York or Skipton.

[Nightwatch]

We have friends coming to stay for a week or so in August. We have been to Skipton and found it very pleasant with the country side spectacular to the west.

 

We are planning to visit York in the meantime, not been there by boat before. Don't know the area.

 

The question. As per title, which is the better?

 

Pros and cons please.

 

Martyn

[Tim Lewis]

Skipton is a (now) twee town but which will take you less than a day to go round. Not much tourism wise apart from the Castle. The countryside around is stunning but you really need a car to get the best out of it.

 

York is a very historic city with loads to see but you will be battling with millions of tourists at that time of the year.. Highlights are the Minster and the railway Museum. Found the Yorvic centre a reat disapointment and to be honest a bit of a rip off. Do the city wall walk. North York moors a drive away.

 

Both places have a plenty of pubs and restaurants but with York being much bigger it has a much better variety.

 

Tim

Edited June 14, 2016 by Tim Lewis

[pete.i]

Any of the tourist attractions are a rip off anywhere including York. The railway museum can be expensive by the time you have parked up and paid to get in but worth it in my opinion. If you moor up at Museum gardens in York, assuming you can get a mooring there, then everything is just a walk away because York is only a little city. Minster worth a visit although, again, not free. Plenty of shops and a market,that is shrinking but okay, and places to eat. In my opinion York is, by far, the best historical city to visit. Mainly because of it's compactness. Both museums are well worth a visit, again not free, and there are a miriad of little interesting museums around. lots of street entertainment, if you like that sort of thing and loads and loads of Chinese tourists. Agree about the Yorvic and the York Dungeon. York Dungeon used to be good but it has been toned down to being c**p now. It is expensive but it does take longer to go around than the yorvic for your money. The walls are free and there are a couple of interesting "wall museums," not free, and that alone can take the best part of a day to get around. Oh I am biased I live in selby 12 mies away.

[Tim Lewis]

Any of the tourist attractions are a rip off anywhere including York. The railway museum can be expensive by the time you have parked up and paid to get in but worth it in my opinion. If you moor up at Museum gardens in York, assuming you can get a mooring there, then everything is just a walk away because York is only a little city. Minster worth a visit although, again, not free. Plenty of shops and a market,that is shrinking but okay, and places to eat. In my opinion York is, by far, the best historical city to visit. Mainly because of it's compactness. Both museums are well worth a visit, again not free, and there are a miriad of little interesting museums around. lots of street entertainment, if you like that sort of thing and loads and loads of Chinese tourists. Agree about the Yorvic and the York Dungeon. York Dungeon used to be good but it has been toned down to being c**p now. It is expensive but it does take longer to go around than the yorvic for your money. The walls are free and there are a couple of interesting "wall museums," not free, and that alone can take the best part of a day to get around. Oh I am biased I live in selby 12 mies away.

Agree with most what you say about York but would correct you in that entry to the railway museum is free.

 

Tim

[David Mack]

Skipton is a (now) twee town but which will take you less than a day to go round. Not much tourism wise apart from the Castle. The countryside around is stunning but you really need a car to get the best out of it.

 

 

Or legs. Or bicycles (and legs).

Edited June 14, 2016 by David Mack

[Tim Lewis]

 

Or legs. Or bicycles (and legs).

Too bloody hilly for anything without a motor :/)

 

Tim

[Opener]

One big issue is that York is on a river and Skipton on the canal. The Ouse can be very temperamental when it rains. That's why it features on the news so often. Having said that there are narrows that seem to ride out any flood (although perhaps not comfortably!). Our sonew lives in York and Skipton is our 'two-day boat trip' so fairly familiar with both. Skipton is a fairly typical market TOWN. York is a busy tourist/unI verity CITY. A bit chalk and cheese. Depends what you want.

(Is Yorvik reopened yet? Being in a basement they had a bit of a problem when the Ouse/Foss last flooded and I recall they were talking about "months" to dry the place out)

[Tiggs]

Agree with most what you say about York but would correct you in that entry to the railway museum is free.

 

Tim

 

And the parking there is not that expensive!

[Stedman II]

Especially if arriving by boat!

[pete.i]

 

And the parking there is not that expensive!

You have to be kidding. It will cost you £10 a day to park in York and the railway museum is just as expensive and that, as far as I am concerned, is a stupid price to park a car. @Tim. It was free but then they started charging again, unless of course, they have changed it again. It has been a while since I was there. The comment "especially arriving by boat" is correct, obviously, but mooring within York can be hard because the moorings will all be taken. There are mooring rings at the Museum gardens bank but these are usually full. Mooring on the river is difficult because it is a river and, again obviously, doesn't have banks like a canal. People do go to York with a boat successfully but it would pay to do your research re moorings and navigating the River Ouse which can be a bit of a pig of a river at times. If it's any consolation both York and Selby have very experienced Fire Service rescue teams who have rescued dozens and dozens of boats that have got into difficulty on the Ouse.

[howardang]

You have to be kidding. It will cost you £10 a day to park in York and the railway museum is just as expensive and that, as far as I am concerned, is a stupid price to park a car. @Tim. It was free but then they started charging again, unless of course, they have changed it again. It has been a while since I was there. The comment "especially arriving by boat" is correct, obviously, but mooring within York can be hard because the moorings will all be taken. There are mooring rings at the Museum gardens bank but these are usually full. Mooring on the river is difficult because it is a river and, again obviously, doesn't have banks like a canal. People do go to York with a boat successfully but it would pay to do your research re moorings and navigating the River Ouse which can be a bit of a pig of a river at times. If it's any consolation both York and Selby have very experienced Fire Service rescue teams who have rescued dozens and dozens of boats that have got into difficulty on the Ouse.

The sensible way to visit the Railway museum by car is NOT to park in York but to use the Park and Ride which is free and takes you direct to the Railway Museum via frequent bus services which drop you at the door. The museum is definitely free - I was there a couple of months ago.

 

You can also access the centre of York - the Minster, Castle Museum , city walls etch by walking from the Railway Museum.

 

Howard

[tonyt40]

(Is Yorvik reopened yet? Being in a basement they had a bit of a problem when the Ouse/Foss last flooded and I recall they were talking about "months" to dry the place out)

We went to York a few weeks ago (in the car) and when we walked past it was still closed.

[pete.i]

We did hear the Yorvic is now open after the floods not so suer about the dungeons. Just checked the railway Museum's web site and it is free but if you park there then their parking fees are extortionate like everywhere else in York for parking.

[Dave_P]

£10 a day doesn't sound bad at all for a city like York. Historic cities like York are always going to be tricky since accommodating cars wasn't prioritised during construction. The P&R works well.

 

In many parts of London you'd find yourself paying over £10 per hour to park.

[cuthound]

In many parts of London you'd find yourself paying over £10 per hour to park.

It costsv £11.50 for the London congestion charge, before you have to pay for somewhere to park!

[Grassman]

We were in York this time last year with our 62' NB. Finding moorings by the Museum Gardens was okay provided it was before about 3pm Monday to Thursday. But on the Friday and weekends spaces were filling up fast by late morning. If you have the time I recommend mooring overnight at Naburn (a lovely location) then the next morning you just have the short cruise into York before the moorings begin to fill up.

 

Alternatively stay at Naburn and catch the bus into York. I think there's a 48 hour max stay at Naburn so be aware of that if you want to stay more than one night there.

[Mac of Cygnet]

I have moored to the wall before the city centre (but only a short walk away), before the Foss. Only one other boat there in the middle of summer.

[Fatjoff]

I was in York, Castle Gardens, for the last Bank holiday weekend. The moorings were full - although there were gaps between the boats that if closed up could have let another boat in, at least one smaller than my 55ft. I just asked if I could breast up alongside one boat, duly welcomed by a very nice couple on a year long CCing adventure. They later headed off to Naburn for the night, but came back the following day and moored alongside me. Neither of us seemed too precious and the arrangement worked well. He comes from York and suggested the entrance to the Foss doesn't seem to get busy and worth a try. My contingency plan in the event of not being able to moor was to turn round and go upstream beyond the 48 hr moorings (just under the rail bridge) and bang some pegs in. The path is not used by pedestrians and the ground looked as if it was sand/soil rather than concrete. Thankfully I never had to test my plan.

 

Apparently there were drunks making a lot of noise at 4am on the Sunday, but I never heard a thing. Slept right through it!

Edited June 15, 2016 by Fatjoff

[Nightwatch]

We have now got to Woodlesford. Wasn't really looking forward to the 'river' sections. I needn't have been concerned. Once out beyond the lovely historic buildings the journey has been surprisingly enjoyable. Electric locks are a bonus. Our 55' looked miniture in the massive locks.

 

Reason for this thread was to gain advice as to show our guests Skipton and beyond or a cruise from York. As mentioned not been to York by boat before so not sure if it's picturesque cruising. I'd like to go to the chuff chuff museum.

 

To be honest, don't fancy climbing up all those double locks back to Skipton. (Did I type that aloud)?

 

Any variation suggestions would be appreciated.

 

Martyn

[cuthound]

I'd like to go to the chuff chuff museum.

 

Martyn

I went a few years ago. Fascinating museum. The highlight for me was seeing in their 00 gauge model collection that they had a Hornby 3 rail "Duchess of Montrose". I had one as a child and recognised it instantly, even though I hadn't seen it for over 50 years.

 

When I was a child I didn't like having the Hornby 3 rail system, coz I thought it was unrealistic, especially when compared to the Triang 2 rail system. Such is the impetuosity of youth!

 

Edited to change "Triangle" back to what I wrote, "Triang".

Edited June 15, 2016 by cuthound

[Nightwatch]

Now in Selby. Busy. Boats awaiting tide in the morning. We move on on Tuesday I think.

 

Met the lockie today. Pump out tomorrow. Emptied the porta loo just now.

 

Castleford Boat Yard does sell diesel. Bought 110 litres off them yesterday. Spoke to one of the brothers. Seemed a nice chap. Chatty and proud of his yard. Showed me around.

 

Martyn

[cobaltcodd]

Here is a poor picture of you going under the A1 on the A&C.

 

Many thanks for the help - always much appreciated when single handing

 

Roger

 

[Nightwatch]

Thanks Roger. Good to meet you.

 

I was only thinking yesterday how can I see 'my' boat cruising, 2nd in command rarely ventures onto the tiller.

 

We had a very peaceful night in Beal, to get to the two pubs we had to scale a gate onto the lock cottage land as the footpath was grossly overgrown. Shame really.

 

See you in York perhaps.

 

Martyn & Margaret

[Fatjoff]

I did that too, my first time at Beal a couple of years ago. I couldn't see any obvious way of getting to the road. I was stopped by the owners and told unceremoniously that I was trespassing.

 

Last year, in the dark, I found the path but nearly had a heart attack as a horse galloped across the field and snorted in my face. You'd have thought I'd been training for the Grand National!