HI, I'M RICK STEVES, BACK WITH
MORE OF THE BEST OF EUROPE. THIS TIME,
WE'RE IN ENGLAND, ENJOYING MY TWO FAVORITE CITIES
OUTSIDE OF LONDON -- BATH AND YORK. THANKS FOR JOINING US. YORK FEELS MORE MEDIEVAL,
WHILE BATH IS GEORGIAN. BOTH TOWNS GO BACK
TO ROMAN TIMES. EACH TOWN IS PACKED WITH
WAY MORE BLOCKBUSTER SIGHTS THAN CITIES THEIR SIZE DESERVE. AND EACH ARE ABOUT TWO HOURS
BY TRAIN FROM LONDON. IF YOU'RE LOOKING
FOR ENGLISH CITY THRILLS WITHOUT THE EXPENSE
AND INTENSITY OF LONDON, HEAD FOR BATH AND YORK --
ENGLAND'S EASY URBAN DELIGHTS. IN BATH, WE'LL EXPLORE
A ROMAN HOT SPRINGS, IMMERSE OURSELVES
IN GEORGIAN ELEGANCE, AND CRUISE THE CANALS. THEN WE ZIP OVER TO YORK, WHERE WE'LL MARVEL AT ENGLAND'S FINEST GOTHIC CHURCH, RAMBLE YORK'S WONDERFULLY
PRESERVED MEDIEVAL QUARTER, MEET THE MORRIS DANCERS,
AND LOTS MORE. THE ISLAND OF GREAT BRITAIN INCLUDES
ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, AND WALES. FROM LONDON, BATH IS
A SHORT RIDE TO THE WEST, AND YORK IS JUST TO THE NORTH. 250 YEARS AGO, BATH WAS THE TREND-SETTING
HOLLYWOOD OF BRITAIN. IF EVER A TOWN ENJOYED LOOKING
IN THE MIRROR, BATH'S THE ONE. AND ITS NARCISSISM IS JUSTIFIED. LOCALS BRAG THAT THEY HAVE
MORE "GOVERNMENT-LISTED," OR PROTECTED,
HISTORIC BUILDINGS PER CAPITA THAN ANY OTHER TOWN IN ENGLAND. THE ENTIRE CITY, BUILT
OF THE CREAMY LIMESTONE CALLED "BATH STONE," BEAMS IN ITS COVER-GIRL
COMPLEXION. AN ARCHITECTURAL CHORUS LINE, IT'S A TRIUMPH OF
THE 18th-CENTURY GEORGIAN STYLE. PROUD LOCALS REMIND VISITORS THAT THE TOWN
IS ROUTINELY BANNED FROM THE "BRITAIN IN BLOOM"
CONTEST TO GIVE OTHER TOWNS
A CHANCE TO WIN. EVEN WITH ITS MOBS
OF TOURISTS -- 2 MILLION A YEAR --
BATH IS A JOY TO VISIT. GOOD-LOOKING TOWNS ARE NOT RARE, BUT FEW COMBINE BEAUTY
AND HOSPITALITY AS WELL AS BATH. VISITORS HAVE BEEN ENJOYING BATH
FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS. EVEN BEFORE THE ROMANS ARRIVED
IN THE 1st CENTURY, THE PLACE WAS
FAMOUS FOR ITS HOT SPRINGS. FOR THE ANCIENT ROMANS,
IT WAS A POPULAR SPA TOWN. THE TOWN'S IMPORTANCE CARRIED THROUGH THE MIDDLE AGES,
WHEN IT WAS CONSIDERED THE RELIGIOUS CAPITAL
OF BRITAIN. IN 973, KING EDGAR -- CALLED
THE FIRST KING OF ENGLAND -- WAS CROWNED RIGHT HERE. LATER, BATH PROSPERED
AS A WOOL TOWN. WITH THE MONEY IT MADE FROM WOOL, BATH BUILT
ITS GRAND ABBEY. THIS CHURCH --
THE LAST GREAT MEDIEVAL CHURCH
BUILT IN ENGLAND -- IS 500 YEARS OLD. THE ABBEY'S FACADE FEATURES A VERY LITERAL
JACOB'S LADDER, WITH ANGELS GOING UP... AND DOWN. THE INTERIOR FEATURES
BREEZY FAN VAULTING AND IS LIT WITH ENOUGH STAINED GLASS
TO EARN IT THE NICKNAME "LANTERN OF THE WEST." WITH ITS BROAD WINDOWS
AND STRONG VERTICAL LINES, IT'S A FINE EXAMPLE
OF LATE PERPENDICULAR GOTHIC. BATH'S HEYDAY PASSED, AND BY THE MIDDLE OF THE 1600s,
ITS POPULATION HAD DROPPED
TO ABOUT 1,500 PEOPLE -- JUST A HUDDLE OF HUTS
AT THE BASE OF ITS ABBEY. ITS RESIDENTS
WERE OBLIVIOUS TO THE FACT THAT THEIR SMELLY MUD WAS COVERING UP THE RUINS OF AN ANCIENT ROMAN SPA. THEN, IN 1687, AN ENGLISH QUEEN
STRUGGLING WITH INFERTILITY CAME HERE AND BATHED. WITHIN ABOUT 10 MONTHS,
SHE GAVE BIRTH TO A SON. SOON AFTER THAT, QUEEN ANNE
CAME HERE TO TREAT HER GOUT. WITH ALL THIS ROYAL INTEREST, BATH THE SPA TOWN
WAS REBORN. THE REVITALIZED TOWN
PROSPERED AS A RESORT. MOST OF THE BUILDINGS YOU'LL SEE
TODAY ARE FROM THE 18th CENTURY. LOCAL ARCHITECTS WERE INSPIRED
BY THE ITALIAN ARCHITECT ANDREA PALLADIO, TO BUILD A "NEW ROME." THE TOWN BOOMED,
AND THE STREETS WERE BUILT NOT WITH SCRAWNY SIDEWALKS, BUT WITH BROAD "PARADES," UPON WHICH
GENTLEMEN WOULD STROLL AND WOMEN
IN THEIR STYLISH DRESSES COULD SPREAD
THEIR FASHIONABLE TAILS. THIS IS THE ROYAL CRESCENT. DATING FROM THE 1770s, THESE ARE THE FIRST
GEORGIAN CONDOS. "GEORGIAN" IS BRITISH
FOR "NEOCLASSICAL." AS YOU CRUISE THE CRESCENT, IMAGINE YOU'RE ONE
OF BATH'S UPPER CRUST. WHAT APPEARS TO BE
A SEAMLESS FRONT LAWN IS ACTUALLY AN OPTICAL TRICK. THE HIDDEN WALL,
CALLED A "HA-HA" FENCE, KEEPS SHEEP
AND PICNICKING PEASANTS OUT WITHOUT CREATING AN EYESORE. THE GEORGIAN HOUSE,
AT THE PRESTIGIOUS ADDRESS "NUMBER ONE, ROYAL CRESCENT," GIVES AN INTIMATE PEEK INTO THE LAVISH LIFESTYLES
OF THIS AGE. VOLUNTEERS IN EACH ROOM
ARE DETERMINED TO FILL YOU IN ON ALL THE FASCINATING DETAILS. Woman: GEORGIAN LADIES WERE
EXTREMELY FASHIONABLE -- NOT FASHIONS AS WE WOULD
THINK OF THEM TODAY, BECAUSE IF THEY WERE
VERY FASHIONABLE WOMEN, THEY WOULD WEAR THE FRENCH WIGS. AND THEY DIDN'T START
UNTIL THIS PART OF THE HEAD, SO THIS HAIR HERE
WAS SHAVED OFF. THAT MEANT YOUR EYEBROWS
WERE IN THE WRONG PLACE. THEY HAD TO BE SHAVED OFF, AND THEN YOU HAD LITTLE
MOUSE-SKIN EYEBROWS STUCK ON
FURTHER UP THE HEAD. Steves: AND THE KITCHEN
CAME WITH ALL THE LATEST GEORGIAN GIZMOS. SO WHAT IS
THIS MECHANISM? THIS IS A TURN-SPIT,
POWERED BY THE DOG. THE DOG WAS BRED
SPECIALLY FOR THE WHEEL. HE WENT IN FOR TWO HOURS, AND THEN ANOTHER DOG
WOULD COME IN TO REPLACE HIM, UNTIL THE JOINT OF MEAT
WAS COOKED. SO HE SPINS THE MEAT? YES. AND IF HE STOPS WALKING,
WHAT IF HE JUST SAYS, "I'M GOING
TO GO ON STRIKE"? WELL, FIRST OF ALL,
PROD HIM WITH STICKS. AND THEN, LAST RESORT -- SHOVEL A COAL IN THERE -- HOT COALS, HE RUNS. SO A NICE STEAK, YOU'VE
GOT TO THANK YOUR DOG? YES, EXACTLY. A BLOCK AWAY IS ANOTHER FINE BIT
OF GEORGIAN ARCHITECTURE CALLED "THE CIRCUS." IT FEELS LIKE A COLOSSEUM
TURNED INSIDE OUT. ITS DORIC, IONIC, AND CORINTHIAN
CAPITAL DECORATIONS PAY HOMAGE
TO ITS CLASSICAL INSPIRATION. SERVANTS LIVED IN ATTIC ROOMS JUST BELOW
THE CHARACTERISTIC CHIMNEYS -- ONE FOR EACH HEATED ROOM. THE ANCIENT ROMAN BATHS ARE THE TOWN'S
SIGHTSEEING CENTERPIECE. HIGH SOCIETY HERE
GOES ALL THE WAY BACK TO ROMAN TIMES,
WHEN BIG SHOTS ENJOYED THE MINERAL SPRINGS
AT BATH. FROM LONDINIUM, ROMANS TRAVELED
TO AQUAE SULIS, AS THE CITY WAS CALLED,
TO TAKE A BATH. EVENTUALLY, THE NAME
BECAME SIMPLY, BATH. THIS ANCIENT ROMAN POOL IS STILL
LINED WITH ITS ORIGINAL LEAD -- NINE TONS OF IT. YOU CAN ALMOST IMAGINE
THOSE ROMANS LOUNGING AROUND,
SIPPING WINE, SCHMOOZING, JUST LIKE THEY DID
IN FARAWAY ROME. TODAY, A FINE MUSEUM
SURROUNDS THE ANCIENT BATH. ROMAN ARTIFACTS AND THE REMAINS
OF A TEMPLE PEDIMENT EVOKE A SOPHISTICATED CITY. THE HOT THERMAL WATER
STILL BUBBLES -- AS IT HAS
FOR NEARLY 2,000 YEARS -- PAST ANCIENT
ROMAN BRICKS. ENJOY SOME QUALITY TIME LOOKING
INTO THE EYES OF MINERVA, GODDESS OF THE HOT SPRINGS. AFTER ROME FELL
IN THE 5th CENTURY, THESE OLD POOLS SILTED UP, AND BATH WAS FORGOTTEN AS A SPA. OVER A THOUSAND YEARS LATER, WHEN THOSE ENGLISH QUEENS
CAME HERE TO SOAK AND BELIEVED THAT ITS CURATIVE
WATERS ACTUALLY HELPED THEM BECOME PREGNANT
AND DEAL WITH THEIR GOUT, WORD OF ITS WONDER WATERS
SPREAD, AND BATH WAS BACK
ON THE ARISTOCRATIC MAP. HIGH SOCIETY SOON
TURNED THE CITY INTO ONE BIG PLEASURE PALACE. THE PUMP ROOM,
AN ELEGANT GEORGIAN SALON JUST ABOVE THE ROMAN BATHS, OFFERS THE VISITOR'S BEST CHANCE
TO RAISE A PINKY IN THIS NEO-CLASSICAL GRANDEUR. DROP BY FOR A FANCY,
THREE-TIERED AFTERNOON TEA... OR JUST SIP
THE CURATIVE SPA WATER. OK, SO BATH WATER? YES, THIS IS BATH WATER. GENERALLY THIS HAS GOT ABOUT 43 DIFFERENT MINERALS IN IT. THINGS LIKE ARSENIC,
BROMIDE, CALCIUM, LITHIUM. IT'S MADE OF
A LOT OF EARTH METALS, VERY, VERY HIGH
MINERAL CONTENT. THIS WATER IS
ABOUT 10,000 YEARS OLD, COMES TO A TEMPERATURE
OF ABOUT 116° FAHRENHEIT, SO ABOUT 44°
CELSIUS. AND WHAT DOES IT
DO FOR ME? IS IT GOING TO MAKE ME
LIVE FOREVER? GENERALLY, IT'LL CURE A NUMBER
OF DIFFERENT ILLNESSES, THINGS LIKE
RHEUMATISM, GOUT, IF YOU'RE SUFFERING
FROM IMPETIGO, ANGINA. SO, MAINLY, IT'S --
IT'S ALMOST A SORT OF PAINKILLER,
IN A WAY. IT TASTES BAD ENOUGH
TO BE HEALTHY, I GUESS. CHEERS!
THANKS. ABOVE IT ALL STANDS
A STATUE OF BEAU NASH, BATH'S "MASTER OF CEREMONIES"
IN THE 1700s. NASH WAS A ONE-MAN
TOURISM PROMOTION DEPARTMENT -- ORGANIZING THE DAILY REGIMEN
OF THE ARISTOCRATIC VISITORS, SPIFFING UP THE CITY,
AND BANNING SWORDS. BATH'S RELAXATION THEME
SURVIVES TO THIS DAY. ITS NATURAL THERMAL SPA IS ONCE
AGAIN OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, AND TRANQUIL PARKS OFFER
A RESPITE FROM THE DAILY GRIND. HERE IN THE PARADE GARDENS,
YOUR MODEST ADMISSION FEE ENTITLES YOU
TO A RENTED LOUNGE CHAIR AND A PERFECT CHANCE TO SEE HOW SLOW
YOU CAN GET YOUR PULSE. BATH'S AVON RIVER OFFERS
MORE EXCUSES FOR RELAXATION. YOU CAN HOP A LITTLE CRUISE. OR, FOR MORE EXERCISE, YOU CAN
HIKE OR BIKE ALONG ITS CANAL. THESE WATERWAYS WERE BUILT
NOT FOR LAZY VACATIONERS, BUT TO SHIP COAL
AND INDUSTRIAL CARGO. THE TOW PATHS -- ORIGINALLY
THE TRACK FOR HARD-WORKING, BARGE-TUGGING HORSES -- ARE NOW POPULAR FOR HIKERS,
BIKERS, AND DOGS OUT WALKING
THEIR MASTERS. CANAL BOATERS ENJOY
AN EASYGOING PACE. THEIR IDYLLIC CRUISES
ARE PUNCTUATED BY INDUSTRIAL-AGE LOCKS. WITH THE HELP OF THESE LOCKS, LAID-BACK VACATIONERS CAN CRUISE
ALL OVER ENGLAND. LOCKS ARE
SELF-SERVICE... AND PASSERSBY ARE
WELCOME TO HELP OUT. FOR THE PROPER BATH EXPERIENCE, I LIKE TO SLEEP
IN A FINE GEORGIAN HOUSE. OUR HOTEL COMES
WITH PLUSH LOUNGES, A BEDROOM THAT FITS RIGHT IN
WITH ALL THE GRAND NEOCLASSICAL ARCHITECTURE
WE'VE BEEN ENJOYING, AND AN ELEGANT BREAKFAST
THAT CAN BE VERY HEARTY... AS WELL AS VERY HEALTHY. BATH EXPERTLY ENTERTAINS
ITS MANY VISITORS. FREE TOWN WALKS ARE OFFERED BY THE MAYOR'S CORPS
OF HONORARY GUIDES. THESE VOLUNTEERS
BRING THE TOWN'S AMAZING GEORGIAN HERITAGE
TO LIFE. Man:
IT'S HUMANIST ARCHITECTURE. DO YOU REMEMBER
THE LEONARDO DRAWING OF THE MAN WHO
STANDS LIKE THIS... AND WHAT
DO YOU GET? YOU GET A CIRCLE,
AND THEN YOU GET A SQUARE AND YOU GET ALL SORTS
OF GEOMETRY BEHIND THIS. SO WHAT I'M SAYING IS, THE NEW TOWN
THAT WE'VE GOT IN BATH EXPLORING THIS OLD CLASSICAL, OR REINVENTING THIS OLD
CLASSICAL ARCHITECTURE, IS WHAT THE NEW
TOWN IS ABOUT. Steves:
YOU DON'T NEED A GUIDE TO ENJOY BATH'S
MUSEUM OF COSTUME. IT DISPLAYS 400 YEARS
OF FASHION, ONE FRILLY DECADE AT A TIME. WITH PROVIDED AUDIO GUIDES
DOING THE TOUR GUIDING, YOU CAN TRACK THE EVOLUTION
OF CLOTHING STYLES RIGHT THOUGH THE AGES. IN ABOUT 1600, GLOVES
WERE AN IMPORTANT ACCESSORY -- MADE WITH WHITE GOAT SKIN,
LOVINGLY EMBROIDERED, AND DESIGNED TO MAKE YOUR FINGERS LOOK MORE ELEGANT AND SLENDER
THAN THEY REALLY WERE. IN THE 1740s, ARISTOCRATIC WOMEN
WORE BASKET-LIKE HOOPS TO SHOW OFF THEIR FABULOUSLY
EXPENSIVE AND EXTRAVAGANTLY EMBROIDERED
COURT DRESSES. IN THE MID-1800s,
WOMEN SHAPED THEIR BODIES WITH SMALLER "UNDER STRUCTURES." THOSE WIDE HOOPS EVOLVED
TO MORE DISCREET BUSTLES. WITH THE OUTBREAK
OF WORLD WAR II, DESIGNERS MADE DRESSES
THAT WERE CHIC, YET PRACTICAL, STYLISH, YET SIMPLE. BATH'S MUSEUM OF COSTUME
TAKES YOU RIGHT UP TO TODAY. BATH WAS NOT ALL
ARISTOCRATIC SPLENDOR. THERE'S A GRITTIER SIDE
TO ITS HISTORY, AS WELL. LIKE THE REST OF ENGLAND, THE STORY HERE
IN THE 19th CENTURY WAS THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION. AT THE MUSEUM OF BATH AT WORK, VOLUNTEERS SHOW OFF
THE QUIRKY BUSINESS OF THE INGENIOUS MR. BOWLER. THIS IS
THE HEAVY MACHINE SHOP. DATING ALL THESE MACHINES
BETWEEN ABOUT 1850, 1880. STEAM-DRIVEN. AND WITH A SET
OF MACHINES LIKE THIS, THERE WAS VIRTUALLY
NO ENGINEERING JOB THAT HE COULDN'T TACKLE. PEOPLE IN THE TOWN
HAD A NEED, MR. BOWLER WOULD
TAKE CARE OF IT. ABSOLUTELY. Steves: AND MR. BOWLER
TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THE LOCAL WATERS, TOO. HE BOTTLED HIS OWN FIZZY WATER. RIGHT, THIS IS WHERE HE
BOTTLED HIS MINERAL WATERS. SO SODA POP WAS ONE
OF HIS BUSINESSES? ABSOLUTELY, YES. AND IT WAS FILLED ON THIS RATHER INGENIOUS MACHINE
YOU SEE HERE. AND ALL YOU DID -- YOU ROTATED THAT
AROUND... AND THERE YOU GO. WOW! THERE YOU ARE. MR. BOWLER'S
SODA POP, 1875. THAT'S RIGHT. BATH IS DRENCHED IN HISTORY. AND A GREAT WAY TO LEARN ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ABOUT THAT IS TO JOIN THE BIZARRE
BATH WALK. EACH EVENING THROUGH THE SUMMER, LOCAL ACTORS GIVE VISITORS A GOOFY AND IMMENSELY
ENTERTAINING DOSE OF STREET THEATER. Man: WELL, WE'RE GOING
TO STOP HERE FOR A SECOND BECAUSE...WELL,
I'M EXHAUSTED, ACTUALLY. IT'S THE MOST WALKING
I'VE DONE FOR AGES. AND AT THIS STAGE
WE'RE GOING TO PROVE THAT THERE IS SUCH A THING
AS MIND READING. FOR THOSE OF YOU
WHO ARE TELEPATHIC, HERE'S A QUICK JOKE FOR YOU,
FIRST OF ALL. [ LAUGHTER ] AS THIS STAGE,
I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU TRULY HOW TO BE ACCEPTED
AS A LOCAL PERSON HERE IN BATH. BECAUSE THIS IS A LOCAL BYLAW, A LOCAL REGULATION
THAT STATES QUITE CLEARLY THAT ONE HAS TO HOP
ACROSS THIS ROAD. [ LAUGHTER ] IF LOCAL PEOPLE
SEE YOU HOPPING ACROSS THE ROAD,
THEY THINK YOU'RE A LOCAL PERSON
AS WELL. AND THEY SMILE AT YOU
VERY WARMLY. THEY REALLY DO. OVER, OVER YOU GO. OVER YOU GO, THAT'S GOOD. OVER YOU GO. [ LAUGHTER ] NEXT WE'RE HEADING
FOR THE HISTORIC AND EQUALLY ENTERTAINING
TOWN OF YORK, IT'S JUST A COUPLE HOURS NORTH
BY TRAIN. BRITAIN'S TRAINS ARE SOME OF THE MOST EXPENSIVE PER MILE
IN EUROPE. HOWEVER, ASSUMING YOU'RE
ON A MAIN LINE, THEY'RE FAST, FREQUENT,
RELIABLE, AND COMFORTABLE. YORK OFFERS
A FASCINATING COLLECTION OF GREAT SIGHTS MIXED WITH AN EASYGOING
PEDESTRIAN AMBIENCE, ALL LASSOED WITHIN
ITS FORMIDABLE WALL. ITS RICH HISTORY GOES BACK
TO ANCIENT ROMAN TIMES. THIS COLUMN IS A SCANT REMINDER OF WHEN YORK WAS
A ROMAN PROVINCIAL CAPITAL -- THE NORTHERNMOST CITY
IN THE EMPIRE. CONSTANTINE WAS ACTUALLY
PROCLAIMED EMPEROR RIGHT HERE IN THE YEAR 306. LATER, IN THE 5th CENTURY,
WHEN ROME WAS FALLING, THE EMPEROR SENT A LETTER
TO BRITANNIA, AS THIS PART OF THE EMPIRE
WAS CALLED, AND HE SAID, BASICALLY,
"YOU'RE ON YOUR OWN." WHEN ROME PULLED OUT,
THE BARBARIANS MOVED IN, AND YORK BECAME THE CAPITAL
OF AN ANGLO-SAXON KINGDOM. THE VIKINGS LATER TOOK THE TOWN, AND FROM THE 9th
THROUGH THE 11th CENTURIES, IT WAS A THRIVING DANISH
TRADING CENTER CALLED JORVIK. THEN CAME THE NORMANS. MEDIEVAL YORK GREW RICH
ON THE WOOL TRADE. WITH 9,000 INHABITANTS, IT BECAME ENGLAND'S
SECOND CITY. HENRY VIII USED THE CITY'S
FINE CHURCH, OR MINSTER, AS HIS ANGLICAN CHURCH'S
NORTHERN CAPITAL. THE MINSTER IS
THE PRIDE OF YORK. BRITAIN'S LARGEST GOTHIC CHURCH BRILLIANTLY SHOWS THAT THE LATE
MIDDLE AGES WERE FAR FROM DARK. THE YORK MINSTER IS FILLED
WITH HISTORY AND TRADITION. ITS GRAND BELLS HAVE CALLED
PEOPLE TO WORSHIP HERE FOR WELL OVER A THOUSAND YEARS. EACH DAY AT NOON THE HUGE BELL
NICKNAMED "GREAT PETER" IS RUNG FROM THE CHURCH TOWER. AT 10 TONS, THE BELL CAN
ACTUALLY RING ITS RINGER. [ BELL RINGS ] INSIDE, YOUR FIRST IMPRESSION
MIGHT BE THE SPACIOUSNESS AND BRIGHTNESS. THE NAVE, FROM ABOUT 1300, IS ONE OF THE WIDEST
GOTHIC NAVES IN EUROPE. ON FESTIVAL SUNDAYS, 4,000
WORSHIPPERS PACK THE PLACE. THE CENTRAL TOWER SOARS
NEARLY 200 FEET. THE NECK-SAVING MIRROR ALLOWS
YOU TO MARVEL AT IT COMFORTABLY. THE CHURCH HAS MORE
ORIGINAL MEDIEVAL GLASS THAN THE REST OF ENGLAND'S
CHURCHES COMBINED. THE EAST WINDOW IS THE SIZE
OF A TENNIS COURT. THE GREAT WEST WINDOW HAS
EXCEPTIONAL STONE TRACERY. WITH ITS NICKNAME,
"THE HEART OF YORK," IT REPRESENTS THE SACRED HEART
OF CHRIST AND REMINDS WORSHIPPERS
OF HIS LOVE FOR THE WORLD. THE INTRICACY OF THE PAINTED
AND STAINED GLASS HELD TOGETHER BY LEAD
IS EXQUISITE. THE FINE DETAILS, FAR TOO TINY
TO SEE FROM THE FLOOR, ARE SAID TO BE
FOR GOD'S EYES ONLY. THE CHOIR SCREEN SEPARATES
THE NAVE FROM THE CHOIR. THIS ORNATE WALL
OF CARVINGS IS LINED WITH FOUR CENTURIES
OF ENGLISH KINGS, FROM WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR
TO HENRY VI. WHILE MOST OF THE FACES
ARE GENERIC KINGS WITH THE SAME
SCRAGGLY BEARDS, HENRY, DURING WHOSE REIGN
IT WAS CARVED IN 1461, IS BOTH GENTEEL AND ENGAGED. YORK'S MINSTER
IS CONSIDERED ENGLAND'S NUMBER-TWO ANGLICAN CHURCH,
AFTER CANTERBURY. THE ANGLICAN CHURCH CAME INTO
EXISTENCE ABOUT 500 YEARS AGO, BORN OUT OF EUROPE'S LONG
POWER STRUGGLE BETWEEN POPES AND KINGS. ENGLAND'S SPLIT WITH THE VATICAN
GOES BACK TO KING HENRY VIII. HENRY WANTED TO DIVORCE HIS WIFE
AND MARRY HIS MISTRESS. THE POPE SAID NO. HENRY DID ANYWAY,
AND DECLARED THAT HE, AND NOT THE POPE, WAS THE HEAD
OF ENGLAND'S CATHOLICS. WHILE HENRY CONSIDERED HIMSELF
A FAITHFUL CATHOLIC, JUST NOT A ROMAN CATHOLIC, HIS CHURCH OF ENGLAND
SOON EMBRACED THE ESSENCE
OF THE PROTESTANT REFORMATION. CANON JEREMY FLETCHER
EXPLAINS IN A NUTSHELL HOW ANGLICANISM DIFFERS
FROM ROMAN CATHOLICISM. HENRY THE VIII'S ARCHBISHOP
WAS ARCHBISHOP CRANMER, AND HE DEFINED THREE PILLARS
FOR THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND -- SCRIPTURE AND REASON
AND TRADITION. THE BIBLE,
OUR OWN HUMAN UNDERSTANDING, AND THE TRADITION
OF THE CHURCH. AND THAT'S
THE GREAT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE NEW
CHURCH OF ENGLAND AND THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH
THEN, THAT THE MEDIEVAL
ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH WAS MUCH LESS BASED
ON THE BIBLE. THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND
IS A REFORMATION CHURCH. IT'S A PROTESTANT CHURCH. BUT THE STRUCTURES REMAINED CATHOLIC ONES AS WELL, SO IT HAS BOTH. WE LIKE
TO DESCRIBE OURSELVES AS BEING CATHOLIC
AND REFORMED. Steves: YORK'S MIGHTY WALL
IS A REMINDER THAT THE CITY WAS MORE
THAN A RELIGIOUS POWER. IT WAS A MILITARY
AND POLITICAL CENTER, VITAL FOR THE CONTROL
OF NORTH ENGLAND FROM ROMAN TIMES
THROUGH THE MIDDLE AGES. THESE RAMPARTS,
SOME OF WHICH SIT ON THE REMAINS
OF THE ROMAN WALL, ARE MOSTLY MEDIEVAL --
14th AND 15th CENTURY. EACH OF THE TOWN GATES WAS
HEAVILY FORTIFIED -- AND I IMAGINE PRETTY SCARY
IF YOU WERE TRYING TO BREAK IN. GAZE UP AT THE TOWER,
IMAGINING 10 ARCHERS BEHIND THE CROSS-SHAPED
ARROW SLITS. KEEP AN EYE ON THOSE
12th-CENTURY GUARDS, WITH THEIR STONES
RAISED AND PRIMED TO PROTECT THEIR TOWN. TODAY THOSE WALLS SEEM ONLY TO PROTECT
THE HALF-TIMBERED CHARM. YE OLDE DOWNTOWN YORK --
MUCH OF IT AS CAR-FREE TODAY
AS IT WAS 500 YEARS AGO -- IS FILLED WITH CHARACTERISTIC
OLD BUILDINGS. IT FEELS MADE
FOR WINDOW-SHOPPING, PEOPLE-WATCHING,
AND STROLLING. YORK'S RICH HISTORY
GOES BACK MUCH FURTHER. THE RUINS OF ST. MARY'S ABBEY -- ONCE THE WEALTHIEST ABBEY
IN NORTH ENGLAND -- ARE LOCATED IN A LUSH
AND INVITING PARK. IN HIS FIGHT
WITH THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH, HENRY VIII SAW THE WEALTHY
MONASTERIES AND CONVENTS AS BOTH A THREAT TO HIS RULE
AND SOME EASY MONEY. IN WHAT'S CALLED
THE DISSOLUTION, HE DISSOLVED
THE RELIGIOUS ORDERS. HE TOOK THEIR MONEY AND
DESTROYED THEIR GREAT BUILDINGS. THE YORKSHIRE MUSEUM -- ACTUALLY BUILT INTO THE RUINS
OF THE ABBEY -- TELLS THE STORY OF LIFE HERE
FOR THE MONKS, HOW ALL THAT ENDED,
AND MUCH MORE. THE ANCIENT ROMAN COLLECTION
INCLUDES SLICE-OF-LIFE EXHIBITS FROM CULT FIGURINES TO THE SKULL OF A MAN KILLED BY A SWORD BLOW
TO THE HEAD -- MAKING IT GRAPHICALLY CLEAR THAT THE STRUGGLE BETWEEN
ROMANS AND BARBARIANS WAS A VIOLENT ONE. THIS FINE 8th-CENTURY
ANGLO-SAXON HELMET SHOWS A BIT OF BARBARIAN
REFINEMENT. AND THOSE VIKINGS -- THEY WORE
SOME PRETTY DECENT SHOES AND ACTUALLY COMBED THEIR HAIR. THE MIDDLEHAM JEWEL, AN EXQUISITELY ETCHED
15th-CENTURY PENDANT, IS CONSIDERED THE FINEST PIECE
OF GOTHIC JEWELRY IN BRITAIN. TO THE NOBLE LADY WHO WORE THIS
ON A NECKLACE, IT BOTH HELPED HER WORSHIP
AND PROTECTED HER FROM ILLNESS. THE BACK OF IT,
WHICH RESTED NEAR HER HEART, SHOWS THE NATIVITY. THE FRONT SHOWS THE HOLY TRINITY
CROWNED BY A SAPPHIRE, WHICH PEOPLE BELIEVED
GAVE YOUR PRAYERS TOP PRIORITY WITH GOD. FOR A LIVELY CHANGE OF PACE, LOOK FOR THE LOCAL
MORRIS DANCERS, WHO BOLDLY KEEP CENTURIES OF DANCING TRADITION ALIVE. MIXING BOTH PAGAN
AND CHRISTIAN TRADITIONS, THEY'RE ALWAYS
READY TO CELEBRATE -- CHEERLEADING THE TOWN THROUGH THE RETURN OF SPRING,
THE HARVEST, YOUR MOTHER'S BIRTHDAY...
WHATEVER. [ ENGLISH FOLK MUSIC PLAYING ] FOR SOMETHING
A LITTLE WEIGHTIER, VISIT YORK'S
NATIONAL RAILWAY MUSEUM. SHOWING TWO CENTURIES
OF BRITISH RAILROAD HISTORY, IT CLAIMS TO BE
THE BIGGEST AND BEST RAILROAD MUSEUM ANYWHERE. FANNING OUT
FROM A GRAND ROUNDHOUSE IS A STUNNING ARRAY OF BEAUTIFULLY PRESERVED
HISTORIC TRAINS. A STEAM ENGINE IS SLICED OPEN, SHOWING CYLINDERS, DRIVING WHEELS, AND SMOKE BOX,
ALL IN ACTION. YOU'LL TRACE THE EVOLUTION OF
STEAM-POWERED TRANSPORTATION FROM VERY EARLY TRAINS LIKE THIS 1830 STAGE COACH
ON RAILS, WITH ITS CRUDE STEAM ENGINE, TO THE AERODYNAMIC MALLARD,
FAMOUS AS THE FIRST TRAIN TO TRAVEL
AT TWO MILES PER MINUTE, A MARVEL BACK IN 1938. YORK HAS ALL THESE GREAT
HISTORIC TRAINS BECAUSE IT'S LONG BEEN THE HUB OF TRAIN TRANSPORTATION
FOR NORTHERN ENGLAND. IT STILL IS TODAY, AND IT'S TIME
FOR US TO TRAVEL ON. I HOPE YOU ENJOYED OUR LOOK AT
TWO GREAT CITIES -- BATH AND YORK. I'M RICK STEVES. UNTIL NEXT TIME,
KEEP ON TRAVELING. CHEERIO.
