The snickelway crawl

This is an idea for a blog that came to me as I completed the snickelway way walk outlined in the book by Mark W Jones called the Snickelways of York.

I will visit each restaurant, bar or cafe on the route and write s blog on the food or drinks and the overall experience when I was there. I may even include these reviews on Trip advisor. 

The blog will include pictures of the food or drink, a link to relevant websites, including trip advisor. 

I will also comment on any news for the day when I make the visit, so that each blog has a current feel to it

It could be quite a blog with many posts as there are so many places to visit on the snickelway walk.

So to start the blog, I made a visit to the Hole in the Wall pub which is where the snickelway 1 starts.

Museum gardens

Museum gardens

I think the museum garden pathways could be included in the definition of snickelway as they are for pedestrians ( cars not allowed) and they go from somewhere to somewhere ( the main definition)

You could leave by the entrance at St Olaves (named after St Olaf, a Viking saint) or around the beautiful ruins of St Mary's abbey, by the bowling green, through the garden and across the plaza behind the city art gallery. There is a snickelway that takes you alongside the art gallery and deposits you back in front of Bootham bar

During the walk I received a download as the the next blog to write up - see next post.

Last few snickelways

Snickelway no 46 Hornpot-la-nether

We are now nearing the end of the snickelways. After feasegate, walk over st Sampson's square to a small opening near browns of york, called Nether Hornpot lane or Hornpot-la-nether in the book

It leads on the back swinegate and from there to the penultimate snickelway (Little stonegate)

Snickelway no 47 Little Stonegate 

This a super snickelway with lots of restaurants bars and cafes

Back onto stonegate and turn left on to coney street for the last snickelway recorded in the book for this 3.5 mile walk

Snickelway no 48 Beyond the screen

This, in my view, is a series of snickelways: the one leading passed the disused church ( st martins) down to the river front; the riverside walk passed city screen picture house; back to the street through the Revolution bar ( no longer called Orgasmic / maybe it did not live up to its old name?) and up a ginnel on the other side of st martins

We have now officially finished the walk. The book offers a last lap on map26, back down Coney street, up Lendal to Museum street, passed the Red house, heading towards the fabulous west front of York Minster and then High Petergate to finish the walk at Bootham bar where we started.

But I found another route with a snickelway not in the book.

Ouse Bridge to Feasegate

The next series of snickelways are across the street at Ouse bridge and lead back towards Bootham Bar.

Snickelway No 42 Ouse Walk

Down the stairs and to the right

Snickelway No 43 Fish Landing

A bit of a dark snickelway up to St Michael's Church.

Snickelway No 44 Church lane

Turn right passed the back of St Michael's church

Snickelway No 45 Pope's Head Alley

A very narrow alleyway next to one we passed earlier. It is quite difficult to find, so here is a picture of it - next to a stationers.

Clifford's Tower to the King's Staith

Snickelway No 36 St Mary's Square

St Mary's Square (named after the church - now York Story) is a busy square of shops, including Fenwick's and Carluccio's in the centre. You leave by the carpark entrance

Snickelway No 37 Foss-side walk  

 A nice little way behind Fenwick's by the Foss, leading to the outside carpark around Clifford's Tower.

  

 This is a snickelway that did not make the book for some reason?

Snickelway No 38 York Castle 

There is a road around the Eye of York (a circular area of grass outside castle museum) - which qualifies as a snickelway.

Snickelway No 39 St George's Field

Snickelway No 40 Esplanade 

Snickelway No 41 King's Staith

St Mary's Church, Castlegate, York

St Mary's Church, Castlegate, York

It has taken me a while to realise that the snickelway walks that I had been doing had a greater significance. Read on:

Yesterday the walks had reached All Saint's church Pavement, and today I completed the sequence to St Mary's Church on Castlegate. This is significant as today is the anniversary of the birth of Mother Mary, all those years ago. On this auspicious day, I was guided I to perform a reconciliation ceremony to "redeem" and re capitulate the events in a lifetime many years ago which will bring about a resolution of the karma created on merging the Viking's beliefs with those of Christianity. This is a reflection of the events when I was torn between the old Viking mythology ( Odin and the other Gods) and the Christian faith that was co-evolving at the same time. I was also gifted the concept for a huge exhibition at St Mary's which is next to the Jorvik centre showing how the two systems merged as one. It will include the prediction or prophecy of a great moment of redemption which I believe we are in now - called Raganok in Viking norse systems and the Day of Wrath (Dies Irae) in Christianity. So my write up is on another website 

The next stage after this will be to continue the snickelway walks into the Clifford's tower area. This will involve the redemption of the karma created when a group of Jewish people were murdered in Clifford's Tower. Somehow the teaching of Jesus was misunderstood - "Love your neighbour as yourself" could not be any clearer?

A real surprise

The next set of snickelways were a real surprise for me as I have walked in the centre of York for a few years, but never realised there were the snickelways from Market St to All Saints.

Snickelway No 34 - Le Kyrk lane

The above picture of a snickelway that did not make it into the book. Not sure why?

Snickelway No 35 All Saints passage

A lovely passage way next to All Saint's church.

Lady Peckett

Lady Peckett is famous - for not being a lady (she was the wife of the Lord Mayor, so was briefly called a lady). She has a room at a nearby pub. To get ther you need to go through Straker's passage.

Snickelway No 31 - Straker's Passage

Snickelway No 32 - Cheat's Lane

The road sign says Lady Peckett's yard, but we are not there yet:

Snickelway No 33 - Lady Peckett's Yard

Hungate

Snickelway No 28 - Hungate

After the beauty of the Shambles, we now have to navigate through the back of York passed the ugliest building in York - Stonebow, which is currently being re-furbished. The snickelway next to Stonebow (called in the book Hungate) is currently closed

Snickelway No 29 - Black Horse Passage

A pretty non-descript snickelway

Snickelway No 30 - Foss Bridge Reach

It is not much of a snickelway, but a nice place for a rest next to the Foss river/canal.

 

Shambles "In and Out"

The next set of snickelways go in and out from the Shambles (which is one of the great snickelways in York):

Snickelway No 22 - The Great Shambles

It was a bit cloudy today when I took the photo and a bit late in the evening - hence the lack of tourists.

While the Shambles snickelway goes the length of the street, there are a few side ginnels that make up the other snickelways in the book:

Snickelway No 23 - Shambles "out"

Snickelway No 24 - Shambles "in"

Snickelway No 25 - Shambles "out"

Snickelway No 26 - Shambles "in"

Snickelway No 27 - Whip-ma-Whop-ma-gate

Snickelway to Whip-ma-whop-ma-gate, York's shortest street with the longest name:

Coffee House & Finkle St

Snickelway No 18  -Coffee Yard

When first charting the path, I missed the snickelway leading to the Coffee Yard. Here is a picture of the opening near the pub "Ye Olde Starre Inne" and the Walker and Preston shop.

Coffee Yard

The coffee yard is a super snickelway. Here is photo of the inner courtyard and Barley Hall.

and here is the snickelway out

Snickelway No 19 - Finkle Street

Sorry for the thumb over the iphone picture. Finkle means angle - there are many finkle streets in Yorkshire (including Cottingham). This leads you back to Sampson Church and the Silver St leading to the market.

Snickelway No 20  - Silver Street

At the end of Silver St, turn left passed Gert and Henry (a great little tea shop) and enter the Shambles by little shambles

Snickelway No 21 - Little Shambles

Back to the Minster

The next set of snickelways lead back to York Minster passed the great East Window to Stonegate. The East window is being restored under a huge multi million restoration projects which is almost complete.

Snickelway 14 - College St

This is the start of College Street, by the National Trust shop on Goodramgate. Walk down Colleg Street passed St William's College and then cross over to Queen's Path passed the stonemason area and to the square with the statute of Emperor Constantine.

Snickelway 15 - Queen's Path

Constantine was made emperor at York. He made a huge impact on Christianity and the Roman Empire. He was advised by his mother Helena. She was asked in a vision to find the true Cross in Jerusalem. She was instrumental in the founding of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre which I have just visited (and the huge cistern she found - now at the Coptic (Egyptian) Church.

Next to the Statue is an old Roman column  

Snickelway 16 - Minster Gates

Go passed the column and head down Bookbinder's Alley (now called Minster Gates).

And notice the statute to Minerva (with the pile of books)

Snickelway 17 - Stonegate

Walk across cross the street to Stonegate (where they brought the stone for the Minster up from the river).

Stonegate is a beautiful street of interesting shops. About half way down there is a snickelway by "Ye Olde Starr Inne" to the coffee yard.