York & the Ebor Festival

Married to a man who is a walking horse pedigree encyclopaedia, soaking up the energy of the Ebor Races was one of his bucket list essentials. And oh boy, don’t the Brits take their racing seriously!

Hi again lovely readers.

Today, we armed ourselves with hats and a fascinator snaffled from the markets, pop heels and dress shoes into overly stuffed bags (Edinburgh next), jump on an early train and do a dress up Houdini in a York pub before joining the masses on this, the last day of the race meet.

A Snap from the Track

First things first, the Ebor Festival isn’t just a race meet, it’s a four-day celebration of drama, glamour and top-tier flat racing. Running every August at York Racecourse, its roots stretch back to when the Ebor Handicap first galloped to life in 1843. Today, it’s Europe’s richest flat handicap, offering an impressive £500,000 purse to the winner and carrying centuries of tradition along its turf.

Each festival day has its own theme:
• Wednesday: Juddmonte International Day
• Thursday: Ladies’ Day, stilettos and sipping
• Friday: Nunthorpe Day, speed and surprise
• Saturday: The iconic Ebor Day — the crescendo of racing week.

Folks drop in by smoking parachutes, there are snipers on the roof, and Queen Camilla pops in to present the trophy to Ethical Diamond, taking the Ebor crown with style and reminding us all why racegoers love this sport.

Aching feet, Moët fugue, happy-chappy, gotta say it’s a significant relief to find our delightful Air B&B nearby and crash, ready to hit York tomorrow.

York — More Than Just a Racetrack

York, by contrast, whispers history — the kind that unfolds between winding lanes and hidden corners, wonky streets, medieval gateways and the home of scrummy Yorkshire puddings with rich gravy (took one for the team and ate two serves!) – this gem of a city holds so many fun facts!

1. York is home to Whip-Ma-Whop-Ma-Gate, one of the world’s shortest streets — just 35 metres long — with a name that loosely means “neither one thing nor the other.”

2. York Minster’s Great East Window is the largest expanse of medieval stained glass in Europe, completed in 1408 and telling biblical stories across more than 300 panels.

3. The city boasts over 365 pubs, more per square mile than anywhere else in England — from haunted taverns to centuries-old inns.

4. With over 500 recorded ghost sightings, York is considered Europe’s most haunted city. Ghost tours through The Shambles and Treasurer’s House are legendary. Definitely on the agenda for next trip!

5. The Jorvik Viking Centre brings York’s Viking roots to life with recreated streets, smells, and artefacts from excavations of the original settlement. This was fascinating!

6. Its medieval walls stretch over two miles, the longest and best-preserved in England — offering the perfect walk with views over the Minster.

7. The infamous Gunpowder Plot conspirator Guy Fawkes was born here in 1570. His birthplace is now the Guy Fawkes Inn.

8. York has twice been England’s capital: as Roman Eboracum and later under Edward I during his Scottish campaigns.

9. They say that York’s crooked medieval street, The Shambles, inspired Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter films, though JK Rowling disputes this. Regardless, The Shambles capitalises on this with loads of small shops devoted to Potter memorabilia.

10. Every September, the city hosts the UK’s largest food and drink festival, celebrating local produce, street food, and craft drinks.

Final Thoughts

Rome’s cobbles, Viking secrets, and horse racing excitement all rolled into two days — York gave me contrast and context in the most delightful way – like stepping from history into haute-couture sport and back.

Next stop Edinburgh.