York 800

York Past

York Present

I usually choose to post no more than one picture per day however I have broken my self-imposed rule today. York was granted a Royal Charter by King John in 1212 which permitted the city to take charge of its own financial affairs and to trade freely. York’s citizens then created a council led by a Mayor to manage the city’s affairs, laying the foundations of local democracy. Today, Monday 9 July, is 800 years to the day since the Royal Charter was signed.
The top picture is a stained glass window from the Merchant Adventurers Hall, it is late 19th century glass but I think shows a  rather earlier view of Kings Staith. The lower picture is almost the same view today (but with the river in flood). The Minster central tower is visible in both pictures, and the Kings Arms pub looks fairly similar too. Ouse bridge has altered shape considerably, and sailing boats no longer unload goods at the quayside. The octagonal lantern tower of All Saints Church that can be seen in the top picture still exists, but is obscured by taller modern buildings.
York still has a Lord Mayor today, but now the world comes to York rather than Merchant Adventurers travelling from York to all parts of the world - tourism has replaced trade as the main economic activity of the city.