York has had many names over the couple millennia it has been an established settlement, but most notably, Eboracum by the Romans, and Jorvik by the Vikings. The city has come a long way since its first settlers and survived many sieges and battles – which is why it’s a great place for both families & solo travellers to get lost in its history.
One of York’s most famous historic features is its city walls which offer roughly 3.4km worth of paths, soaring over the low city & providing unique views you wouldn’t get by just walking its streets.
Disclaimer: The York City Walls are not suitable for someone in a wheelchair, or children in pushchairs. There are quite a few sections with narrow stairs.
If you fear heights, you should be okay on this walk – but discretion is advised as sections near the Railway are higher than other sections.
A brief history of York City Walls
When the Romans first arrived in Eboracum (71 AD), the infamous 9th Legion built a military fort around 50 acres in size. 30 years later, Roman Emperor Septimius Severus rebuilt the fort in stone, helping the city to become the largest town in Northern Britain, which the Romans labelled as the Capital of the Province of Britannia Inferior.
When Rome fell, there was a period of decline within Eboracum as the road of trade collapsed. It wasn’t until the Anglian period in the Early Middle Ages, when the once great town was ‘rejuvenated’ – becoming the capital of the Kingdom of Northumbria.
During the Anglo Saxon, Viking & Norman periods, the walls of Jorvik were rebuilt, replaced, and restructured with earthen ramparts. Then, during the High Middle Ages (Medieval Period) & Tudor period, the walls were formally replaced with the magnesian limestone walls & Gatehouses (Bars) that we see today.
Around 150 years ago, the City Walls were rebuilt so the general public could walk upon them. Nowadays, the York City Walls have become a Scheduled Ancient Monument, which you just have to explore…
The best route to follow
The York City Walls is not one continuous walkway like Derry, instead it has been cut into several sections which offer 13 access points:
Main Gatehouses (Bars)
- Bootham Bar: The Northern entrance near York Minster.
- Monk Bar: North-East, leads towards the Shambles and Goodramgate.
- Walmgate Bar: South-East, the only bar with a surviving barbican (fortified entrance).
- Micklegate Bar: South-West, traditional ceremonial entrance for monarchs visiting York.
Posterns & Small Gates
- Fishergate Postern: Near the River Foss & Fishergate Tower.
- Victoria Bar: A 19th century gate added to improve access to the walls.
- Baile Hill / Bishophill Ramp Access: No bar here, but a modern ramp provides access near Baile Hill.
- Red Tower: Eastern edge of the wall near the River Foss, but not always open for walking access.
Other access points
- Lendal Bridge area: Near the Museum Gardens.
- Station rise / Railway Station: Easy access point behind the Principal Hotel.
- Lord Mayor’s Walk: Near Monk Bar.
- Foss Islands Road area: Some smaller stairs between Monk Bar and the Red Tower.
- Barker Tower / North Street Postern: Tower near the River Ouse.
In all honesty, you can join the York City Walls at any point and go around it in any direction you wish, but it is recommended by the Friends of York Walls to go around anti-clockwise.
I have found that this is also the best direction to follow as most people also choose to go this way. The walls are quite narrow in places, and unsuitable for two way traffic. This being said, there are several turrets which allow for passing or overtaking.
The York City Walls are open from 8am to dusk, which changes seasonally & all sections of the walk are closed if the weather suggests that there is snow, storm or ice – so it’s always important to check the forecast before setting off!
How to get to York City Walls
In terms of where to start, this will differ depending on how you’ve come to York. If you are getting the train in, then the Railway Station access point is a great place to join, but if you’ve got a hotel then using one of the many other gates might be better.
If you are like me, and tend to drive in, then I would suggest parking at the Castle Car Park, next to Clifford’s Tower. From here, you can walk down to Tower Gardens, across the river, and join the wall where it meets Cornwell Road at the Victoria Bar.
After around 80 minutes (allowing time for photos), and 140m of elevation gain, you should end up back at the Car Park after walking from the Fishergate Postern Tower and across the bridge.
Alternatively, if you’ve decided to visit via York’s Park and Ride Bus system, then you can join the walk at Bootham Bar after walking through the Museum Gardens, heading North, through the ginnel (alleyway) by The Multangular Tower.
What to look out for
My favourite area along the York Walls walk is the Northern Quarter, specifically just North of Monk’s Bar, where you can view Grays Court (Boutique Hotel). This beautiful building lies in the shadow of the York Minster, and the rest of York sits behind.
Also, next to the Grays Court, there is The Centre of Excellence For Heritage Skills & Estate Management Masons Workshop, which is quite a fancy modern building. If you look close enough through the glass panes, you might be lucky enough to see some Roman pillars! Unfortunately, they aren’t originals, but are in fact made by modern day apprentices.
Remaining Roman legacy
Over the years, many Roman sections of York have been built over in a constant cycle of growth. Luckily, there are still quite a few areas along the City Walls walk where the Roman legacy remains.
Museum Gardens
Arguably, the most impressive of these structures is the Multangular Tower in the Museum Gardens. The Tower is one of the clearest surviving parts of the Roman fortress wall. Look out for layered stone and red tile courses, which contrasts against the angular stone blocks from the Middle Ages.
Also found within the Museum Gardens, is the Roman Fortress Wall, where you can again see the Roman stonework and a clear wall alignment.
Bootham Bar
Bootham Bar, one of the main Mediaeval gatehouses, was built directly above a Roman gateway, although none of the Roman stonework can be seen here. If you walk North of Bootham Bar, some of the lower courses of the walls reuse the Roman Stone.
Walking in Eboracums’ footsteps
When travelling between Lendal Tower, Bootham Bar, Monk Bar, keep in mind that this part of the wall walk follows the exact alignment of the Roman Fortress’s northern and western walls.
At this point of the walk, I like to put “Now We Are Free” by Hanz Zimmer on, and imagine myself walking the walls of the Roman fort.
Other historic periods
It would be rude of me not to talk about the other treasures that can be found when walking the York walls. Every time I go up there, I notice something new, and end up researching extensively – it’s not only a good workout, but also an enjoyable way to get into history!
Viking age
When the Vikings took over York, they buried much of the Roman walls beneath massive earth banks, building wooden palisades on top. Obviously these were then replaced with the larger stone works, but many of the earth works are still visible today – characterised by large grassy hills leading up to the walls.
Early Middle Ages
On the South West corner of the wall walk, just beyond the Skeldergate Bridge lies Baile Hill. This was an earthen motte built by the Normans in 1068, and housed a timber castle – which was part of a twin castle system with Clifford’s Tower across the river.
Unlike Clifford’s Tower however, Baile Hill’s castle no longer survives. But, you can walk up onto the motte and imagine yourself within a fort.
Medieval Defences
Between the 12th &14th centuries, not only were the walls rebuilt with magnesian limestone, but they were reinforced with 60 feet wide, and 10 feet deep ditches (much of which you cannot see).
As previously mentioned, York City Walls has four Bars (Gatehouses) which in the Medieval periods, were used for defence, toll collection and controlling who entered or exited the city. One of the most notable of these, is Walmgate Bar. Which is the only York gatehouse with a surviving Barbican.
A Barbican was a defensive funnel that created a ‘killing zone’, where arrow slits would flank the path of any invader attempting to charge its gates.
Some other defences worth mentioning:
- Murder Holes (Machicolations) at Micklegate Bar: If you stand inside the gate and look up, then you will see some circular openings in the vaulted ceiling that were used to drop stones or boiling hot liquids on enemies.
- Merlons & Embrasures on the wall walks: Merlons are the solid parts of the wall, where embrasures are the gaps for firing.
- The Red Tower: Made of brick, this tower was created to improve visibility and the range of fire.
Civil War
During the English Civil War, York was surrounded by Parliamentarian & Scottish forces for 3 months. A breach occurred near the Walmgate Bar, where you will be able to spot ‘newer’ stonework in the lower half of the wall – caused by emergency repairs.
If you notice any unusually marked stone or indentations within the wall’s stonework, then you could be looking at the site of a cannonball impact – although this is more of an oral tradition than actual fact.
The natural world
And, finally, the most often forgotten side of York’s City Walls … it’s non-human inhabitants. The walls act as a living wildlife corridor, threading together the city’s parks, rivers, and gardens. If you’re into photography, now’s the time to grab your camera. There’s something magical about capturing the manmade vs natural world.
If you take one thing from the blog, let it be this – the best time to walk the York City Walls is in spring. That’s when the Daffodils bloom in golden waves, bees start to hum through the air, and the entire walk feels alive.
There’s a quiet joy in knowing that as you wander those great walls, you’re walking in the footsteps of thousands of others, stretching back over centuries, all experiencing the same simple happiness.
Leave a reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.