The city walls of historic York

Built from local limestone, York’s city walls are the longest in England, covering some two-and-three quarter miles and are famed for their great entrance gateways into the medieval city. There are four main gateways : Bootham Bar, Monk Bar, Walmgate Bar and Micklegate Bar plus a lesser gateway called Fishergate Bar and a Victorian addition called the Victoria Bar.

Section of the York City wall between Walmgate Bar and Fishergate Bar © David Simpson

Bootham Bar is the gateway on the north west side of the wall linking the street called Bootham outside the walls, to Petergate just within the city walls. The north east side of the city wall is the setting for Monk Bar, linking Monkgate outside the old city to Goodramgate within. On the south east side of the walls, linking St Lawrence Street to Walmgate, is Walmgate Bar.

York city walls near Lendal Bridge. The arches beyond the road train were created in Victorian times to allow railway lines through to the first York railway station that was built within the city walls © David Simpson

A little south and west of Walmgate Bar is Fishergate Bar linking Fawcett Street and George Street (both historically part of Fishergate). This is a minor gateway but was once more substantial and had rectangular towers.

West of the River Ouse are two further bars. One of these is Victoria Bar, which is, as its name suggests, a nineteenth century creation rather than a genuine medieval gateway.

York City walls viewed from Nunnery Lane near Victor Street © David Simpson

The Victoria Bar was only built in 1837-38, connecting Victor Street within the walls to Nunnery Lane, just outside.

Nunnery Lane runs along the south edge of the walls from Micklegate and was previously Beggergate Lane. In earlier times it was simply called ‘Bagergate’ or ‘Baggergate’ meaning ‘bag maker’s street’. The south or east end of Nunnery Lane begins in the Clementhorpe area of York where a St Clement’s Nunnery stood in medieval times. At the north eastern end of Nunnery Lane, where it joins Micklegate, we find the Bar Convent near Micklegate Bar.

Micklegate Bar, situated along the walls to the west of Victoria Bar is the fourth of the great medieval gateways of York and historically the most important. It links Blossom Street outside the city walls to the great street of Micklegate within the walls.

York City Walls : Roman roots

Some stretches of York’s city wall have Roman origins, most notably the Multangular Tower in the Museum Gardens, though the upper layers of this tower are from later medieval times.

This particular polygonal-shaped tower forms one of the corner towers of York’s medieval wall and can be found within York’s Museum Gardens.

Walls at York near Multangular tower © David Simpson

The Multangular Tower was constructed by the Romans during a fourth century remodelling of the south-west defences of York’s Roman legionary fortress and was the westernmost corner of the fortress.

Stretches of the Roman fortress wall adjoin the multangular tower and are topped by the additions of York’s later, medieval wall. This is followed slightly to the north by a gap in the walls, resulting from early nineteenth century demolitions and the gap continues up to Bootham Bar except for a remaining diminutive stretch of the Roman Wall in St Leonard’s Place, near Exhibition Square.

Remaining section of Roman wall, in St Leonard's Place York — Remaining section of Roman wall, in St Leonard’s Place York © David Simpson

Further north, beyond Bootham Bar, in the Deanery Garden of York Minster, we find the northernmost corner of York’s medieval wall. This corner also matches up with the northernmost corner of York’s Roman legionary fortress.

City Walls, Lord Mayors Walk, York © David Simpson

A corner tower on the medieval walls can be seen here but nothing remains of the Roman wall. Just outside the medieval walls at this corner we find Moatside Court near the meeting of the streets of Gillygate and Lord Mayor’s Walk.

We should note that York’s City wall only partly follows the course and layout of the earlier Roman fortress wall. Roman York (Eboracum) was a legionary fortress and although it was one of the biggest Roman forts in Britain it did not encompass as extensive an area as the later medieval city walls of York.

From the Deanery Gardens, the Roman wall only stretched south beyond Monk Bar as far as the later medieval street of Aldwark whose name recalls its ‘old earthworks’. Monk Bar is situated on a part of the city wall that follows the course of this earlier Roman wall but unlike Bootham Bar, Monk Bar does not stand on the site of a Roman gateway.

At Aldwark, the north-eastern corner of the rectangular-shaped Roman fortress was situated just off the street to the north and west of the current Merchant Taylors’ Hall.

Feasegate, York near the junction with Market Street. The south corner of the Roman legionary fortress was located here York — Feasegate, York near the junction with Market Street. The south corner of the Roman legionary fortress was located here © David Simpson

From here the Roman fortress wall headed south-west running partly along the eastern side of Church Street towards St Sampson’s Square (where a pub cellar includes a Roman bath). The most southerly, south-western corner of the Roman fortress was situated at what is now approximately the south end of Feasegate near its junction with Market Street.

Across the River Ouse into the Micklegate and Bishophill areas of York to the east was situated the Roman city or Colonia that was separate from the Roman fortress on the opposite side of the river. On this side of the river, the walls of the Roman city are presumed to follow the course of the present medieval city walls.

The Bitchdaughter Tower is the southernmost point on York's City walls © David Simpson — The Bitchdaughter Tower is the southernmost point on York’s City walls © David Simpson

The very southernmost corner of York’s medieval city walls, crudely known as the ‘Bitchdaughter Tower’ to the south of Baile Hill is presumed to be on the site of the southern corner of the wall of the Roman city or Colonia.

In what is now the railway station area of York, Roman baths were located just within the walls in what is now the Loverose Street area (near York’s Old Station).

York city walls viewed from the railway station © David Simpson

A Roman Temple to Serapis is known to have stood nearby in what is now the meeting of Toft Green and Tanner Row. Just outside the walls was a large Roman cemetery, spread across an area that encompasses the present York railway station.

York City walls looking towards the Loverose Street area — York City walls near the railway station looking towards the Loverose Street area © David Simpson

Following the fall of Rome and departure of Roman troops from Britain, a short period of obscurity followed until York emerged as Eoforwic within the Kingdom of Deira and subsequently Northumbria. The Anglo-Saxon settlers or specifically Anglians who ruled these kingdoms utilised the existing defences of the city.

Anglian Tower, York — ‘Anglian’ Tower, York © David Simpson

An interesting feature often associated with this period is the ‘Anglian Tower’ near York library just north of the Multangular Tower. It is said to be the only non-religious Anglo-Saxon tower in England. It was thought to have been built to repair a breach in the earlier Roman wall. However, recent studies have cast doubt on its dating and an alternative view is that it is now a late Roman structure of the fourth of fifth century.

Just to the rear of the Anglian tower are four layers of embankment labelled according to the period they were constructed. The carved stone plaques read : ‘Roman Bank’, (1st to 5th Century); ‘Dark Age Bank’, (5th to 10th Century); ‘Norman Bank’ 11th to 12th century and finally ‘Medieval Bank’ referring to the 13th century.

A little north of the Anglian tower as far as Bootham Bar we have the only major lost section of the city wall that was pulled down in the early nineteenth century. This missing part of wall stretches from the Anglian Tower near the south edge of the Kings Manor, straight across St Leonard’s Place near Exhibition Square to the De Grey Rooms next to Bootham Bar. The little piece of remaining Roman wall in St Leonard’s Place is the only clue to its course here.

Exploring the walls

Most of the present City Wall of York dates from around 1250 with significant parts of the fourteenth century too. Some parts of York’s city wall were renovated in the nineteenth century but on the whole, they still exist in their medieval form dating from the twelfth to fourteenth century. Most of the wall can be walked and it forms a popular pathway with several good views of the city.

City walls between MIcklegate and the Victoria Bar, York © David Simpson

Other than the short section of missing wall near Bootham Bar, the only other major gap in the wall is situated between Peaseholme Green and the Red Tower (Foss Island Road). However, there has never been a wall here. It was not needed as this was the location of a large medieval fishpond called the King’s Fishpool created by the deliberate flooding of the River Foss in Norman times.

York castle and its moat also accounted for another small gap in the otherwise continuous medieval wall as of course did the River Ouse. Just below Clifford’s Tower leading from Tower Street down to the River Ouse is a supplementary section of medieval wall that terminates on the river front at Davy Tower just north and upstream of Skeldergate Bridge.

York City walls and Micklegate Bar © David Simpson

Only lower parts of this stone tower remain and this has been topped by a brick house. Davy Tower was also known as the Tower of the Friars Minor and was linked by chain to another now lost tower that once stood across the river north of Baile Hill. Davy Tower is, incidentally, nowhere near the street of Davygate which is much further to the north in the heart of the city centre.

A little further upstream along the Ouse from here, two historic towers connected to the city wall still stand on the opposite ends of Lendal Bridge linking the city wall on both sides of the river. These two towers are Barker Tower and Lendal Tower and were also once connected by chains.

In addition to the city walls of York and once connected to them are the walls of the medieval abbey of St Mary. Situated just west of Bootham Bar and now enclosing the abbey ruins, the remaining walls here are extensive and more than make up for the lost section of city wall near Bootham Bar.

The Water Tower (centre) forms part of the abbey walls of York. In the distance is a railway bridge and to the right the Hospitium in the abbey grounds, York — The Water Tower (centre) forms part of the abbey walls of York pictured from Lendal Bridge. In the distance is a railway bridge and to the right the Hospitium in the abbey grounds, York © David Simpson

From the ‘Water Tower’ on the Ouse, the abbey walls run along the east side of the street of Marygate as far as a tower called ‘Marygate Tower’ on the corner of Marygate and Bootham. They then run along the south side of Bootham to Bootham Bar to which they were once connected but now terminate in nearby Exhibition Square.

Marygate Tower with Booth beyond — Marygate Tower, part of the abbey walls with Bootham beyond © David Simpson

The Bars and Towers

Some of the principal features of York’s City Walls are explored in our York street-by-street-pages with sections of wall included near Aldwark; Lord Mayor’s Walk; the Railway Station; Fishergate; Baile Hill and Bishopgate Street.

York City Walls near Walmgate Bar © David Simpson

The four main gateways of the York city walls are Bootham Bar on the site of an earlier Roman gateway; Micklegate Bar possibly on or very close to the site of an earlier Roman gateway; Monkgate Bar situated in Monkgate to the north, which is the tallest of the four bars and finally Walmgate Bar, to the east, which is the only one of the old gateways to retain its barbican.

Other entrances to the city walls are Victoria Bar which is a Victorian creation. Also Victorian are the broad entrances to the wall near the old York railway station which were created to allow rail traffic to pass through when the first station was built within the city walls.

Another gateway, the Fishergate Bar, is a genuine medieval gateway, though it is not on the scale of the four main gateways. We have already mentioned Barker Tower and Lendal Tower on either side of the River Ouse near Lendal Bridge and we also have the Red Tower which guarded the crossing of the King’s Fish Pool.

View from the city walls near the Victoria Bar, York © David Simpson

It is possible to walk most of the length of the remaining wall including rewarding sections at Jewbury and near Micklegate Bar or the section approaching York Minster from the south which has some great views.

At Baile Hill the wall takes in the mound of one of York’s former castles and also of interest are the abbey walls of St Mary’s Abbey which run along the edge of Marygate and Bootham and were connected to the neighbouring city walls.