York City Walls

York is world famous for its Roman and Medieval city walls, which almost entirely circle the city, stretching over 2 miles, further than any other city in England.

 

Walking the Walls

One of the most popular activities for visitors to York is to ‘walk the walls’.

The York city walls form a convenient loop around the city,  providing a unique perspective on the city. There is no natural starting point, but there are multiple access points situated every few hundered metres, allowing you to walk as much or as little of the walls as you like.

You can walk one section in approximately 15 minutes, but allow about 2 hours to do the full circuit. The most interesting part of the York walls is probably the section from Monkbar to Bootham. But don’t miss out on the iconic photo-shot from the walls as you walk from Mickelgate Bar in a westerly direction towards the city.

Read more about walking the walls in York.

History of the York City Walls

York has been a walled city since the Romans settled here 2,000 years ago. Unfortunately most of the original Roman Walls are no longer visible. Some sections were used as the foundations for the current walls, whilst other areas gradually disappeared over the centuries, as the stones were taken for other buildings. Sadly a few sections of the walls were demolished to make way for expansion of the city.

Read more history of the York walls

Daffodils on the Walls

One of the best times to visit York and walk the walls is in the Spring (March-April) when the daffodils are in full bloom. These native British flowers provide a wonderful sea of yellow all along the banks of the York Walls and Cliffords Tower.

Streets, Gates & Bars

Streets that lead to openings in the city walls are called gates. The entrance gates to the walls are actually called bars. And bars are called pubs!

Each of the medieval gates that stand today was built on a main Roman road leading out of the city. The Romans were famous for their engineering and planning, linking towns with straight arterial roads. The roads radiating out of York still form the main routes out of the city today. Over the centuries, buildings were built up along these routes resulting in a diverse mix of architecture through the ages. Many of these main roads outside the walls are absolutely straight. For example:  Mickelgate Bar (Tadcaster Road), Bootham Bar (Bootham), Walmgate Bar (Hull Road) and Monkgate Bar (Malton Road).

Public Conveniences

Over time, York’s bars were used by locals as public conveniences, as they provided a convenient and discrete place for gentlemen to urinate against! For obvious reasons this became quite unpleasant and something of a nuisance, so in the 19^th century, the city council introduced public conveniences at most of the bars in York to avoid this problem.

This is why many of York’s public toilets are located next to the Bars. There is even a historic toilet tour operating in the city now!

Preservation of York’s walls

By the early 19^th century the York walls had become superfluous to the city – they were no longer required for defence and they had fallen in to a state of disrepair. The industrial revolution and advent of the railways generated a population boom and the city needed more space.

In an age before mass tourism, conservation and heritage listings the city walls were seen by some as a nuisance and getting in the way of progress. In 1800 the city applied for an Act of Parliament to demolish them. A campaign was launched to save the walls, led by prominent York-born artist William Etty. After much pressure, the local authorities chose to ditch their plans and preserve the walls.

Unfortunately this decision came too late for some parts of the walls. All but one of the barbicans was torn down, leaving Walmgate Bar as the one remaining Barbican in the city. Also 3 postern gates, 5 towers and 300 yards of wall were demolished.

However, what remained was repaired and gentrified – the Victorians created walkways for promenading on the walls. By the end of the 19^th century, the future of the walls had been secured. They are now classed as an Ancient Monument and Grade 1 listed building.

Other walled cities in the UK

Unfortunately other towns in the UK were not so fortunate. Of the 108 walled towns and cities that once existed in England, less than a third now retain even a single gateway let alone extensive walls. York is amongst very few places in the world that you will see surviving examples of battlements from Roman, Viking, and Medieval periods.

However, there are two other towns in the UK with substantial city walls still in tact – Chester, near Manchester and Conwy in North Wales.

Chester

Like York, Chester is a Roman town with over 2,000 years of history. Situated on the River Dee, it was known as Fortress Deva by the Romans. Again like York, Chester hosted the Viking invasion of the dark ages, before it came to prominence as a fine medieval city.

It is probably most famous for its black & white timbered ‘Rows’, which are double tiers of shops, one at street level and one on the second floor with an outside walkway. The city’s walls provide a convenient way of navigating the city and provide great views of the River Dee and the distant mountains of North Wales.

Conwy

Conwy’s walls are medieval, built by Edward I of England in around 1289 to protect him and the town from the Welsh. Conwy Castle is a remarkable structure, with soaring turrets that dwarf the small town.

The castle is located in a picturesque part of the world, overlooking Conwy estuary and the Menai Straits. Whilst you’re at Conwy, check out Plas Mawr, considered to be one of the finest Elizabethan houses in Britain.

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