Where is the venue?
The Venue is The Melbourne Centre, Escrick Street, York. YO10 4AW.
What is accessibility like?
The site is fully accessible for any wheelchair or mobility issues, including ramps, automatic doors and a disabled toilet.
We have use of the whole venue so if you feel the need to escape from the excitement and have a bit of quiet time there is a kitchen you are welcome to use or a seating area in the main reception area. If the weather is nice there is also some outside space you may enjoy for catching your breath.
Will there be tea and coffee?
Yes, but don’t expect frothy coffees. We have use of a kitchen so tea, coffee and hot chocolate will be provided. 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 in the form of make-your-own sandwiches. There will be a basic selection of bread, cheese, lunch meat, etc. 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?
Unfortunately there are no showers but the toilet cubicles are big enough to change in if you’d like to do so.
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 so the following is some local accommodation and links that may help. I would also suggest chatting to any fellow messerists you know may be coming because shared accommodation is often the more cost effective option, and it’s a chance to hang out with even more lovely messerists. 😀
We can recommend the Victoria Hotel, https://oldmillinns.co.uk/victoria-hotel/
It’s just around the corner from the centre, has reasonably priced rooms, it’s an independent, the staff are friendly and, apparently, they have good breakfasts. There aren’t a lot of rooms so book early. They also have free parking.
The York Novotel is only a 2 minute walk away. It is lovely and professional, however the prices there can be quite a bit higher than other accommodation in the area.
Otherwise I would recommend using the venue’s address, Escrick Street, York YO10 4AW, UK, 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. Parking is available at the venue all day Saturday from 8am – 10pm.
Vehicles and property is left entirely at your own risk.
Should you need parking for any other times, there is a Q park 3 minutes away from the venue: https://www.q-park.co.uk/en-gb/cities/york/barbican/
Can I get there on public transport?
Yes. York Railway station is on the East Coast mainline and connects to the Trans Penine Express services so has good railway links. The station is a 30 minute walk from the venue.
Alternatively, the number 7 bus will take you from the station and stops just a few minutes walk from the venue. A taxi rank is also available at the station entrance, no pre-booking required but depending on the time of day there may be a queue.
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:
Spark York. Only a short walk away from the venue it has plenty of seating and is a collection of independent food stalls all under one canvas roof. It’s got a lovely vibe and you can order everything on the appt from your table so you don’t even have to stop socialising to get more food and drink. https://www.sparkyork.org/
Panda Mami. If you’re into more of a world buffet thing, then you won’t go wrong with Panda Mami. IT’s a bit of a trek from the centre but is spacious and has a fixed price so if you’re planning on splitting the bill that makes life a bit easier. https://www.pandamami-restaurant.com/york/
Or, it’s York. 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.
For entertainment and something to do the day before or after MesserFest 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/
