We excitedly got off the bus and walked towards the Minster for the start of our tour of the haunted sights of York. We were told the story of the ghost of a dog buried beneath the Minster and then shown the birthplace of a famous son of the city, Guy Fawkes. There was also the tale of a group of ghostly Roman soldiers who had been seen by a terrified plumber in the cellars of the Treasurer’s House. The scariest story was about a family who had fallen victim to the plague. All were locked into the house, even a little girl who had not shown any symptoms of the plague. Tragically, she was left to starve to death. Her face has been seen at the window of 5 College Road many times. 

 

After lunch we then visited the York Dungeon to learn more about York’s chilling past. We were entertained with displays on the Gunpowder Plot, the highwayman, Dick Turpin, and the workings of a medieval plague doctor. There was a torture chamber and a courtroom where both students and teachers were put in the dock. We also learned about how serious people took witchcraft and how if you were found guilty you would be burned alive. That brought the visit to the Dungeon to an end and also our trip to York. It was both an interesting and enjoyable day. It will certainly help us in our History lessons in the future. 

 

Christian Watts