York – The Shambles

ByCynthia Capley

On our drive from London to Edinburgh, we stopped in the city of York. The city of York turned out to be a treasure trove from a historical perspective.

I’ll be covering our visit in several posts. Today, I’m starting with our walk through the Shambles. The day was cloudy and rainy but there were quite a number of tourists crowding into the narrow streets. The Shambles was where butchers would display meat for sale from hooks and shelves along the store fronts.

Historical sign describing how The Shambles got its name.
Storefront of Ye Old Shambles Tavern in York.
Sign on wooden beam spanning street for Ye Olde Starre Inne.

While in the area we ate at Ye Olde Starre Inne. Established in 1644, it’s York’s oldest inn. The inne would be easy to miss if not for the sign that spans the street to advertise its location. The sign was added by one of the previous landlords in 1792.

Alley into Ye Olde Starre Inne courtyard.
Courtyard of Ye Old Starre Inne in York.
View out of muntin window into courtyard of Ye Olde Starre Inne.
Meat pie, veggies, and fries from Ye Olde Starre Inne.

The atmosphere in the pub was cozy and I loved being inside a historic location warming up after being chilled by the rain. The food was delicious and we received excellent service. If we ever return to York, I would definitely love to visit this pub again.