Stained Glass in Beverley Minster.
The dawn broke on another busy day of travel and sightseeing. We had to be up early because we wanted to visit the interior of Durham Cathedral. But, we couldn't stay long because we had to catch a train to York. Once in York, a decision had to be made. We could stay in York and take advantage of all the familiar attractions that we had discovered on previous trips. Or we could try something new. I was very curious about the town of Beverley. Lonely Planet had described it as a sleepy town with a fantastic church. Since we had two days before we needed to be back in London, this was going to be our last stop outside of London before we went home. So, there was some pressure to make sure that it was somewhere interesting. But, that decision could be made in York, because the train to Beverley goes through York.
We ate breakfast (I dodged "the full fry" again) and prepared to visit Durham Cathedral. However, the rules of the CountryView Guest House said that we had to be out by 10 a.m. We asked the proprietor if we could have another hour before we had to check out. She agreed to our request. We headed off to the cathedral. It was a good thing that we got the extra time because there's a lot to see in Durham Cathedral. We spent so much time in it that we didn't have time to take the guided tour of Durham Castle. Since the castle is part of the University, the only way to see it is by guided tour. The tour takes 45 minutes, which was too long for us. So, we headed back to the B&B, gathered our stuff, took a taxi to the train station, and boarded the train for York.
After an hour train ride, we arrived in York. I decided at the train station to continue on to Beverley. While I like York, I had already spent some time there in my previous trips. I really wanted to see something new. And, there was frequent train service between York and Beverley, so it would be convenient to get back to York if I wanted to return. Thus, the decision was made. After a short wait, we boarded a train for Beverley.
While there is frequent train service between Beverley and York, it takes a long time to get from one town to the other. The reason for this delay is that a passenger has to change trains in Selby and Kingston-Upon-Hull before reaching their destination. The bottom line is that it takes, with layovers, a little over two hours to go between York and Beverley by train. The journey by car would probably take no more than a hour. It's no wonder that mass transportation isn't more popular than it is. Fortunately, the ride is through some very pleasant farmland, so the trip doesn't seem that long.
The first impression I had of Beverley when viewing it from the train is that it was like every other small British town. It looked like just another collection of row houses. Then, the figure of Beverley Minster came into view. The sight of this structure towering over everything else in the area made me realize that I made the right choice between staying in either York or Beverley.
It turned out my initial impression was right. Beverley had a small town atmosphere and pace; but still had enough things to visit to make a stay interesting. It was the perfect place to relax for a couple of days. Our relaxation was helped by our choice in accommodations. We stayed at the Eastgate Guest House. Our room, which was a double, had a bathroom, telephone, and television. The cost was £45/night. The Eastgate is only a couple of blocks from the train station, so it's very convenient if one plans to use the train to explore the towns around Beverley.
After unpacking, we walked about a half a mile south to Beverley Minster. We spent about an hour inside the Minster looking at the statues and the monuments. Then, we headed back north toward the B&B. Instead of stopping there, we continued heading north to the town's market square. The square is a very attractive pedestrian area, filled with both branches of most of Britain's larger department stores and stores owned by locals. We decided to eat at one of the places owned by a local family: the Lord Everingham Tea Room & Coffee House. We had the homemade lasagna, which was served with a huge salad, for £4.30. Most of the other dishes on the menu were cheaper than the lasagna. The food was great and the service was wonderful. However, the title of establishment is a lesson in truth in advertising. It really is a tea room, meaning that it closes at 5:30 p.m. So, while dinner is not an option, it is a great place for lunch or a midday snack.
Since the Tea Room was closing, we decided not to punish the staff by
ordering dessert. Of course, the staff limited our options by removing all
the desserts from the refrigerator case at 5:30 sharp. So, we wondered down
the square to Safeway for a quart of ice cream. Shopping in British supermarkets
is a microcosm of the experience that an American enjoys in England. Everything
in the store looks vaguely familiar; but, there are enough differences to
make one realize that (to paraphrase an old cliche) you're not in California
anymore. Take, for example, a box of Kellogg's Corn Flakes. The box says
Kellogg's Corn Flakes, and it has the same familiar color scheme. But, the
lettering is a different font and size. And all the measurements on the
box are metric. The differences also extend to the cash register. The British
cash registers have a lot more change compartments than the American ones
have, mainly because they use a lot more coins than Americans use. However,
they also have fewer bill compartments. In fact, all of their bills are
kept in one compartment in an upright position. The British can get away
with this setup because each denomination is a different color. But, it
is a little startling to American eyes to see this arrangement that is similar,
yet different to one found in American supermarkets. Of course, if I wanted
to see only American things, I probably should've stayed in the United States.
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