Rose Sivocha15,000 people are expected to descend on York this Thursday for Her Majesty The Queen of England’s visit to the York Minster for the Maundy service, and to the Yorkshire Museum to inspect the York 800 exhibition.
Due to the volume of people in the town centre there will be a blanket road closure over many of the roads close to the city centre between 10am and 1.30pm. All visitors coming into York and residents are advised to use the public bus services, the park and ride service or cycle where possible to gain access to the city centre; however they will need to exercise patience as these are likely to be inundated with people and a lot busier than usual. Parking within the city will be heavily restricted to Collier gate and Kings Square being the only two car parks accessible, Blue Badge holders will also find a limited availability of spaces, it is advisable to arrive into town well before 10am. Walking is the most accessible means into the city however the city walls have some restrictions, between Baile Hill and Lendal the wall will be closed until 11am and the wall between Monk Bar and Bootham Bar is closed until 1.30pm. Mickelgate will be inaccessible until after 7pm as residents and shop owners will be holding a street party.
Itinerary for Queen’s visit:
10.50 am – Queen arrives at Micklegate Bar
10.55 am – Queen arrives at York Minster
Exits via Great West Doors
13.00 am – Queen arrives at Mansion House
14.30 am – Queen arrives at Yorkshire Museum
The Queen is visiting York as part of her Jubilee tour of the country and will be attending the Maundy Thursday Service held at the Minster. Traditionally the Queen hands out minted coins to the elderly in recognition of their contribution to community and church, the number of coins handed out has been related to the age of the monarch since the fifteenth century, therefore this year 86 men and 86 women will be receiving them. It was our current Queen who decided the service should take place in a different church each year; the Queen’s last visit to York was in 1972 for the Royal Maundy Service. Her Majesty must ask permission from the Lord Mayor to enter the City of York at Mickelgate Bar where traditionally the Town Clerk will read a Proclamation of Welcome.
After a frosty start to the day it is forecast that the weather will be sunny between the hours of 7am and 4pm with the temperature expected to rise to around 8 degrees, however winds are still strong so it is recommended to prepare for adverse weather as the beginning of the week has largely been cold and rainy, conditions may be unpredictable.
