I have been to York many times over the years and have been repeatedly enticed by its historic charm to go back. It is one of the singularly most important historic cities in England and indeed the whole UK. It has a history dating back to before the Roman conquests, with many ancient archaeological artefacts on view in the various museums. During the Roman occupation it was the most important settlement in the North, when it was called Eberacum. There are still ruins from the fortifications the Romans built; of particular note are the wall towers which were copied from the plans of the hugely important Constantinople (also known as Byzantium and later Istanbul). In the period following the fall of the Roman Empire, the city gained notoriety as the capital of the sea-raiders from Scandinavia - who are often called the Vikings (all though this is disputed by some historians). Yorvik was a key trading centre and flourished, partly due to its easy river access to the shipping lanes of the North Sea. For those interested in this period visit the Yorvik centre, which although quite expensive is well worth it, as you gets the chance to see rebuilt copies of what historians and archaeologists believe the Viking settlement looked like. Also on show are many excavated weapons and coin finds. During the Medieval period York was the key bulwark against the numerous cross-bordering raids of the war-like Scots. (Under leaders such as King Robert I, victor at Bannockburn in 1314) There is an extensive network of walls which surround the city and also the partially ruined Clifford’s Tower. Large sections of the walls are available for the public to walk on and offer a great view of the city. There are still some of the fortified 'bars' of gatehouses standing, although some have been damaged by having been altered to allow traffic through them. The two other interesting medieval sights are the 'Shambles' which is one of the oldest streets in the UK - the name coming from the fact that it used to be where the butchers cut out all the innards from animals for sale. The other and far more famous sight is the Minster. This is the second most important Church building in the Anglican faith, with the Arch-Bishop of York being second only to the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury. It is a huge piece of Gothic and Norman architecture and is one of the most visited religious sights annually in the world. The interior design is exquisite and from the top of the Minster tower it is possible to view large sections of the Vale of York in all directions. York continued to be a key city during the complex Civil Wars of the 1640s, which involved participants from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. One of the most important battles of the whole period was fought nearby at Marston Moor, when the Royalist forces of the Earl of Newcastle and Prince Rupert were routed by the Parliamentarians.