Where is the venue?
The Venue is The York Railway Institute, 24 Queen St, York YO24 1AD.
What is accessibility like?
The site is fully accessible for any wheelchair or mobility issues.
Will there be tea and coffee?
Yes, but don’t expect frothy coffees. Tea, coffee and hot chocolate will be provided throughout the weekend. You are welcome to help yourself, all we ask is that you clean up after yourself.
Will there be any food provided?
A light lunch will be provided. Do not expect anything too fancy and if you have any dietary requirements please let us know in advance or bring your own food. Due to the nature of the event and the layout of the kitchen we cannot safely cater for everyone regarding allergies and intolerances.
A tuck shop will be available throughout the day. This is run solely on a trust basis, please donate generously as all proceeds from this will go towards our charity of choice, TBC. So do a good deed and buy sweets, it’s for a good cause!
Are there showers and changing facilities on site?
There are showers and changing rooms on site at the Railway Institute.
Can I bring my kids?
Unfortunately not. There are lots of people running around with weapons, some of which are sharp, so no children or spectators are allowed.
Accommodation? Can we stay on site?
Sadly we cannot offer sleeping accommodation in the venue. There are dozens, if not hundreds, of guest houses, hotels, B&Bs and other places to stay within walking distance of the training venue. We recommend using the venue’s address, York Railway Institute, 24 Queen St, York YO24 1AD, on either https://www.booking.com or https://www.AirBnB.co.uk. This may be especially useful if you are coming with friends and wish to share accommodation.
Is there onsite parking?
Yes but spaces are limited. Vehicles and property are left entirely at your own risk. If the allocated parking is full there are pay and display car parks around the railway station.
Can I get there on public transport?
Yes. York Railway station is a two minute walk from the venue. The majority of York bus services also pass just in front of the railway station.
Is there anything else to do in the area?
YES! Whether for your family to amuse themselves while you play with swords or if you want to extend your trip and make a proper holiday out of it, York is a fantastic place to be. We have fantastic museums, historical landmarks, amazing pubs and city wide walking treasure hunts.
Our personal favourites are:
For Food and Drink:
Fortunately one thing York does not lack is places to eat, drink, and be merry. Go for a wander and throw a stone and you will likely hit a beautiful building that is serving amazing food and decent beer. I think this city is predominantly made of churches, restaurants and pubs so you should be fine no matter what you fancy. If you need a quick snack in a hurry there are small shops and takeaway food vendors at the railway station nextdoor to our venuel
For entertainment and something to do the day before or after the event you’ve got this massive list and so much more besides:
York Castle Museum. Most famous for Kirkgate, it’s reconstructed Victorian street, it also has the Victorian gaol, a 60’s street and an entire section on WW1. https://www.yorkcastlemuseum.org.uk/
The Yorkshire Museum is situated in the Museum Gardens, where you can walk among the ruins of St Mary’s abbey. It’s packed with Roman artefacts and it’s also the home of the Gilling Sword (although sometimes they do loan this out so I can’t promise it’ll be there) and an Allosaurus! (Sadly, he is still extinct, however last time I was there I did meet a VR version of him) https://www.yorkshiremuseum.org.uk
If you’re into Vikings then the world famous Jorvik Viking Centre needs no introduction. https://www.jorvikvikingcentre.co.uk/
For all the ferroequinologists out there we have the totally awesome Railway Museum. It contains the original Stevenson’s Rocket as well as an astounding collection of locomotives from all over the world and throughout history. It’s definitely a happy place, and free to get into which is always a bonus. (Although I’d recommend donating because it’s really cool and we want to keep museums free) https://www.railwaymuseum.org.uk/
The York Army Museum is a little known gem hidden in the centre of York, it’s collection is very impressive and definitely worth a visit d=for anyone who’s into that sort of thing. https://yorkarmymuseum.co.uk/
Elvington Air Museum. Although a few miles out of York this is worth a visit. It’s on the site of a WW2 airbase and has a wonderful collection of aircraft from throughout the ages and all of the atmosphere you would expect from such an important landmark. https://yorkshireairmuseum.org/
The York Cold War Bunker. This fascinating bit of history is a bit outside the city centre but still walkable if you’re feeling energetic. https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/york-cold-war-bunker
York Minster. I think this is probably York’s most popular historical site and is exactly as grand and impressive as you’d expect. There is a small fee to enter but depending on what you’re into it might be worth it. I definitely recommend going into the undercroft for some of the hidden treasures down there. https://yorkminster.org/
If you don’t want to go inside the Minster, you can enjoy the Deans Garden where you can watch the Minster’s resident Peregrine Falcons and have a bit of peace and quiet.
York City Walls. If you want all the history but don’t want to pay then a walk around York’s Medieval city walls are a must. There’s a Barbican, great views, mini museums , coffee houses and it’s brilliant exercise as they go for miles around the whole city centre. https://www.york.gov.uk/york-city-centre/city-walls/2
There are also a collection of free parks and riverside walks where you can spend an enjoyable sunny day, there are even ice-cream boats dotted along the banks of the river Ouse. https://www.york.gov.uk/directory-record/640/rowntree-park
https://www.yorkshiremuseum.org.uk/york-museum-gardens/
York Cat Trail. Sadly, these are not furry felines you can befriend but it is a fantastic way to discover the city. You can download a map and go searching for the many cat statues that have been built into the city for the last 200+ years, or just keep an eye out for some as you meander around doing some shopping. https://www.yorkluckycats.co.uk/york-cat-trail/
If you have young kids or a family to entertain, then I recommend checking out the Little Vikings page. They are choc full of ideas for little ones and quite often have discount codes for some of the more popular attractions. https://little-vikings.co.uk/
There is, of course, York Tourist information who can probably tell you about some of this stuff better than we can. https://www.visityork.org/
