens of thousands of damaged homes. By the winter of 1941, both the British and German strategic bombing campaigns had reached a low ebb. The German offensive, a nine-month period of night bombing known as the Blitz, which had left London and many other British cities heavily damaged, had come to an end in May 1941 when
8370-464: Was re-opened by Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother in 1960. Throughout the 20th century meetings of the City of York Council were held in the Guildhall; however, in Autumn 2017, when a programme of restoration work began at the Guildhall, temporary arrangements were put in place for the council to meet in the former Salvation Army Citadel on Gillygate . The renovation, which cost £21 million and
8463-471: Was recorded as Asian, at 1.9% of the population. The number of theft-from-a-vehicle offences and theft of a vehicle per 1,000 of the population was 8.8 and 2.7, compared to the English national average of 6.9 and 2.7 respectively. The number of sexual offences was 0.9, in line with the national average. The national average of violence against another person was 16.2 compared to the York average of 17.5. The figures for crime statistics were all recorded during
8556-639: Was rising. York's many elegant townhouses , such as the Lord Mayor's Mansion House and Fairfax House date from this period, as do the Assembly Rooms , the Theatre Royal , and the racecourse . The railway promoter George Hudson was responsible for bringing the railway to York in 1839. Although Hudson's career as a railway entrepreneur ended in disgrace and bankruptcy, his promotion of York over Leeds, and of his own railway company (the York and North Midland Railway ), helped establish York as
8649-635: Was to displace Protestant rule by blowing up the Houses of Parliament while King James I , the entire Protestant, and even most of the Catholic aristocracy and nobility were inside. In 1644, during the Civil War , the Parliamentarians besieged York , and many medieval houses outside the city walls were lost. The barbican at Walmgate Bar was undermined and explosives laid, but the plot
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