The Shambles

Absolutely love walking through the shambles! Having come down from Scotland for the long weekend it was nice to walk through something old but absolutely buzzing with amazing quirky shops and people. Really enjoyed window shopping and was a lovely day to be walking around as well. It can however get extremely busy but it’s such a nice little place it doesn’t bother me :)

One more place in York that is a ‘must see’. Unchanged over the ages with overhanging buildings. Nice to see that it hasn’t been spoiled by the cheap touristy type shops. Still has the fudge maker, bookshops etc etc. The smells of those original shops still lingers as you walk by. A nice hour or so, going back in time.

Good god, this is where history walks right up to you, grins and then punches you in the face so you really know it’s there in front of you!
The history, the architecture, the tight narrow alleys leading off the main road to who knows where. You just soak this whole area up!
Every where you look is something new/​interesting/​bizarre/​cute/​funny/​insert-​adjective-​here. There’s little shops with food, knick knacks or curiosities. It all seems pretty genuine, and not at all touristy (which is the best kind of touristy). I absolutely loved my walk through here, and I came back again later in the day for another crack at it.

one of the nicest shopping, walking and eating district I’ve ever seen. at least it really appealed to me. beautiful little shops, not the same old tired big chains which now dominate most shopping areas. there were a very few big brand stores. narrow cobblestone streets add to the character. it would be easy to get lost, but in a good way. I am jealous of the people who live here and can stroll through here each day. a very special experience.

The Shambles is a Medieval street in York. It is a must see for anyone in the area! It looks so cool. (It was the inspiration for Diagon Alley, so if it looks familiar that’s why!)
During the day time it is a pedestrian only street. I can’t imagine anyone but vendors of the street would want to drive down this narrow cobblestone street anyway.
It’s very cool that you can walk in the middle of an old street. It’s like being in a museum, but better.
The Shambles used to be a street full of butchers. A couple of the buildings still have the meat hooks out front and the ledge for displaying wares. Now it’s mostly things tourists want: tea shop, bakery, chocolate shop, etc.

The Shambles is a great place to step back in time get a view of old York. There are maintained buildings that are still in use, some of which still have original hooks which were used as meat displays. The street is very narrow, winds this way and thay, and the road is cobblestone. The sidewalks slope toward the road, as the butchers relied on this for the blood run-​off. Some buildings jut past their foundations on upper levels, as apparently assessments were done according to the building footprint.
These days, it’s a popular tourist attraction, so check it out, but maybe in the earlier morning or later at night. The rest of the time, there are tons of humans shopping and taking photos.
Speaking of the shopping, they’ve got just about everything. Food, gifts, boutiques, men’s clothing, etc. Do stop in the York Sausage Shop for a savory pie — great, delicious picnic meal.

A real case of do believe the hype. Incredibly picturesque, charming, almost as if its was built for a film set straight out of a Charles Dickens novel, I would imagine walking here in December/​Christmas time would be the ultimate trip back in time.
Perfection.

My favourite part of York! I really enjoyed paroozing though The Shambles and stopping to look into tiny stores and coffee shops. I was there on a Saturday, so the streets can get really crowded with other weekend tourists/​shoppers, but is still definitely a must see!

The Shambles is the most beautiful street in York! It’s a gorgeous little narrow cobbled street with lovely little old shops along it. Most of the shops have been there ages and I hope they all remain there for a long time to come. My favourite shop of the Shambles is Silverado which is a really nice little jewellery shop.

The Shambles is a lovely narrow street of medieval buildings, lots of little gift shops, and some wonderful architecture.
A must see.

The Shambles must be on every tourist’s list of places to visit in York. It is a medieval street with buildings which lean in towards each other and also sloping pavements which apparently were designed in order to channel blood and offal from the butcher’s shops which originally filled the whole street! Fortunately it is a far pleasanter place to stroll down these days though and the shops are now predominantly touristy shops with the exception of the York Sausage Shop at one end. We visited it twice, once in the afternoon when it was thronging with visitors and once in the evening when we actually had it all to ourselves for a few minutes! It is only a short street and you are through it in the bat of an eye really, however some of the surrounding streets also retain a lot of charm and it’s a lovely part of York to visit. A ‘must do’ if you’re visiting York.

A very beautiful place that REALLY needs a visit when visiting the City. it has been used in lots of films over the years and the shops are still used next to the market area. recommended

The Shambles in York sind wirklich sehenswert. Eigentlich ist es die historische Altststadt, bzw. 3 Straßenzügen in der Altstadt von York. Oft hört man die Bezeichnung like Fairytales und wirklich fühlt man sich hier wie an einem Märchen Ort. Kleine verwinkelte Gassen, schiefe und krumme Fachwerkhäuser. Viele Geschäfte und Läden mit Antiquitäten, Handwerkskust oder Süßen Verführungen. Historische Orte findet man hier genauso wie schöné Pubs und kleine Restaurantes. Wer sich in York aufhält ist gut beraten einen ausgedehnten Bummel durch die Altstadt und die Shambles zu machen.
Sieht man mal von den gewaltigen Massen an Touristen ab, fühlt man sich hier wirklich wie im Märchen.

The Shambles in a street in York which has survived since medievil times. It is a narrow cobbled street with overhanging buildings some of which are so close together on the upper floors over the street that it is said you can shake hands. It was originaly a street of buchers shops and indeed some of the buildings still have hooks hanging from them.
Today this medievil street is still traiding although now with souveners instead of meat, good that it still serves, in a way it’s oridinal function.
The street also houses a srine to St Margaret Clitherow. A butchers wife who alloud her house to be used to hide Chatholic priests and other ‘crimes’ relatingto religion. She served various prision sentances and eventialy was crushed to death on the Tollboth on the Ouse Bridge in 1586. In fact the building bought by the council is now belived not to have been her home but it is still worth a visit, if nothing else but to see inside one of these remarcable buildings from the past.
Well worth a visit but can be realy busy which impacts on the appreaciation of this facinating street.

This street held great memories from my childhood visits to York so I was keen to see if i still found it as intriguing when we visited recently as i had when i was a little girl.
I have to say i was a little disappointed, not with the street itself, that still is particularly special but with the shops that reside in the street themselves. It is very touristy even down to shops selling LONDON souvenirsnot one but TWO of them owned by the same people.
Having said this it did have a couple of nice shops and it was the actual history of the street we had gone to see as opposed to do any shopping. It just would of been nicer had the shops been a little more in ‘keeping’ with the history of the street.
If you want perfect shots though best time to go would be early morning before the toursists arrive and the light is good, you could get some beautiful photos then i’m sure.

Elbow your way through the tourists to visit one of York’s oldest streets. The Shambles was once a street of butchers and the curbs are high to let the blood run. These days the shops are boutiques, tea rooms and other such touristy temptations.
Even with the tourists and the kind of shops there, it’s still a pretty cool street to look at and the buildings nearly touch at the top. If you’re in to your photography, you’ll be waiting ages for a good shot as there’s just too many people too much of the time.
There’s a very nice chocolate shop about half way down.

The most famous address in York. Experience what the old city of York would have been like years ago, it realy is like stepping back in time!
But you can also step out of the time warp and indulge in some shopping in the many gift shops that line The Shambles!
My personal favourite is Mr Sandwich, all sandwiches are a pound!
There is also a really great traditional sweet shop and 2 rather good Italian restaurants.
The rest of the street has many different gift shops selling all sorts of gifts to remind you of your visit to York and indeed the UK in general.

A lovely part of York to visit for free, unless you buy items from the shops there.
I do find York very busy as there are an awful lot of tourists there, especially during the spring and summer months.
The Shambles is usually quite busy and hetic, but less so jan/​feb time of the year. Its a lovely area to have a wander around and theres som fantastic little shops to have a nosey in.

We found The Shambles to be slightly overhyped, maybe it was because there were just so many people it was impossible to look around properly. The modern For Sale signs also made it more difficult to image what it would have been like when it was first built.
One a quiet day I imagine its nice to walk down and imagine how life was in those days. The shops were all independents which does add a little bit to the authenticity.

When I visited York the Shambles was packed out with shoppers and tourists taking photos, it made it hard to appreciate the place.
The Shambles is a well preserved medieval street. The street was mentioned in the Domesday Book, so it has existed for over 900 years. The houses project out into the lane in their upper stories, and nearly meet the houses on the other side.
The Shambles house shops for tourists including jewelry shops and antiques shops.

The Shambles in York is a narrow street of medieval houses. originally butchers quarters hence the name. (Saxon Fleshammels, which means, the street of the butchers) It is said you can shake hands across the street from upper windows.
Lots of gift shops. Some nice some taccy. jewellery, gorgeous teddies, antiques etc. but the place selling swords and crests etc is pretty good. Also go in the shrine of Margaret Clitherow for an interesting bit of history. She was arrested in 1586 on the charge of harbouring Catholic priests. She was condemned to death by pressing (crushing beneath a heavy weight).
I have spent enjoyable times here since childhood but one memory will always stay with me. The morning after the fire in York Minster I stood, at a barrier, at the end looking. There were quite a few people. Weary firemen clearing up and tourists and locals. The acrid smell of smoke hung in the air. not a bird sang. no-​one spoke just total silence.