York

The Golden Fleece is an inn in York, England, which has a free-house pub on the ground floor and four guest bedrooms above. It was mentioned in the York City Archives as far back as 1503 and is rumoured to be haunted (the inn claims to be the most haunted public house in the City of York). The back yard of the inn is named "Peckitt's Yard" after John Peckett, who owned the premises as well as being Lord Mayor of York around 1702. His wife Lady Alice Peckett is said to haunt the pub, which was featured on Living TV's "Most Haunted" show on 16 April 2005. “ Many guests have reported seeing the late Lady Peckett wandering the endless corridors and staircases in the wee, small hours and moving furniture. She is just one of the five resident spirits. ” The pub is situated on "The Pavement" in the centre of York, opposite the historic Tudor street called "The Shambles". It has a large golden fleece hanging above the door. Nearby attractions also include the Merchant Adventurers' Hall (the merchant adventurers were former owners of the inn), Cliffords Tower, and York Minster. In 1983 the inn was designated as a grade II listed building by English Heritage. (Wikipedia).

This single-cylinder, steam-powered static winding engine was originally used on the Leicester and Swannington Railway, near the city of Leicester, UK. The low power of contemporary steam engines meant that where the gradient was steepest, locomotive haulage gave way to other means. As was common in those days, there were two inclines on the line: one at Bagworth, rising at 1 in 29 towards Swannington and worked by gravity; and a much steeper though shorter one at the Swannington end, descending at 1 in 17 and worked by a stationary engine . The latter was built by the Horsely Coal and Iron Company, and was equipped with a very early example of a piston valve. The pits at the Swannington end were worked out by as early as 1875, but the incline found a new lease of life lowering wagons of coal to a new pumping station at the foot that kept the old workings clear of water, so preventing flooding in the newer mines nearby. The incline closed in 1948 when electric pumps were installed in the pumping station, but the winding engine was dismantled and is now at the National Railway Museum at York. The site of the incline now belongs to the Swannington Heritage Trust. (Wikipedia).

The Class A3 Pacific steam locomotive No. 4472 Flying Scotsman was built in 1923 for the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) at Doncaster Works to a design by H.N. Gresley. It was employed on long-distance express trains on the LNER and its successors, British Railways Eastern and North-Eastern Regions, notably on the 10am London to Edinburgh Flying Scotsman train service after which it was named. The locomotive is notable for having set two world records for steam traction, becoming the first steam locomotive to be officially authenticated at reaching 100 miles per hour (160.9 km/h) on 30 November 1934 and then setting a record for the longest non-stop run by a steam locomotive when it ran 422 miles (679 km) on 8 August 1989. Retired from regular service in 1963 after covering 2,076,000 miles (3,341,000 km), Flying Scotsman gained considerable fame in preservation under the ownership of Alan Pegler, William McAlpine, Tony Marchington and finally the National Railway Museum, York. As well as hauling enthusiast specials in the United Kingdom, the locomotive toured extensively in the United States (from 1969 to 1973) and Australia (from 1988 to 1989). Flying Scotsman has been described as the world's most famous steam locomotive. (Wikipedia). www.ipernity.com/group/england

The newly-planted (at the time) Lily pond on the Heslington campus of York University, England, UK. The buildings surrounding this area are some of the Halls of Residence (the most sought-after ones because of the great views). Camera: Olympus Camedia C-1 (low resolution).

A Japanese "Bullet train" which also contains an information centre with film-shows. Photographed at the National Railway Museum, York, UK.

Photographed from Bootham Bar on the City Walls. Camera: Panasonic TZ10. Processed with Nikon Capture NX2.

Bronze statue of Constantine in York, England, located next to York Minster near the spot where he was proclaimed Augustus in the year 306. Camera: Nikon D90.

The now-ruinous keep of the medieval Norman castle is commonly referred to as Clifford's Tower. Built originally on the orders of William I to dominate the former Viking city of York, the castle suffered a tumultuous early history before developing into a major fortification with extensive water defences. After a major explosion in 1684 rendered the remaining military defences uninhabitable, York Castle continued to be used as a prison until 1929. (Wikipedia). www.ipernity.com/group/england www.ipernity.com/group/history</a

Camera: Nikon D90 + 16-85mm Lens. The National Railway Museum (NRM) is a museum in York forming part of the British National Museum of Science and Industry and telling the story of rail transport in Britain and its impact on society. It has won many awards, including the European Museum of the Year Award in 2001. It is the home of the national collection of historically significant railway vehicles, as well as a collection of other artefacts and both written and pictorial records. (Wikipedia) www.ipernity.com/group/england

Photographed using an Olympus AZ1 "point and shoot" camera in York, England. Processed with Nikon Capture NX2.

Tree carving at the University of York, England. Camera Olympus Camedia C-1 (low resolution by today's standards). Processed with Nikon Capture NX2 software.

York Minster viewed from the West. Camera Nikon D90 with Nikkor 16-85mm lens. (See NOTES). York Minster is a cathedral in York, England, one of the largest of its kind in Northern Europe. The minster is the seat of the Archbishop of York, the second-highest office of the Church of England and is the cathedral for the Diocese of York. The formal title of York Minster is "The Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of St Peter in York". The title "minster" is attributed to churches established in the Anglo-Saxon period as missionary teaching churches and serves now as an honorific title. The minster has a wide Decorated Gothic nave and chapter house, a Perpendicular Gothic choir and Early English north & south transepts. The nave contains the West Window, constructed in 1338. Over the Lady Chapel in the East end is the Great East Window, (finished in 1408), the largest expanse of medieval stained glass in the world. In the north transept is the Five Sisters Window, each lancet being over 16 metres (52 ft) high. The south transept contains a famous rose window, while the West Window contains a famous heart-shaped design, colloquially known as 'The Heart of Yorkshire'. (Wikipedia)

York Minster viewed from the South side. Photographed using a Nikon D90 with a Nikkor 16-85mm lens (See NOTES). York Minster is a cathedral in York, England, one of the largest of its kind in Northern Europe. The minster is the seat of the Archbishop of York, the second-highest office of the Church of England and is the cathedral for the Diocese of York. The formal title of York Minster is "The Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of St Peter in York". The title "minster" is attributed to churches established in the Anglo-Saxon period as missionary teaching churches and serves now as an honorific title. Services in the minster are sometimes regarded as on the High Church or Anglo-Catholic end of the Anglican continuum. The minster has a wide Decorated Gothic nave and chapter house, a Perpendicular Gothic choir and Early English north & south transepts. The nave contains the West Window, constructed in 1338. Over the Lady Chapel in the East end is the Great East Window, (finished in 1408), the largest expanse of medieval stained glass in the world. In the north transept is the Five Sisters Window, each lancet being over 16 metres (52 ft) high. The south transept contains a famous rose window, while the West Window contains a famous heart-shaped design, colloquially known as 'The Heart of Yorkshire'. www.ipernity.com/group/england www.ipernity.com/group/history

View of York Minster, photographed from the city walls on the North-East side. Camera Panasonic TZ10 compact "point-and-shoot" (See NOTES). York Minster is a cathedral in York, England, one of the largest of its kind in Northern Europe. The minster is the seat of the Archbishop of York, the second-highest office of the Church of England and is the cathedral for the Diocese of York. The formal title of York Minster is "The Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of St Peter in York". The title "minster" is attributed to churches established in the Anglo-Saxon period as missionary teaching churches and serves now as an honorific title. Services in the minster are sometimes regarded as on the High Church or Anglo-Catholic end of the Anglican continuum. The minster has a wide Decorated Gothic nave and chapter house, a Perpendicular Gothic choir and Early English north & south transepts. The nave contains the West Window, constructed in 1338. Over the Lady Chapel in the East end is the Great East Window, (finished in 1408), the largest expanse of medieval stained glass in the world. In the north transept is the Five Sisters Window, each lancet being over 16 metres (52 ft) high. The south transept contains a famous rose window, while the West Window contains a famous heart-shaped design, colloquially known as 'The Heart of Yorkshire'.

A 19th Century horse-drawn London fire engine made by Merryweather & Sons, photographed at the National Railway Museum in York, England. Merryweather & Sons of Clapham, later Greenwich, London, were builders of steam fire engines and steam tram engines. The founder was Moses Merryweather (1791–1872) of Clapham, who was joined by his son Richard Moses (1839–1877). The Merryweathers worked with the engineer Edward Field to fit his design of a vertical boiler onto a horse-drawn platform. They successfully applied it for use in their steam fire engine, thus improving water pressure and making it easier to use once steam had been got up. It was reckoned that an engine could get up enough pressure to pump within ten minutes of a call out; the fire could be started before leaving the fire station so there would be enough pressure by the time they arrived at the scene of the fire. Appliances were available in small sizes suitable for a country house, pumping about 100 gallons per minute, through to large dockyard models, rated at 2000 gallons per minute. (Wikipedia). www.ipernity.com/group/history

York Castle in the city of York, England, is a fortified complex comprising, over the last nine centuries, a sequence of castles, prisons, law courts and other buildings on the south side of the River Foss. The now-ruinous keep of the medieval Norman castle is commonly referred to as Clifford's Tower. Built originally on the orders of William I to dominate the former Viking city of York, the castle suffered a tumultuous early history before developing into a major fortification with extensive water defences. After a major explosion in 1684 rendered the remaining military defences uninhabitable, York Castle continued to be used as a jail and prison until 1929. The first motte and bailey castle on the site was built in 1068 following the Norman conquest of York. After the destruction of the castle by rebels and a Viking army in 1069, York Castle was rebuilt and reinforced with extensive water defences, including a moat and an artificial lake. York Castle formed an important royal fortification in the north of England. In 1190, 150 local Jews were killed in a pogrom in the castle keep. Henry III rebuilt the castle in stone in the middle of the 13th century, creating a keep with a unique quatrefoil design, supported by an outer bailey wall and a substantial gatehouse. During the Scottish wars between 1298 and 1338, York Castle was frequently used as the centre of royal administration across England, as well as an important military base of operations. York Castle fell into disrepair by the 15th and 16th centuries, becoming used increasingly as a jail for both local felons and political prisoners. By the time of Elizabeth I the castle was estimated to have lost all of its military value but was maintained as a centre of royal authority in York. The outbreak of the English Civil War in 1642 saw York Castle being repaired and refortified, playing a part in the Royalist defence of York in 1644 against Parliamentary forces. York Castle continued to be garrisoned until 1684, when an explosion destroyed the interior of Clifford's Tower. The castle bailey was redeveloped in a neoclassical style in the 18th century as a centre for county administration in Yorkshire and was used as a jail and debtors' prison. Prison reform in the 19th century led to the creation of a new prison built in a Tudor Gothic style on the castle site in 1825; used first as a county and then as a military prison, this facility was demolished in 1935. By the 20th century the ruin of Clifford's Tower had become a well-known tourist destination and national monument; today the site is owned by English Heritage and open to the public. The other remaining buildings serve as the York Castle Museum and the Crown Court. (Wikipedia).

Horses photographed near the campus of York University in North-East England. Camera: Olympus AZ-1 (very low resolution by today's standards). Processed with Nikon Capture NX2.

Richard "Dick" Turpin (1705 – 1739) was an English highwayman whose exploits were romanticised following his execution in York for horse theft. Turpin may have followed his father's profession as a butcher early in life but by the early 1730s he had joined a gang of deer thieves and later became a poacher, burglar, horse thief and killer. He is also known for a fictional 200-mile (320 km) overnight ride from London to York on his horse Black Bess, a story that was made famous by the Victorian novelist William Harrison Ainsworth almost 100 years after Turpin's death. Turpin's involvement in the crime for which he is most closely associated—highway robbery—followed the arrest of the other members of his gang in 1735. He then disappeared from public view towards the end of that year, only to resurface in 1737 with two new accomplices, one of whom he may have accidentally shot and killed. Turpin fled from the scene and shortly afterwards killed a man who attempted his capture. Later that year he moved to Yorkshire and assumed the alias of John Palmer. While he was staying at a local inn magistrates became suspicious and made enquiries as to how he was funding his extravagant lifestyle. Suspected of being a horse thief, Turpin / "Palmer" was imprisoned in York Castle to await trial at the next assizes. Turpin's true identity was revealed by a letter he wrote to his brother-in-law from his prison cell which fell into the hands of the authorities. On 22nd March 1739 Turpin was found guilty on two charges of horse theft and sentenced to death. He was hanged at Knavesmire (located close to the present-day York racecourse and which was known locally as "The York Tyburn") on 7th April 1739. (Wikipedia. (edited)). Camera: Olympus AZ-1 (Low resolution). Processing: Nikon Capture NX2.