On Tour: York, Day 2

Saturday March 7, 2026.

As per usual, when I am away, I awoke early at around 05:40. 

So, I quietly made my way to the bathroom, where I washed and dressed making sure not to wake Emma. I then made my way down to reception and out into the cool dawn morning, heading into the city.

I barely saw a single person as I made my way through the darkened streets, snapping photos of old churches and historic buildings as I made my way towards 'Shambles'. On our visit the previous night 'Shambles' had been full of visitors, but this morning was completely deserted. The early morning light giving it an otherworldly countenance.

From here I headed towards the Minster, with still no one in sight. More photographs were taken, before the light brightened and people began to appear, heading to their workplaces.

I followed my feet, confident that the layout of the city was stored correctly in my mind, as each lane, street or alleyway twisted and brought me to another wonderful building. 'The Golden Fleece' pub would become a landmark for the entire weekend, as it always seemed to be where we would end up.

Euston Arch

Euston Arch (Image Public Domain)

Robert Stephenson planned the terminus for the London to Birmingham Railway to be constructed at Euston, replacing the old terminus at Chalk Farm. 

When the station opened, in July 1837, it had two platforms with each being 420 ft (128 m) long. A double train shed, designed by Charles Fox, that was 200 ft (60 m) long, with 40 ft (12 m) spans. Six trains ran each day from Euston to Watford and Boxmoor. 

On September 17, 1838, the final 112 miles (180 km) to Birmingham were completed. However, steam trains did not have the power to make the steep incline up to Camden Town and so required help. This took the form of the trains out of Euston being attached to a 3 inch, 1430 ft (4370 m) long rope, affixed to two 60 horsepower stationary steam engines. Euston-bound trains had their engines detached at Camden Town, with the carriages continuing the journey under the charge of the brakemen.