A Brief History Of York

Here at Orion Windows, we provide the highest quality conservatories, orangeries, windows and doors plus many other products that will be perfect if you’re looking at making some changes to your house this year.

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We supply our products throughout York, Harrogate, Leeds and Hull and we think it’ll be great for us to have a brief rundown of each of these areas and give our customers a bit of information, perhaps some interesting facts they didn’t know about the areas they know so well and we’re starting with York.

Guy Fawkes

To start with, a part of York history is that Guy Fawkes, England’s most famous terrorist was born, raised and educated in York.

Fawkes is obviously famous for his attempt to blow up the houses of Parliament in 1605 due largely to the fact that the plot was revealed to the authorities the day before it was due to go ahead and Guy Fawkes was found guarding 36 barrels of gunpowder underneath the House of Lords.

Another famous person from history who is related to York is Dick Turpin. The famous highwayman was executed in York in 1739 on April 7^th.

Haunted York

York is allegedly the most haunted City on earth. With over 500 recorded sightings of ghosts and various unexplainable other things like a pair of legs seen descending a staircase in the Black Swan Inn in York.

York is also home to the ‘Ghosts of the Greatest Longevity’, the famous Roman Legionnaires of the Treasurer’s House. There’s also been sightings of a Roman soldier in Dean Court Hotel, Duncombe Place. The soldier is reported to walk around the hotel and it’s also said that three hotel guests have seen this apparition in their bathroom mirror.

If you’re into the paranormal and all things ghostly, then York is definitely the place to visit with a copious amount of different ghost walks to go on, you’re sure to find things that make you jump.

Local Laws

There are many laws in the country like how it’s illegal to die in the Houses of Parliament and also how it is illegal to wear a suit of armour when you enter into the Houses of Parliament.

One of the most bizarre ones that is nationwide and it is also thanks to Oliver Cromwell is that he decided one day he didn’t like people eating mince pies on Christmas Day so he banned it in the 17^th Century and it’s apparently still not legal.

However, bringing us back round to York, it’s allegedly perfect legal to shoot a Scotsman with a bow in York. This is something that hasn’t been acted upon thankfully as no Scotsmen have been reported killed in the City of York by bow and arrow.

Local Tourism

York is home to the largest annual food festival in the UK and there are also more pubs within the City walls than there are days in the year, all of which will help with the local economy. Add to this that one of the oldest pubs in the country is in York, the Ye Olde Starre Inne, a registered drinking establishment since 1644 and you’ve got the workings of a healthy local economy.

There’s also the Golden Fleece pub which has been featured on Living TV’s ‘Most Haunted’ series and The Red Lion pub which is built on thirteenth century foundations and it is thought to be the oldest building in York that is in its current use as a pub even though it was only ever registered in the 1800s.

Legend also has it that notorious highwayman Dick Turpin once hid in the building and escaped through a window when police came in looking for him.

York has long been a very popular city but it has started getting over 4 million visitors per year. This brings a spend into the city of over £440 million and this has created almost 23,000 new jobs in the local economy.