One of the best reasons to take a group to York is now back in business. We revisit
Jorvik, one of York’s premier visitor attractions, has finally reopened, and is showing off its £4.3m re-imagining.
“This is the fourth incarnation of Jorvik Viking Centre, and without a doubt, the best yet,” says Director of Attractions Sarah Maltby. “The response from our previews has been fantastic, and we can’t wait to hear what the visitors think about the new attraction.
“We are incredibly proud of what we have achieved in a relatively short period of time.”
What you will see
The famous underground attraction closed on 27 December 2015 when flood water from the nearby River Foss inundated it, causing huge damage to the recreation of 10th century Jorvik (the Viking name for York) and the artefact galleries. Luckily, all of the historic collection of artefacts was rescued unharmed.
After six months of repairing, cleaning and drying out the building, work started on rebuilding the Viking city in June 2016.
With the focus now on a slightly different period of Viking history, groups can enjoy three different zones:
Discover Coppergate, which tells the story of the archaeological dig undertaken by the York Archaeological Trust in the late 1970s and early 1980s, which exposed the unrivalled and incredibly preserved remains of a street in the Viking city
A 16-minute ride through a recreation of the very street that was unearthed enables visitors to experience the sights, sounds and smells of the period, complete with 22 new animatronic Viking-age characters, 12 animatronic animals – including chickens, rats, pigs, cats and even eels – and even a Viking boat, moored at the wharf on the Foss, populated by live Viking actors
The final section is a new artefact gallery, encouraging visitors to explore the archaeological artefacts unearthed during the dig, including the Anglo-Saxon York Helmet, which was buried by one of York’s Viking residents; the only woollen Viking sock ever found in England; and a fossilised Viking coprolite (poo) that gives an insight into the diet of York’s Vikings.
“The Norse gods are clearly smiling on us today,” said Sarah on the day of the attraction’s re-opening: “A fantastic reception from the first visitors, a lovely queue of people waiting to come and be among the first around, and plenty of Viking entertainment in the square outside to keep them in high spirits while they wait.”
Jorvik group
Group tickets at Jorvik are priced at £7.15pp for adults.
The Jorvik Group of Attractions also offers four other attractions in York’s centre: medieval Barley Hall; DIG; the Richard III Experience at Monkgate Bar; and the Henry VII experience at Micklegate Bar. Good-value group tickets are available for combinations of all of these.
[blob] jorvik-viking-centre.co.uk/visit/groups
Group planning
Visit York has a very comprehensive website for group bookings, with lots of detail about coach-friendly attractions and upcoming events, including prices. Visit visityork.org/groups
