York’s Hidden History Liam Herringshaw and Simon Rogerson
Event details
Uncover the ancient, natural and scientific secrets of the city with York's Hidden History. Expert guides Simon Rogerson and Liam Herringshaw bring York's little-known stories and forgotten characters to life with knowledge and humour.
Who were the microscopic Lister sisters? Was the River Ouse once home to a unicorn? And is York's oldest building really more than 2 billion years old?
Join York’s Hidden Histories as they present their ‘Elements of York’ quartet of tours: the York Air Walk, the York Fire Walk, the York Earth Walk and the York Water Walk.
York Air Walk (Sunday 9 June)
Starts at Bar Lane, Micklegate and finishes outside York Minster, College Street
Take to the skies on the York Air Walk, an aerial stroll through York's hidden history. Expert guides lead you around the city’s mediaeval walls, taking in the sights, sounds and smells that are easy to miss. Meet a pioneering weather forecaster, a demon stargazer and the local lad who gassed Queen Victoria.
The route is not wheelchair accessible, and involves climbing steps and walking parts of the city walls. Suitable for ages 11+
York Fire Walk (Monday 10 June)
Starts outside the Yorkshire Museum and finishes outside Jorvik, Coppergate Centre
Blaze a trail and join the York Fire Walk, as expert guides light the fuse of the city’s fiery history. Meet a far-sighted volcano-chaser, the Frenchman who saved York from burning to the ground and discover how York Minster popped up in the Land of Fire. Oh yes, and there’s a chap called Guy Fawkes.
The route is wheelchair accessible, but please note that York’s cobbled streets are potentially unsuitable for some people. Suitable for ages 11+.
York Earth Walk (Thursday 13 June)
Starts at Bar Lane, Micklegate and finishes at Museum Gardens
Voyage into deep time on the York Earth Walk, as your expert guide unveils the prehistory of York. Walk the city’s hidden Ice Age landscape, meet its scientific pioneers, and discover fossils in cobblestones, and the oldest building in York. Stride across the entire county of Yorkshire in just a few seconds on a visit to a pebble mosaic of The Map That Changed The World.
The route is wheelchair accessible, but please note that York’s cobbled streets are potentially unsuitable for some people. Suitable for ages 11+.
York Water Walk (Friday 14 June)
Starts outside the Yorkshire Museum and finishes at the Merchant Adventurers' Hall, Piccadilly
Take the plunge on the York Water Walk as you dive into York’s amazing aquatic history. Explore how water – from rivers and lakes to distant seas and ancient ice sheets – has shaped the city over thousands of years. Find out how to bridge a river with a river, meet the teetotaller who learnt that beer could be better than water and even do a bit of unicorn-hunting.
The route is wheelchair accessible, but please note that York’s cobbled streets are potentially unsuitable for some people. Suitable for ages 11+.
Find out more about York’s Hidden History tours.
Photo credit: Liam Herringshaw
About the speakers
York's Hidden History walks are led by Dr Simon Rogerson and Dr Liam Herringshaw. Simon is a meteorologist, maths tutor and children's author. Liam is a palaeontologist, cricket writer and director of the Yorkshire Fossil Festival.
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