09 Feb Wondering what to do in York this half term?
Can you believe it’s half term already?! If you are wondering how to fill the time, then wonder no more as the perfect answer is to attend some of the many events being put on as part of the Jorvik Viking Festival!
The Vikings first captured the city of York on November 1st 866, led by the brilliantly named Ivor the Boneless. Despite their fearsome reputation for violence and brutality, they were also great craftsmen and traders and Jorvik, as they called the city, became the most important Viking settlement in England for the next 200 years.
As a centre for international trade, Jorvik would have been a vibrant, bustling and cosmopolitan city. During excavation works of the Jorvik site among the 40,000 artefacts dug up was silk from China!
The Jorvik Centre in Coppergate recreates what Viking Jorvik would have looked like, sounded like and even smelt like! The Jorvik Viking Festival takes this one step further by having events and activities all over the city centre.
My son is booked in for a Viking bootcamp at the Guildhall and we’re going to enjoy seeing the Viking encampment on Parliament Street. You can learn Viking crafts or buy something at a 10th Century Market plus much more.
The Jorvik Viking Festival is taking place from the 12th – 18th February. For more information and to book tickets visit www.jorvikvikingfestival.co.uk
With thanks to York Archaeological Trust for the use of their images in this blog.