The streets of York

Even on a rainy day, York is an interesting city to explore, with its maze of narrow streets, some of the buildings dating back to medieval times. Stonegate (above) is - or was - one of the prime tourist shopping streets, although since Covid our town and city centres are a shadow of their former selves, with shops (even well-established businesses) closing down all over the place. Stonegate follows the line of the via praetoria in the Roman city of Eboracum.

At various points around the city you get tantalising glimpses of the Minster. Unlike some cathedrals, it's hard to get far enough away from it to get a complete view from any one point. 

The street below is High Petergate, with the church of St Michael Le Belfrey on the left, a 15th century church built right in the shadow of the Minster and famous for being where Guy Fawkes (he of 'the gunpowder plot' to blow up Parliament) was baptised in 1570. 

Swinegate (below) now consists almost exclusively of bars and restaurants, though the name indicates that at one time pigs were sold here. I like to imagine how busy, noisy, bustling and - yes - smelly, these old streets once were.