Medieval England

Before even arriving in England, I had a feeling that York would be my favorite city and after seeing all the cities on the trip I can confirm that York lived up to my expectations. I had looked at pictures online and was so excited and when we arrived in New York I knew it was going to be my favorite. The first place we went to in York was the shambles before we headed into the York Minster. We had some time to walk around the shops and get the vibe of York. The shambles were so pretty I loved the tiny streets full of shops and cafes and pubs. It reminded me a lot of harry potter and it even had some Harry Potter shops that I went into. The vibe was so medieval in York, and I really liked it. I loved how you could see the Minster peeking through the streets of the shambles. After walking around the shops for a little we headed into the Minster and had a tour. It was so breath taking seeing the hundreds of different windows of stained glass. There were so many different stories for each window, and we learned all about the history of the cathedral which was so interesting. The Chapter room was my favorite part of the minster it was just like nothing I had ever seen before. We even tested out the theory that if you sit all spread out in the chapter room and talk at a normal volume people will be able to hear you all around the room. Then we walked through the shambles to Bettys High tea, which was one of the things me and my friends were most excited about. The tea that I chose was so delicious and the little cakes and scone were even better! Other than the tea, it was also the first time I had gotten to really talk to some of the other students on the trip and become friends with them! After Bettys we all headed back to the Hotel to regroup and get some rest before the nighttime! That night almost the whole group of us met up at the Ye olde Starre Inne and had dinner and really got to know each other. It was so fun to meet so many new people from Cortland and just be able to experience this all together. The next day we then headed to the Vikings exhibit in the morning. This place so interesting and the ride was such a cool experience and just learning all about the Viking in the passage that we read and then being there in person where they used to live was crazy! After that we had more time to go into the shops and explore the streets of York! We went to this market that was so cool and we all bought stuff from different places. Then we had a tour walking around York and learning about the history of the city. After this me and my friends went and walked the Roman Walls which was so incredible to see knowing the history of it all. We spent some time there walking around and then met up with the rest of the group to eat. After this we had planned a ghost tour because York is one of the most haunted cities in Europe! This was so fun and one of my favorite parts of York, I learned so much interesting things about York on the ghost tour that I wouldn’t have known. Then we finished off the night with some McDonalds because we just had to try European McDonald’s to try to notice a difference. Overall, York just had so much to offer and so much History to it and was so beautiful. I will have to make my way back there again someday because it was just so special and I’m so grateful to have been able to experience it all with such great people!

Ella Mills

Our trip to England was not only educational, but filled with fun and exciting activities. I loved that we were allowed the freedom to explore the cities we were brought to. Although I could go on and on about all the journeys we had, what stands out most to me was Kaylee, Ella, and I’s unexpected journey to Didsbury, a suburban town near Manchester.

One of the things I particularly loved about Manchester was the widespread use of the tram, formally known as the “Bee Network,” running through the city centers and nearby towns. After our group visit to the beautiful Manchester Art Gallery, Kaylee, Ella, and I decided to use the tram for the first time to see Old Trafford Stadium, home of the world-famous Manchester United football club. We hopped on the tram at St. Peter’s Square station. The only trouble we had was figuring out what kind of ticket we needed to purchase, but £4.60 later, we had an all-day tram ticket covering all four zones the tram traveled to, just in case.

We arrived at Old Trafford Stadium in about 10 minutes, took in the sights, and even got questioned by a local news station if we were fans. We got our shopping fix in, then went to a walking area along the river. There, we saw “Gnome Island.” As we were trying to figure out what exactly we were looking at, a man with a microphone attached to his phone approached us. He was with BBC Manchester Radio (which was also written on the microphone) and asked us what we thought about Gnome Island, to which we gave him our, “It’s definitely intriguing!” response. After our interview, the gentleman asked us where we were from. We told him the whole story of why we were there. Kaylee asked him if he had any recommendations for things we should do during our time in Manchester. One recommendation that stood out was to go to Didsbury and visit Fletcher Moss Gardens. We were now set on traveling to Didsbury, so we hopped back on the tram at the Old Trafford station. Thirty minutes later, we were in Didsbury.

Coming off at Didsbury was honestly a trip-altering moment for the three of us. The suburban town, filled with no tourists, children playing in their school yards, and locals just going about their daily lives. It was all so wonderfully familiar! I know that sounds odd, but realizing that these people were just like us, living in a suburb outside of a city, halfway across the world, was heartwarming. Although it was comforting to be in a suburb, there were many differences compared to an American suburb. For example, basically all the houses were townhouses, and the town was extremely walkable. We were probably some of the only Americans there, and it definitely showed in people’s surprise when they heard our accents.

We walked about 10 minutes through the streets of Didsbury, taking in the quaint and charming beauty, before arriving at Fletcher Moss Gardens. It was a large park filled with natural beauty, with many different areas to rest and enjoy nature. We stopped for refreshments at a cart in the heart of the park, still in disbelief that we were somewhere so beautiful. We walked through the botanical gardens, saw many little creatures, and took way too many photos.

After leaving Fletcher Moss Gardens, we went back to the main area of Didsbury and got lunch at the Expo Lounge. Unbeknownst to us, they were giving out so much dessert for any kind of donation that went to a local hospital, so we took back little pastries to the hotel room. The food and atmosphere were amazing, and after our meal, we explored more of Didsbury before returning to the tram station and making our way back to the city center.

Our unexpected journey to Didsbury was definitely a highlight of my time in England. Though I enjoyed the cities we visited, the suburban vibe will always be comforting to a suburban girl like me. The whole experience of using the easily accessible public transport and seeing what an English suburb looks like was eye-opening on how similar yet different our two nations are.

Mia Parise

Medieval England: There and Back Again

Summer ’24

Manchester, UK 

This photo was taken on the first day of our trip in Manchester at the Manchester Cathedral. With this sight being the first major cathedral of the trip, I was quite moved. In this moment, I had been awake for several hours and was a little sleep deprived. With the combination of the angelic chorus, the beautiful cathedral and the long flight I was nearly moved to tears. It was a magical moment, regardless of how tired I was, that I keep coming back to as I reflect on my trip. I really enjoyed how the city of Manchester was laid out. The city had a balanced mix of dated and original architecture which attributed to the appeal of this particular cathedral. When I entered the cathedral from the outside, I was facing a church with antiquated architecture that reflected my prior assumptions about what the cities were like prior to the trip. The city had a balanced mix of dated and original architecture that attributed to this cathedral’s appeal. The thing that piques my interest about this city is that it appears while Manchester was being developed into a major city, the people in charge of city planning wanted to preserve the historical monuments such as this one to keep the charm of the city. Some of these monuments (cathedrals, inns, restaurants, etc) appear out of place in a metropolitan style setting, but I think it emphasizes the idea of holding onto the city’s roots which seemed important due to the many images of historical figures around the city such as Emmeline Pankhurst and the Manchester Bee.  

York, UK 

York was my favorite spot on this trip. I loved the environment of the Shambles that led to this magnificent piece of architecture. When I pictured the smaller cities of England, the layout of York was what I imagined. I loved seeing the antiquated architecture everywhere and hearing the rich stories of the buildings. This particular photo was one of my favorites that I took on the trip (despite that I inadvertently photo-bombed my own picture). In York Minster, this room is hidden in the back left corner of the church. I wanted to take a picture from the middle of the room, so I had an image of each of the stained-glass windows that outlined the room. I was able to stand in the middle of the room, looking up and take in the views of the room. It was my favorite moment of exploring this church. I wanted to capture the moment with a photo with my phone so I could reflect on the moment later on. The room itself was breathtakingly beautiful with how each amazing window was symmetrical at the peak of the ceiling. The story surrounding this room showed how impressively innovative the builders were with architectural design. The room was circular with seats outlining the lining of the walls. As this room was created to be a meeting point for church leaders and clergy, the seating along the outside of the room allowed the people to hear each other without yelling over one another. The builders were able to track the ways that sound would move off of the walls in a way that allowed everyone to be heard in the circular room. York Minster was another cathedral that I felt made a huge impact on my trip.  

By far, my favorite city from the entire trip was York. The small city had the perfect balance between religiosity and city life while embracing its deep history. The walk from the hotel to York Minster on the first day sold the beautiful place; we walked through Shambles on our way to the church, which gave the warm feel of a modern but quaint town with a bustling shopping scene. There were jewelry stores, restaurants, fruit markets, butchers, and much more built into the narrow streets. When we arrived at the church, the seemingly endless rows of shops stopped and opened up to a beautiful, medieval cathedral. The interior of the building was even more magnificent than the exterior; the tall ceilings, elaborate architecture, and exquisite stained-glass windows captivated all its visitors. Every single part of the interior had its own history from the plaques on the walls commemorating fallen British soldiers to the elaborate window designs, and the additions to the original church. Just when you think you’ve seen everything you can see within the church, you are once again invigorated by the idea of climbing the tower and touring the remains of an even older church below. Standing outside the church in the southern plaza was truly a humbling experience. On one side of you stands a spectacular cathedral that dates back to the Romans and on the other side stands a vibrant town with tons of shops and restaurants.
Also in York stands the Jorvik Viking Center, which is based on an archeological dig of a Viking town from down the road. The artifacts in the Viking village provided an idea of what life was like for the Vikings such as what they ate, jobs they may have had, their leisure activities, and more. The museum curators built a ride based on their findings. Realistic animatronics demonstrate activities done by the Vikings, the props are accurate to those found by the archeologists, and even the smell found in the Viking outhouse was duplicated. Out of all the artifacts the museum contained, the second most interesting was the skeleton of the woman that one of the animatronics was based on. The woman had joint and bone issues which were demonstrated by the animatronics limp and use of a cane. The most interesting artifact was the largest piece of fossilized human poop because while being very silly, provides vital information on Vikings’ diet.
York was a prominent city in the Roman Empire, which is demonstrated by the statue of Constantine the Great outside of York Cathedral to commemorate his crowning in that very spot. The Roman city of York had great walls built around it which today are covered by Medieval walls, but sections of the Roman Walls are still visible. Walking along these walls was truly an amazing experience for not only historical reasons but also touristy reasons as the view from the walls was beautiful. You truly gain an understanding of what it was like to live in the past by walking these walls.
In addition to the beautiful views of the walls around the city, Clifford’s Tower stood on a hill above all other structures, besides York Minster of course. The Tower has a long history; it was first used as a Norman Castle, was the site of a massacre of Jewish people, was rebuilt due to the aforementioned massacre, served as storage and a jail, and even served as a battle site during the English Civil War. The most interesting thing about this castle, though, is the loo. The toilet, built for the king at the time, had a flushing feature using rainwater, which predates the invention of flushing by three centuries. One sat on a wooden seat (since removed) and did your business down what my group and I liked to call the poop chute. The rainwater flushed it down the side of the castle onto the hill below.
Overall, York was the most interesting city on the trip. It combines old and new while never losing the cozy feeling of a small town. The deep history and layout of the city truly solidified its place in my heart.