York on Film with a Bronica SQ-A

On my first evening in York there was a beautiful sunset which produced great light on York Minster. 1/60s 50mm F5.6 Ilford Ortho 80 Plus.

York is a city that needs no introduction. It’s not just iconic in the UK but around the world and is one of the main cities outside of London or Edinburgh that foreign tourists flock to in large numbers. With its ancient buildings and deep history, it represents a classic view of Britain that few other places can match. I’d visited briefly on two occasions prior but last year I managed to arrange a work trip over a few days to give myself more time to explore the city in detail with my trusty Bronica SQ-A in tow.

Looking down the city wall and across the River Ouse to York Minster. 1/8s 80mm F5.6 Kodak Ektar 100 with polariser.

One of the numerous towers along the city walls. It makes for an impressive walkway through the city. 1/15s 50mm F5.6 Ilford Ortho 80 Plus.

Coming into York Minster, looking down the Nave towards the Great Organ which was built in 1832 and underwent three years of restoration 2018-2021. 2s 50mm F5.6 Kodak Ektar 100.

The Great Organ sits above the wooden carvings of the Quire. Both were destroyed by an arson attack in 1829 along with the roof and the vault. Craftsmen went about recreating the Quire to the best of their knowledge and abilities. The original dated back to 1420. 4s 50mm F5.6 Kodak Ektar 100.

Like St Albans (which I wrote about in last week’s blog), York was originally a Roman city, founded in AD71 as Eboracum. Sadly, given the passage of time there is very little from this era which is visible outside of museums, but the stone walls that grace the city were originally built by the romans and a column found during excavations at York Minster has been re-erected outside the cathedral. The Minster itself is the standout symbol of York, the largest medieval Gothic cathedral in North Europe and second in size only to Cologne Cathedral. Although there had been previous churches on the site, what we see above ground today was built between 1225 and 1472 and it illustrates well the three types of English Gothic architecture: Early English, Decorated and Perpendicular. In addition, it has some of the largest surviving expanses of medieval stained glass anywhere in the world.

Of the three largest stained-glass windows in the Minster, the Great West Window which sits in the Nave is the smallest of the three. It dates back to 1339. 1s 50mm F5.6 Kodak Ektar 100.

The Great East Window is the largest single expanse of medieval stained-glass in the country. Created between 1405-8, it was painstakingly restored over thirteen years between 2005-18 which took 92,400 hours. The Cathedral is in the middle of a hundred year restoration programme and you can see scaffolding off to the right for the next portion of it. 1/15s 50mm F5.6 Kodak Ektar 100.

The Five Sisters Window is the oldest and most complete window dating back to the 1250s and is the largest expanse of thirteenth century grisaille glass in the world. It was restored in 1922 as a memorial to the women who died during the First World War. 1/2s 50mm F5.6 Ilford HP5+.

Despite how incredible the rest of the Minster is, Chapter House is the most breathtaking section. An octagonal tower that’s stood for more than seven hundred years. Eight large stained-glass windows converge into an exquisite ceiling, I felt this photo was the best way to capture the room in a single photo. Though it really has to be seen to be believed. 8s 50mm F5.6 Ilford Ortho 80+.

Unlike many other cathedrals entry is not free (unless you are a resident of York), but given it is currently undergoing a one-hundred-year restoration plan, it’s safe to say the money on the door is going to a good cause. As beautiful as it is on the outside, I cannot recommend highly enough going inside as the expanse and exquisite decorations are really something to behold. Thankfully for me tripods are allowed inside, which meant I could use my Bronica SQ-A without too much trouble. It’s not overly dark inside and by mostly using my 50mm lens I could shoot at F5.6 to get everything in focus without extending my shutter speeds beyond 8s. I had an odd mixture of film on this trip based on what I previously loaded. One film back had Kodak Ektar 100, and the other Ilford Ortho 80+. Once I had used those up, I shot a roll (mostly handheld) of Ilford HP5+. Ortho 80+ is a film that is unfamiliar to many people but it’s one I’ve enjoyed shooting with great contrast and detail. I wonder whether it is in effect an orthochromatic version of Ilford Pan F+ which comes out a little lacking on contrast to my tastes.

Saint William of York was a Norman Archbishop who’s body was re-discovered during underpinning work in the 1960s. The Western Crypt itself had only been re-discovered after restoration work in wake of the fire in 1829. 2s 80mm F5.6 Ilford Ortho 80+.

A vaulted ceiling which is a classic component of English Gothic architecture. This was actually my second attempt at taking the photo after a winding on error meant the first shot was ruined by a double exposure. 2s 80mm F5.6 Ilford Ortho 80+.

The York Gospels is a thousand year old codex that dates back to the late Anglo Saxon period and one of the few survivors of the reformation. It was so dark inside that I couldn’t see the shutter speed dial on the Bronica without shining light on it from my phone. At least the book was well illuminated. 1s 50mm F5.6 Ilford HP5+.

Beyond seeing the colossal stained-glass windows, the incredible ceiling in Chapter House and the thousand-year-old York Gospels down in the crypts (it’s incredible that we still have a codex so complete from before the Norman invasion), I paid extra to take a walk up to the roof. As you’ll know from my time in Paris, I do love to get up high to not only get a bird’s eye view of the surrounding city but to also get a better look at the exterior architecture of the building. There’s really no better way to complete your experience of visiting the Minster or seeing the city.

Climbing up the roof of the Minster gives you a better view of the exterior architecture. 1/500s 80mm F8.0 Ilford HP5+.

A view of the Great West Towers from the roof. 1/250s 80mm F8.0 Ilford HP5+ with polariser.

Looking out across the city of York. 1/500s 80mm F8.0 Ilford HP5+.

Back down on terra firma I had the opportunity to explore another well-known landmark in the city – Clifford’s Tower. This ruined keep dating back to the Norman period was once at the centre of an important castle, which apart from a brief period during after the English Civil War, had already fallen out of use in the sixteenth century. An explosion in 1684 has destroyed the interior but, luckily for my trip, renovation works completed a year prior to my visit in 2022 had built a roof and walkway which meant that for the first time in almost three hundred and fifty years, people would walk up to the top of the tower. The views aren’t quite as stunning as at the top of the Minster, but being at the top of a hill you are still elevated above the surrounding buildings and there is a good view out to the cathedral itself. Some of the old castle buildings surrounding the tower are still in use today but I didn’t have time to explore them in more detail.

Clifford’s Tower which was originally the keep of York Castle. 1/250s 50mm F5.6 Ilford HP5+ with polariser.

After the work was finished at the tower in 2022 the walkway and a new roof was installed which allows visitors to explore the tower in way that hasn’t been possible for centuries. 1/4s 50mm F5.6 Ilford HP5+.

The roof-covered walkway proved to be very useful during a short and heavy spell of rain. 1/15s 50mm F5.6 Ilford HP5+.

Looking out across York to the Minster from Clifford’s Tower. From this angle you can clearly see the Central Tower which was never finished following the collapse of the original in 1405. 1/125s 80mm F5.6 Ilford HP5+ with polariser.

Something else I didn’t get a chance to explore was the Viking history of York, or Jorvik as it was known during the time of Danish occupation. The centre piece of the is the Jorvik Centre, but that will have to wait for another visit. I did a get a chance to wander around the streets and visit some of the wonderfully quaint shops. York train station is also a lot more interesting to look at than many of the other places I’ve stopped off at over the years. There will be more photos in next week’s blog of my walkabouts taken with my 135W panoramic film back. If you’ve not visited York yet then I do implore you to go, there aren’t many better places to visit in the UK and if you love history like I do you’ll be fully absorbed in the history for hours.

On my walkabouts through the city I spent time exploring the large Victorian train station which was built in 1877. 1s 80mm F5.6 Ilford Ortho 80+.

It’s great when even a city’s train station is steeped in history and classical elements. 1s 80mm F2.8 Ilford Ortho 80+.

Looking down the River Ouse during golden hour. Unfortunately I didn’t have time for a river cruise on this trip either. 1/15s 80mm F5.6 Kodak Ektar 100 with polariser.

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