‘The History of York is the History of England’.

When discussing the possibility of a Year 6 residential trip focusing on both history and geography back in the 1990s, York, with its layers of history, compact city centre and beautiful medieval streets, seemed to be the ideal choice. It also fitted in with much of the history curriculum for our Years 5 & 6 boys (Celts, Romans, Anglo-Saxons, Vikings, Normans and life in Medieval England). There had been one previous York trip, but with the encouragement of Headmaster, George Marsh, a regular annual trip was proposed. Wind the clock forward 30 years, I am not sure anyone on that first trip could have predicted it would become one of the most popular and enduring (for boys and staff!) trips at school and that it would still be going strong in 2025. I estimate around 2,000 boys and over a hundred different staff members have been on the trip. Many alumni I have met of all ages often refer to it as one of their favourite ever school trips across their whole educational life at both the Prep and senior schools. What makes it so? This is a little dip into memories of the trip, which I hope many of our old boys who have left the school since the late 1990s, right up to our most recent leavers, will fondly recall.

The Initial Planning

In 1994, Piers Tobenhouse (Head of History) and Neil Smith (Head of Geography) planned the residential trip for Year 6. Piers and I drove up on a historical recce to see what a three-night/four-day trip could look like, and which venues and sights would be popular with boys and staff. We toured the city, looking at the huge range of places to visit and chose those we thought would work well. We even joined an organised public Ghost Walk. We loved it, and that was one evening activity for the boys cemented in the diary.

The sites and ideas were collected, and the first trip was soon set in place.

The original and most of the subsequent trips until recent times were planned for early November after half term. The numbers of our Year 6 cohort meant the trip was split into two (two forms and half of another). The first group would leave on Sunday morning and return on Wednesday afternoon, while the second group would leave on Wednesday morning and return on Saturday. Occasionally, both groups might briefly see each other close to York station and wave across the platforms or roads close to York station. Winter in York meant dark evenings and variable weather, although the early Christmas lights gave the inner city a growing festive feel.

In more recent years, the trip has been shortened to free up the weekends for both boys and staff. The Year Group remains split in half, but is now just two nights away. Group 1 leaves on Monday morning. Wednesday is still the changeover day, with Group 2 returning to school late afternoon on Friday. A big change from the early years is that the trip is now in March, so it is set in the more spring time weather (although we still have had floods and snow!) and longer daylight time too.

Accommodation

In the very first year, we stayed at a hostel called ‘Maxwell’s which was linked to York University and very central. We took all the rooms, so we had exclusive use, but it was cramped and rather rambling. A stroke of luck came when the hostel closed later that year, and new accommodation had to be found. We had already visited the Lady Anne Middleton Hotel on Skeldergate (the hotel itself was founded way back in 1659 and originally a refuge for twenty widows of the Freemen of York), who agreed to take us for the week the following year. It is set in the city centre by the River Ouse on the south side and was perfect for a school group. It was family-run and a big hotel with different accommodation blocks, a large reception area, and two separate dining rooms. The staff were friendly, and we were a rarity for the hotel in being a school group booking. There were always other guests around, but the separate dining hall, big rooms and a great location made it the perfect place. The boys loved being in private rooms with en-suite bathrooms and televisions far removed from the dorms, bunks and tents on other trips.! The staff equally appreciated not only the rooms but the relaxed lounge and bar area, and the ‘A la carte dining’! While most of the boys were in rooms of between two and five friends, there was one big room on the first floor of the main block known as the ‘Organ Factory' that was laid out with camp beds that housed a form of about 20 boys. There was a raised cabin-style area (Organ Loft) up steps, which was a staff bedroom overseeing the boys’ sleeping area below. It was always assigned to the most junior member of staff! Apparently, there was a little grate in the Organ Factory wall just above the floor, which gave a hidden view of the hotel’s bar and lounge area and also a warning of any staff inspection visits! The Organ Factory dormitory is long gone and is now a big conference room for meetings and events.

In time, the Lady Anne Middleton Hotel was sold by the Clarke family and has undergone a lot of refurbishment, making it seem even more luxurious to the boys and staff. It rebranded as ‘Middletons’. The hotel has always been popular as the best accommodation on any school trip, and we always feel lucky and thankful that, given its location and comfort, we are still welcomed back each year. This has to be down to the good impression our boys make each year and our very good and friendly relationship with the different hotel owners and staff. The competitive morning room inspections by staff, leading to immaculately tidied rooms, also probably impressed too. I think we are still the only school group allowed to book in amongst its mixture of business, local and tourist guests.

The hotel’s location, very close to the River Ouse, has indeed seen flooding, and there was one year when the blocks closest to the river (Chaplin House, where Charlie Chaplin once stayed) were badly damaged by water and closed for several months.

Getting to York

The journey to York has always involved a coach to and from King’s Cross and then a train to York. The London end of both journeys has always been rather relaxed, given that the train can be boarded and alighted with plenty of time to get 50 boys, staff and bags on and off. There have been a few dashes from the coach to the platform when the London traffic has not played ball, but generally that is the easy part! On the very first trip, our journey was delayed by a small fire on the train around Doncaster. All of the train’s passengers had to evacuate at Doncaster Station, and then all scrambled onto the next northbound train. Boarding an already full train presented challenges, but the boys and staff stood or sat in aisles and doorways for the short trip to York and chatted amiably to all the passengers around them. Luckily, that has never happened since, but there has been the odd outward-bound late cancellation at King’s Cross. Getting on and off at York is always a challenge in getting the party of 50 and all the bags off and on in the couple of minutes allowed! The railway staff have always been very friendly and helpful, so there has never been a time when everyone hasn’t got on and off (just!), although on one trip north, the school sister’s suitcase ended up in Newcastle, such was the dash to help the boys and their bags off in time. For a few years, the rail company had a designated luggage carriage where all the bags could be stored, which made life easier. Now all of the school bags (all one size now) are stowed in the luggage racks above heads and at the end of the carriage.

There has only been one time when we couldn’t take the train owing to line closures caused by weather, which led to a coach journey both ways for the groups. This made us realise how much more comfortable train travel is.

The Sights of York

Our programme has remained similar for 30 years, but with a shorter trip now, the effects of the pandemic on some venues and simply different times, it is better to remind you of the places we still visit, those we don’t and new additions to the schedule.

Still Going!

The walk of the City walls, the visit to the riverside by Lendl Bridge as we leave the station, there are stories and anecdotes along the way, and we always have lunch in the beautiful ruins of St Mary’s Abbey. This has been the staple for the first couple of hours of the trip. It stretches the legs and, rather than going straight to the hotel or a museum, it gives the feel of Medieval York to boys and staff on their first visit to the city. As we then move on into the city centre we get the chance to explain to the boys the mantra that in York the streets are called gates (Gata is Viking for street), the gates (to the city) are called bars and the bars are called …….pubs (one for every day of the year apparently although the actual total is some 230).

The visit to the awe-inspiring York Minster is still an obvious highlight of the trip, although the Education Centre next door has closed and the tours of the Minster, the undercroft and crypt are now self-guided rather than led by the Education Centre.

The Jorvik Centre (the heart of old Viking York) remains perhaps the other most visited tourist attraction. It has reinvented itself over the years and received more investment, but it remains a favourite.

The Ghost Walk has been led for nearly all our time by the amazing Ray Alexander of The Original Ghost Walk Company. Ray always wanted to take the Prep groups around, and we formed a special bond with him. Ray stepped down two years ago, but the walk is still run by the company, and ghostly stories of piked heads, headless ghosts, Roman soldiers, the plague house, and many more will always remain an abiding memory of boys on each trip.

The orientation walk taking in the world-famous King’s Arms (arguably one of the world’s most flooded pubs), Clifford’s Tower (by night), Walmgate Bar and, of course, Dick Turpin’s Grave (the boys are still told not to talk about the ending to lower year groups at school) remains our other key evening adventure and walk

Piers Tobenhouse fondly recalls while standing behind Dick Turpin’s grave in St George’s churchyard telling the story of the famous highwayman to open mouthed schoolboys, an adult strode past the mist enshrouded graveyard (yes really!) and on seeing our group, suddenly stopped under a street lamp, and stared. After a few moments, he made himself known to our staff, standing at the back. It turned out that the passer by was not a curious local but a student at York University and that ten years earlier he had been a Dulwich Prep boy standing on the very same spot. He had nothing but happy memories. It was not the only time we came across York University students who asked, ‘You’re not Dulwich Prep, are you?’.

Clifford’s Tower and the story of York’s castles is still a staple, and having been closed for redevelopment for a couple of years for renovation and updating, now has a large deck and seating area right across its top with spectacular 360-degree views of the city and its hinterland. You might remember previously that once you climbed the narrow stairs, there was only an equally narrow walkway around to the top (not for those without a head for heights!). York Castle Museum with its Victorian Street (and our quiz) and its eclectic mix of galleries such as the 1914 First World War, Secrets of Dress, the 1960s, and the Debtors’ Prison is still going strong. The visit to the old jail and cells, including the one Turpin spent his final night in, is, of course, another highlight.

What’s Gone?

We no longer have time to go visit the beautiful Merchant Adventurers Hall (sadly, as it was one of Piers and my favourites) with our stories of life in guilds and the famous doughnut masterpiece test! The visits to the Monk Bar Richard III Museum and the one to Micklegate Bar ended after the pandemic. The National Railway Museum was always our last visit on the morning of departure, but one fewer day and recent redevelopment, meaning part closure, has seen it disappear from our schedule. In the early days, it was a two-part trip involving ‘hands-on’ activities at the Railway Learning Centre, but this closed many years ago.

A long-time favourite, also now gone from our timetable, is the half-day visit to Murton Park Medieval Village (a short coach ride away). If you remember, we had a talk on medieval life in a rustic hall, and then the boys and staff dressed up as medieval peasants. We went out to the village (whatever the weather) and in groups practised guard duty, candle making, farming (endlessly tilling mud!), corn grinding and cleaning out huts. Highlights were the ringing of the village bell announcing the arrival of a leper and soon afterwards the appearance of the Lord of the Manor, which saw much bowing of heads and shouting at the trembling boys and staff who were desperately hoping not to be singled out. A victim was chosen to be put in the stocks and was always a member of staff, and even Mr Marsh had his turn one year, and the boys loved pelting their headmaster with wet straw! An archery display by ‘Peter of York’ followed if there was time. Sadly, half-day visits to the Village stopped, and a full day could not be scheduled into an already tight programme, but the memories (and photos) still remain!

Another visit no longer on the schedule is the Archaeological Resource Centre (ARC), but we always walk close to the centre on our visits to see the longest street name in York, Whip-Ma-Whop-Ma Gate.

Not so much a visit but an evening activity at the hotel, the boys used to write postcards home. Each boy was given a postcard and encouraged to write a short message home about the stay. An English lesson prior to the trip gave them tips on how to write an interesting card and how to set out an address, reinforced by staff on the evening itself.

One final activity (another old favourite) that has long since fallen from the itinerary is the brass rubbing, which took place on the last night in the hotel grounds. The Brass Rubbing Centre was re-purposed as accommodation by the new owners of the hotel many years ago, and the brass plates were sold off (we assume). It was a very relaxing way to spend the last night, and the rubbings of knights, kings, and creatures adorned many forms of walls on our return. I wonder if any of our alums kept theirs?

What’s New?

It is amazing putting pen to paper to remind me of how many varied and exciting things we have done and how many remain, but how the shortened trip and other factors have seen some old favourites disappear from the itinerary. One relatively new visit is to the York Chocolate Story. As the name suggests, this was always going to be a winner! It’s a two-part trip involving firstly the history of chocolate and then the story of the great York chocolate dynasties. There is a chance to make chocolates at the end and much tasting along the way! The other part is a practical session on chocolate and its making and advertising. Understandably, it is a really popular addition.

Lunches & Shopping

For at least the first decade, the three lunchtimes in York involved a visit to McDonald’s, lunch at Wackers Fish and Chip restaurant (with huge pieces of fish for staff) and a packed lunch eaten at the National Railway Museum before leaving and boarding the train home. McDonald’s was dropped as a lunch stop, and Wackers never seemed to reopen after the pandemic. With no Railway Museum visit now, lunches for the last few years have given the boys some independence in choosing lunches. They are given money and, in small groups, go off and choose what they want. It’s given them the experience of budgeting their money (plus looking for meal deals!) and also making sure everyone in their group is included in the decision-making. Their staff group leader now goes with them and the take-away lunch is eaten in a café, an outside food stall table or taken back to the Sampson’s Square to eat with friends.

Boys still bring money for general shopping. Shopping remains a highlight for the boys. There are chances to buy presents and souvenirs for home, and an occasional memento for themselves. Many cheap pieces of jewellery have been bought as presents and sometimes for the boys themselves. There have been some odd choices along the way as the boys have roamed the narrow streets and many gift shops of York. I remember one of the first trips when a boy came towards me with a huge pizza-shaped box, ‘What have you bought?, I asked. ‘A basketball hoop’, he replied. ‘Of course you have!’, was my reply.

The York File

And finally, to the York File! Boys who went for about the first 20 years or so will remember producing their York File, a record of the trip and visits, that was put on display at December’s Open Day, which always followed the York trip some three weeks later. The aim was to create a personal record of their memories and the history of the different places we visited in an A4 file.

In the days before iPads and access to the internet, it was handwritten by most boys and guided by staff handouts. Throughout the trips, boys would collect postcards, guides, leaflets and even paper bags with logos and cut them up, stick them on A4 paper and write around them. Some boys bought instamatic cameras and took photos along the way, which they then rushed to have developed for their work. A collaged front cover was produced, and hopefully, the Open Day deadline was met. All history, most geography, and some English lessons after the trip were devoted to the task. Many parents said of their sons working long hours at home to create the best York File they could. A couple of examples of work from an unnamed file are included here. I especially like the way he ended with a points score for different aspects of the trip. An early example of a Tripadvisor-style review. He scored the teachers at 8/10. Not quite sure what we did wrong not to score the maximum!

So there you have it, memories of the York trip from the past thirty years. The trip has been an annual staple of the calendar and only cancelled during the pandemic. It was a pleasure in the Year 8 residential week a couple of years ago to offer a city break for a week to York. This was for boys who missed the York trip during lockdown. Some 20 boys and a few staff went up to York in that week in June. Great weather and summer time saw all the old favourite trips included, plus a day’s trip to Whitby, a movie night, and a regular post-dinner walk to play football in Rowntree Park.

When they come back to school, we always suggest that the boys take their parents to York and be their tour guides. It is a measure of the trip's success that many have done just that!

To leave you with a quote from a Year 6 boy on the first trip to York in 1995. ‘When you walk round York, you can feel the history within you. It has an aura of history. I really enjoyed York and thought that the city was a most interesting place for anyone. I would love to go there again’.

Do you still have your York File? Do you have any great personal memories of the trip? Do let me know, as ever I’d love to hear them.

Mr Craig Gordon