York : Streets and city history

History is everywhere in York. In almost every corner there is something to fascinate and intrigue in this lively place of wonder with a two-thousand-year-old story to tell.

York Minster from Low Petergate © David Simpson

Here we find Roman remains, Viking and medieval street-names and a two-and-three-quarter mile long city wall with four great ‘bars’ or gateways to the city’s historic heart that are still formidable reminders of York’s military past.

Ghost stories abound in York and on summer evenings ghostly trails and tours explore haunts and horrors of the past. In daylight, we can explore lively markets or timber-framed houses with tales to tell. There are tourists of numerous nations, old pubs and pleasant restaurants, two rivers and fantastic museums featuring everything from Romans to railways and Vikings to Victorians.

Colourful market stalls in the Shambles area of York © David Simpson

There’s a commanding castle keep, a ruined monastery, medieval churches galore and of course the grand old Minster that is York’s magnificent cathedral, the seat of an Archbishop.

Cliffords Tower, York — Cliffords Tower, the commanding keep of York Castle © David Simpson

York has long been a focal point for the North of England and for centuries was by far the most significant city in the north before industrialisation transformed so many northern towns. This industrialisation barely touched York and did so in only modest ways, enabling the city to keep its roots and character and stay in tune with its medieval past.

Stonegate and High Petergate looking towards York Minster through the Minster Gates, York © David Simpson

Beginning as a ‘Celtic’ river settlement it subsequently became the Roman capital of northern Britain called Eboracum. York later became ‘Eoforwick’, the political and religious focal centre for the Kingdom of Northumbria, a role it shared with Bamburgh and Lindisfarne in the far north of the kingdom.

Later still, as the city of ‘Jorvik‘, York was the bustling centre for Viking rule in Britain, hosting Viking kings, who ruled that part of Northumbria where Danes and Norsemen had come to settle.

Vikings left their mark in speech and culture not just in York and its street-names but across the whole of Yorkshire and beyond where their ‘beck’, ‘thorpe’ and ‘by’ place-names like Whitby, Haxby, Huby, Wetherby, Thormanby and many more, are scattered across the landscape.

Goodramgate, York, named from a Viking called Guthrum © David Simpson

York’s important role in the North continued following the Norman Conquest when it became the site of a Norman castle and home to the influential abbey of St Mary. A little later it became the medieval centre for the Council in the North. It is also, of course, still the historic capital of Yorkshire, the shire or ‘County of York’, a shire to which York gives its name.

The Vikings divided the shire into ‘thridings’ (three parts) called the North Riding; West Riding and East Riding, with York itself forming a special place all on its own at the very heart of the county.

Patrick Pool, York looking towards Swinegate and Church Street — Patrick Pool, York, looking towards Swinegate and Church Street © David Simpson

Today, as we wind our way around York’s many snickelways (a term given to the city’s maze of narrow streets, yards and ‘ginnels’) we find ourselves following in the footsteps of a legion of characters from history. Roman emperors; kings; queens; earls; dukes; archbishops; monks, chocolatiers; railway entrepreneurs and rotten rogues ranging from Guy Fawkes to Dick Turpin are all part of the extraordinary story of York.

Timber-framed building, Shambles, York © David Simpson

These pages feature an ‘A-Z’ of prominent streets, roads, significant buildings and some aspects of history associated with them. Several of the street-names we encounter are called ‘gates’ from a term used in York street-names like Walmgate, Coppergate, Stonegate and Skeldergate.

York’s street-names are often fascinating in their own right and there are many such names that only survive in records of un-located, long-forgotten streets : ‘Herlot Hill’ (the rogue’s street); ‘Trichourlane’ (the trickster’s Lane) and Nedellergate (the needle-maker’s street) being just a few examples.

As a term for a street, ‘gate’ derives from a northern and Viking word ‘gata’, and should not be confused with the word ‘gate’ meaning ‘gateway’. The historic gateways in the city walls of York are of course called ‘Bars’ and the four main gateways still stand like stone sentinels guarding the city’s defended perimeter.

York Minster from the City Walls © David Simpson

Street-by-street history of York

A-B : Aldwark to Bootham Bar

Aldwark

Aldwark stretches from Goodramgate (opposite Ogleforth) south-eastward to St Saviour’s Place near Peaseholme Green. The street-name Aldwark means ‘Old earthwork’ and was so-named because part of the Roman wall (see city walls) that surrounded the Roman fortress of York ran near here. York’s Roman wall was later superseded by the medieval city wall that runs adjacent to the street to the east. Aldwark lies within these city walls.

The Merchant Taylors’ Hall, just off Aldwark lies alongside the city wall half way along the street. Its interior dates from around 1400, although the brick exterior dates from 1672 and 1715. This was the home of York’s Merchant Taylors’ Guild, established by a Royal Charter of Incorporation issued by Charles II in 1662.

The charter merged the guilds of the drapers, hosiers and tailors. The Merchant Taylor’s Hall is the only surviving hall of an actual craft guild in York and should not be confused with the admittedly more impressive Merchant Adventurers’ Hall off Fossgate, that overlooks the River Foss near Piccadilly.

Merchant Taylors, York — Merchant Taylors’ Hall, York © David Simpson

At the Merchant Taylor’s Hall, bollards in Aldwark near the junction with St Andrewgate divide Aldwark into two parts so only pedestrians can connect between the two. A gateway here, alongside the hall, marks the course of Pink Lane along which, to the south of the hall, stood ‘St Helen-on-the-Walls’ in medieval times. This long-lost church was called ‘St Elen in le Werckedickes’ in 1282 and ‘Sancte Elenæ in Aldewerk’ in 1409. ‘Werkdyke’ is preserved in the name of a modern nearby courtyard.

Beyond the Merchant Taylors’ Hall, the south end of Aldwark is narrower with more character. At the end of the street is a building that was once York’s first and only Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, where John Wesley himself preached.

Baile Hill and Bishophill Street

Bishophill, west of the River Ouse, is part of an area that once formed York’s Colonia or civilian city in Roman times. Much later it was part of the lands of the Archbishop of York. Here, St Mary’s church, formerly St Mary’s Bishophill Junior, has a western tower, said to be the oldest ecclesiastical architecture in York.

York City walls between Micklegate Bar and the Victoria Bar with the tower of St Mary, Bishophill Junior, top right © David Simpson

This church was built in three phases, with re-used Roman stone and Anglo-Saxon herring-bone masonry. There is a late Anglo-Saxon bell-opening at the top of the tower. An Anglo-Saxon cross-shaft can be seen in the church.

There was also once a church called St Mary’s Bishophill Senior, further to the south in a street called Bishophill Senior. Parts of this church were used to construct the church of the Holy Redeemer on Boroughbridge Road in the Acomb area of York.

Housing at Baile, York — A house at Baile Hill recalls the name of the old castle mound, York © David Simpson

The Bishophill area is the home to Baile Hill, also known historically as ‘The Baile’, ‘Old Baile’ and even ‘the Old Bailey’. Situated off Cromwell Street, this mound was the motte for one of two castles built by William the Conqueror in York. Trees now grow out of the mound near this south west corner of the city walls. The castle attached to the motte extended into the neighbouring Falkland Street and Kyme Street areas and was surrounded by a moat. It stood on the site of a Roman cemetery of much earlier times.

The motte at Baile Hill was built a year after the motte of York Castle or ‘Clifford’s Tower‘ as it is now known. Clifford’s Tower is just across the River Ouse. Baile Hill castle was erected following a rebellion against King William the Conqueror in 1069 and ensured both sides of the River Ouse were defended.

Close to Baile Hill, there once stood a postern on the city wall called Skeldergate Postern. Sadly, it was demolished by the Corporation of the City of York in 1807. Its removal resulted in the Archbishop of York suing the Corporation and the Archbishop won. This legal case prevented further demolitions and was an important factor in preserving York’s city walls.

York city walls near Baile Hill © David Simpson

Intriguingly, there are historic references to a street near Baile Hill called ‘Launelidgate’ in the twelfth century that was later called ‘Launtlityate’. This name seems to mean ‘hidden gateway’ and may refer to a long lost hidden entranceway into the city. Perhaps it referred to the Skeldergate Postern.

Bishopgate Street runs alongside the city walls just outside the walled parts of the city near Baile Hill. It crosses the Ouse at Skeldergate Bridge towards the site of York Castle and Clifford’s Tower.

Blossom Street

This is the southern continuation of Micklegate, beyond Micklegate Bar. Micklegate is the main street in the old part of York to the west of the River Ouse but unlike Micklegate, Blossom Street lies just outside the city walls.

Blossomgate was historically called ‘Ploxwaingate’, deriving from ‘Ploughswain-Gate’, meaning ‘street of the ploughman’ or perhaps ‘the street of the man who repairs ploughs’. The word ‘Ploxwain’ was corrupted through natural changes in English speech to ‘Blossom’. The old spelling of plough ‘plox’ is from the Old Scandinavian ‘plógr’.

Micklegate Bar, York viewed from Blossom Street — Micklegate Bar, York, viewed from Blossom Street © David Simpson

A street called Blossomgate also exists in Ripon and has the same origin. Situated in York’s Blossom Street near Micklegate Bar is the St Mary’s Bar Convent. The oldest Catholic convent in Britain, it was founded in secret in 1686 by a Yorkshire woman called Mary Ward (1585-1645) at a time of Catholic suppression.

As well as a convent, it became the site for the country’s second ever school for girls, a follow up to a similar school, founded in London’s Hammersmith by Mary’s followers. The present convent building superseded the original one and was built in 1765 by Thomas Atkinson. It is a heritage centre dedicated to the story of the convent as well as being a place to stay and location for meetings.

Bar Convent, Blossom Street, York © David Simpson

Bootham and Bootham Bar

Bootham, from an Old West Scandinavian plural word ‘búðum’ meaning ‘at the booths’ probably refers to booths erected near Bootham Bar, that were used for a weekly market held by the monks of St Mary’s Abbey.

Bootham is a continuation of Petergate but lies outside the city walls beyond Bootham Bar. A stretch of the wall of St Mary’s Abbey runs along the southern side of the street. The street of Bootham approaches the city from the north and partly follows the A19.

At the corner of the wall at the junction of Bootham and Marygate is St Mary’s Tower. The walls of St Mary’s Abbey once stretched across to Bootham Bar so that the walls of the abbey were connected to the walls of the city itself.

To the west, the street of Bootham leads out to the village of Clifton, a suburb of York with a Victorian village green. Clifton has been the home to York’s St Peter’s School (a boarding school) since 1844. The school can trace its origins back to a school that was founded by Paulinus in AD 627 at the original York Minster during the reign of King Edwin of Northumbria.

Early pupils here included Alcuin, the learned and influential Northumbrian scholar who later became head of the school and went on to serve at the court of Charlemagne. The school was situated near the minster until the Reformation and its later sites included the Bedern near Goodramgate and St Andrewgate. Former pupils included Guy Fawkes. It was situated in the Minster Yard from 1840 up until its relocation to Clifton.

The city gateway of Bootham Bar lies at the eastern end of Bootham and connects to the western end of High Petergate which lies within the city walls. Bootham meets Bootham Bar at Exhibition Square that lies just outside the city walls and is a familiar entrance to the city for many visitors.

Bootham Bar was the main medieval route into the city from the north through the Forest of Galtres. It stands on the site of the earlier Roman gateway called the Porta Principalis Dextra, so there has been a gateway here for approaching 2,000 years.

Bootham Bar, York stands on the site of the earlier Roman gateway to the Roman fortress of York — Bootham Bar, on the site of the earlier Roman gateway to the fortress of York © David Simpson

Parts of Bootham Bar, with its four bartizan towers, date from the eleventh century but the part facing into the city was rebuilt in 1719 and again in 1832. In that year, the outer extension of the gateway or ‘Barbican’ was removed. In earlier times guards were posted here to guide travellers through the Forest of Galtres.

Bootham Bar and York Minster depicted on an old postcard

Until the thirteenth century Bootham Bar or at least a gateway on the north side of Bootham leading to the Forest of Galtres was called the ‘Gate of Galmou’, named from the hill on which the abbey of St Mary stands. In earlier times Galmou was called ‘Galmanho’ (Galmanhowe). It was on this hill that Siward, the Anglo-Danish Earl of Northumbria, built a church dedicated to St Olaf (see Marygate).

High Petergate, York — High Petergate, near Bootham Bar, York © David Simpson

The Gate of Galmou or ‘Galmondlythe’ seems to have derived its name from a Scandinavian personal name, Galmann, possibly related to the Old Irish personal name Colmán that occurs in the name of Commondale in the North York Moors. Colmán was the name of a Northumbrian saint who attended the Synod of Whitby in AD 664.

On the east side of Bootham Bar within the city walls is the street of High Petergate. It is worth climbing the few steps onto the wall at Bootham Bar to view the street below.

High Petergate viewed from Bootham Bar, York © David Simpson

In times past much of the area within the wall between Bootham Bar and Monk Bar formed the Liberty of St Peter, which was governed by the Dean and Chapter of York Minster. This area was effectively a separate jurisdiction to the rest of the city. The liberty included York Minster itself and its associated buildings as well as a palace of the Archbishop of York, situated nearby, that has now long gone.

View of High Petergate from Bootham Bar, York © David Simpson

In times past the Archbishops also resided at a castle in the village of Cawood near Selby to the south of York. The present residence of the Archbishops of York is Bishopthorpe Palace in the village of Bishopthorpe about three miles south of York.

Exhibition Square, York viewed from Bootham Bar © David Simpson

Exhibition Square, just outside the city wall, is overlooked by Bootham Bar and there are a number of features of interest here including the nearby entrance to the Museum Gardens and the ruins of St Mary’s Abbey.