I had a trip to the railway station for shots of the latest steam hauled special, and then met Katharine and we had a walk round part of the city walls, from Micklegate to Cliffords Tower.
Daffodils were in flower along several parts of the banks below the city walls, but the best display was around the mound on which Cliffords Tower is built. The bulbs here were replanted as part of the recent renovation work on the tower.
Cliffords Tower is the largest remnant of York castle, and its origins date back to Norman times, almost 1000 years ago. At that time earth mounds with timber buildings on top were built on either side of the River Ouse.
The original wooden Cliffords Tower had a traumatic history, cumulating in 1190 with the deaths of 150 Jews who had taken refuge here to escape from a mob. Many of them committed suicide, the rest were massacred by the mob, and the wooden tower was burned down.
The new Cliffords Tower was constructed in stone, and much of it survives today. Recent renovation has made several areas accessible that have not been accessible for several hundred years.
The tower really looks at its best when the banks are covered with daffodils in flower. It was lovely to see the nice blue sky as well!
Thank you all for your lovely comments and favs, they are very much appreciated.
The mass of daffodils around Cliffords Tower is quite beautiful, and there were a lot of people around the tower to see the display. Hopefully Katharine and I will have more walks around the city walls to see the daffodils in flower in other parts of the wall walk. Several different varieties of daffodils are grown in different places, and that combined with some daffodils being in more shaded locations means that daffodils can be seen beside different parts of the walls for quite a long time.
Thank you all for your lovely comments and favs, they are very much appreciated.
The mass of daffodils around Cliffords Tower is quite beautiful, and there were a lot of people around the tower to see the display. Hopefully Katharine and I will have more walks around the city walls to see the daffodils in flower in other parts of the wall walk. Several different varieties of daffodils are grown in different places, and that combined with some daffodils being in more shaded locations means that daffodils can be seen beside different parts of the walls for quite a long time.
Ian
Thank you both, it is an impressive sight, and there were quite a few people around the mound to see it.
Ian