Leeds Medieval Society Winter trip to York

The Leeds Medieval Society visits York Barley Hall, Jorvik Viking Centre and other York sites for its annual winter trip.

On Saturday 4 December, the LUU Medieval Society, run by Leeds Post-Graduate students, visited the historic city of York for its annual winter excursion.

On arrival, the first activity was a tour, guided by a York native society member, that included visits to the Minster, the Shambles Market area, and to the chapel dedicated to Margaret Clitherow who was “pressed to death” under her own front door for harbouring a Catholic priest during the English Reformation.

Then, through the bustle of market stalls touting steaming cups of mulled wine, and the crowds of Christmas shoppers, the Society picked its way to its second destination: the York Barley Hall. This historic town house dates back to about 1360 and underwent several repurposings in the proceeding centuries, before its restoration in the 1980s. The site now reflects how the home would have looked when owned by William Snawsell, a well-to-do local Goldsmith, in the late 1400s. It also houses the fascinating Magic and Mystery exhibition that explores the interweaving of science, religion and magic in Medieval England.

After a break for lunch, some Society members went on to the multi-sensory, time-travel experience at Jorvik VIking Centre. Having undergone significant repair work since the 2017 floods that submerged the lower floors of the attraction, the museum now boasts some interactive archeology exhibits alongside its long-standing immersive Viking village tour.

If you are interested in joining the Medieval Society at Leeds Univeristy Union (LUU) please follow the link here.