Follow the ice trail as city's 'coolest' event returns to York

More than 40 sculptures carved from ice adorned the city centre.

They stood the length of Parliament Street, clustered in St Sampson's Square, stood in a niche off Colliergate - and even appeared in St Helen's Square, where many hundreds of people this afternoon attended a rally in support of Ukraine.

The sculpures ranged from a model of the Rugby League world cup to a miniature First York bus; from a radio telescope to a miniature golf hole - complete with a green strip of fake grass that you could putt on...

Cool: it's an ice cream cone - made, of course, out of ice...

The Ice Trail has been described (of course) as 'York's coolest' event.

And visitors today certainly seemed to think so.

Jess had come to see the sculptures with her two young children, one of them only three years old.

"I thought at three years old it might be a bit too much for her," she said. "But she loves it. It's great!"

Another visitor, who declined to give his name, was particularly taken by the sculpture of a First York bus in St Sampson's Square.

"I used to get a First Bus when I was 14!" he said.

So was it a good representation of the bus he used to ride on? "It's pretty accurate."

A First Bus sculpted in ice

One woman, in York with her teenage daughter, had actually come to the city for a badminton tournament - and was completely bopwled over to find the ice sculptures.

"It's really good," she said. "We've been going around looking at all the different ones."

And what was her favourite? "The Viking. He's fantastic."

The Ice Trail has been described (naturally) as the city's 'coolest' event.

There have been some last minute changes to this year's event.

It's not a Viking at all, it's a knight: a York City Knight, to be precise

A special ice sculpture was commissioned late on to stand in St Helen's Square in light of the rally in Ukraine this afternoon  - a heart-shaped sculpture of the Ukrainian flag.

And in other changes, the National Railway Museum decided not to show its sculpture. "This decision follows the museum’s recent announcement that they would not be proceeding with their upcoming ‘Trans-Siberian: The World’s Longest Railway’ Exhibition, due to the distressing events in Ukraine following Russia’s invasion," a spokesperson said.

Standing by Ukraine - the yellow and blue flag carved in ice. Picture: Alan Milner for Make It York

But there was plenty more to see.

The theme for this year's event has been travel - with many sculptires designed to reresent scenes from around the world.

Make It York managing director Sarah Loftus said: "After a couple of years where many of us haven’t been able to travel too far, this year’s theme brings sculptures inspired from ‘around the world’ to the streets of York."

The best news of all, though, if this: if you missed ther ice Trail today, never fear. It will still be there tomorrow. Enjoy...

You can download a map to the York Ice Trail here

Spectacular: a whole townscape carved in ice in front of York Art Gallery. Picture: Alan Milner for Make It York

Anyone for tea? Iced tea, of course. Picture: Alan Milner for Make It York