Tag: york

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Then and Now – York Minster

This is a regular series of blogs about photographs of the same place taken years apart. I quite like those Then and Now comparison photographs that you see in books or on the Twitter or Facebook.  The first of the posts in this series was of a council building in Manchester.

I always thought I should give then and now photographs a go. However what I have started to notice is that I have been doing Then and Now photographs unintentionally over the years and have been taking photographs of the same thing or place from the same view or perspective years apart.

On a recent visit to York in April 2026, walking the city walls I took this photograph of York Minster with an iPhone 17 Pro Max.

Checking back through some older photographs I had taken back in June 2024 I had taken this similar shot with an iPhone 13.

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York City Walls #50places2026

On my recent short holiday to Yorkshire, my plans weren’t set in stone, I had planned to visit Fountains Abbey and the National Railway Museum, but anything else would be a bonus. On the day I left York I had planned to visit a couple of National Trust properties on the way back (charging the car at the same time as well). However I woke up earlier than I expected. So, after getting washed and dressed and a quick breakfast I headed back into York with the idea of walking the walls.

I walked over to Walmgate Bar and then headed anticlockwise around the city.

I soon lost the walls at the Red Tower.

The walls don’t encircle the entire city, sometimes that was planned as there was the natural barrier of a river, other times walls were lost to development.

Walked along the River Foss and then started walking along the walls again. Came down at Monk Bar, this was the second of the four major gates that York has. 

The next section of wall has some fantastic views of the Minster, as well as the many historic buildings that lie between the Minster and the city wall.

Arrived at Bootham Bar. Here the wall sections are lost, there are some sections in the York Museum Gardens, but these aren’t able to be walked along.

I then went across Lendal Bridge before finding the wall again.

Walked pass the railway station and around to Mickelgate, the fourth gate.

Walked along the walls. This is one of the longer sections of the wall.

Came off the walls after walking pass Baile Hill and crossed Skeldergate Bridge.

Stopped to photograph Cliffords Tower.

I rejoined the walls at Fishergate Postern Tower and then walked around the walls back to Walmgate.

Decided to have an espresso at the Gatehouse Coffee which is inside Walmgate Bar.

I was really pleased I had come back into York and walked the city walls. I then walked back to the car and headed home.

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National Railway Museum #50places2026

Back in 1979 I did a school trip to York, as well as visiting Fountains Abbey, we also went to the National Railway Museum. Though I was at the University of York in the late 1980s, I never actually got around to visiting the museum again until 2013 when we went on a holiday to North Yorkshire. I also visited again ten years later in 2023.

The museum is undergoing something of a refurbishment, and the Station Hall, which had been closed for updating, was open again, which is one of the reasons for visiting.

Essentially the place is full of locomotives, steam, diesel, and electric. It covers the history of railways in the UK from their humble beginnings, through expansion, consolidation with the “big four”, nationalisation, and privatisation.

I really enjoyed visiting the museum and for those interested (not just in trains but) industrial heritage it is well worth a trip to York.

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Then and Now Take Two – Clifford’s Tower

This is a regular series of blogs about photographs of the same place taken years apart. I have started to notice is that I have been doing Then and Now photographs unintentionally over the years and have been taking photographs of the same thing or place from the same view or perspective years apart. Now this has come to my attention I have started to intentionally take photographs of the same place.

Clifford’s Tower was the keep of York Castle. I first went to York on a school trip in 1979 and we went up the tower. I didn’t have a camera back then. I made a return visit to York in the summer of 1987 and visited the Tower then as well.

In October 1987 I studied at York University for three years and saw Clifford’s Tower on a regular basis as I went in and out of town. I made a return visit to York in July 1993. It was quite a few years later before I visited again, and this time it was a fleeting visit to the university in March 2006. I also was there for a workshop in April 2009.

My most recent visit to York was in April 2026 and I took this photograph of Clifford’s Tower using an iPhone 17 Max Pro.

Clifford’s Tower

This is my original photograph. We did a family holiday to York in March 2013 and I took this photograph of Clifford’s Tower with an Apple iPhone 4.

Ten years later in September 2023 I was back in York and it was pouring with rain and I quickly took a photograph of Clifford’s Tower with an iPhone 13.

It wasn’t too surprising that it was a similar view to the photo from 2013 with the iPhone 4.

In June 2024 I took this photograph using an iPhone 13.

The window is dark in later photographs as they built some stuff inside, whereas back in 2013 the castle was very open.

This is a regular series of blogs about photographs of the same place taken years apart. I quite like those Then and Now comparison photographs that you see in books or on the Facebook.

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Then and Now Take Two – Heslington Village Main Street

This is a regular series of blogs about photographs of the same place taken years apart. The first of the posts in this series was of a council building in Manchester. I always thought I should give then and now photographs a go. However what I have started to notice is that I have been doing Then and Now photographs unintentionally over the years and have been taking photographs of the same thing or place from the same view or perspective years apart. Now this has come to my attention I have started to intentionally take photographs of the same place.

York is a place I have visited and lived in over the last forty five years. I first went to York on a school trip in 1979 and we did lots of different things. We went to the Railway Museum, the Castle Museum, went up Clifford’s Tower. We visited Mother Shipton’s Cave and Fountain’s Abbey. I made a return visit to York in the summer of 1987 when we had some Yugoslavian Scouts over.

In October 1987 I studied Economics at York University for three years.

I made a return visit to York in July 1993, I stayed on campus and did various things including a return visit to Fountains Abbey.

It was quite a few years later before I visited again, and this time it was a fleeting visit to the university in March 2006 for a meeting. I had flown up to Leeds and hired a car to drive to York and then drove back, all in the one day.

I also was there for a mobile learning workshop in April 2009, and stayed at the hotel by the Railway Station. We did a family holiday to York in March 2013.

It was on the March 2006 trip that I drove into Heslington Village next to the university and took this photograph of Heslington Main Street with a Sony DSC P200 digital camera.

On a return visit to York in September 2023 I took the opportunity to retake the photograph, this time with an iPhone 13.

Apart from some greenery not much has changed. However in the 2006 photograph in the background are two bank branches next to the Post Office. In 2023 the Post Office is still there, but both bank branches have closed and are now empty.

I also took this view in March 2006 from pretty much the same vanatge point.

So I took it again in September 2023.

Again not much has changed, well apart from the greenery on the house.

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Then and Now – Clifford’s Tower

We did a family holiday to York in March 2013 and I took this photograph of Clifford’s Tower with an EOS 400D SLR Camera.

This is a regular series of blogs about photographs of the same place taken years apart. I quite like those Then and Now comparison photographs that you see in books or on the Twitter or Facebook.  The first of the posts in this series was of a council building in Manchester.

I always thought I should give then and now photographs a go. However what I have started to notice is that I have been doing Then and Now photographs unintentionally over the years and have been taking photographs of the same thing or place from the same view or perspective years apart.

Clifford’s Tower was the keep of York Castle. I first went to York on a school trip in 1979 and we went up the tower. I didn’t have a camera back then. I made a return visit to York in the summer of 1987 and visited the Tower then as well.

In October 1987 I studied at York University for three years and saw Clifford’s Tower on a regular basis as I went in and out of town. I made a return visit to York in July 1993. It was quite a few years later before I visited again, and this time it was a fleeting visit to the university in March 2006. I also was there for a workshop in April 2009. We did a family holiday to York in March 2013 and I took this photograph of Clifford’s Tower with an Apple iPhone 4.

Ten years later in September 2023 I was back in York and it was pouring with rain and I quickly took a photograph of Clifford’s Tower with an iPhone 13.

It wasn’t too surprising that it was a similar view to the photo from 2013 with the iPhone 4 (and with the Canon EOS400D).