13. Clockwise walking scenes associated with the City Walls and History

City of YORK SCENES *

  York Area Index 

A brief pictorial 'wizz' trip clockwise starting and ending at Monk Bar - Monkgate

Lots of pictures of scenes and views from this historic walk all around the York City Walls

Its great walk to do, not too long, very historic and very scenic,

and  not a bad half-day exploration of the glorious City of York and its turbulent history!

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Speed's 1610 map of York gives a good idea of what the walls would have been like in medieval period (middle ages) and many of the street names and church names are recognisable in the list on the right. Twenty Nine religious sites. 18 churches remain standing in some form, if not always for their original purpose.

Monk Bar (Monkbar, Monkgate Bar) is the best preserved of the medieval gateways into the city (more pictures and notes)

Since medieval times ice houses have been used to store winter ice for cooling purposes in the warmer parts of the year. This icehouse is beneath the outside of the city walls just south-west of Monk Bar (Monkgate) - medieval or ~1800 - book guide opinions differ?

Looking down on Monkgate-Goodramgate from Monk Bar.

Looking back to Monk Bar on the city walls

View down to the end of Merchant Taylors' Hall

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The City Walls near Merchant Taylors' Hall

St Cuthbert's Church on Peasholme Green can be seen through the trees. You then head for Foss Island Road to wind your way round south to pick up the walls again at the Red Tower.

You can make a deviation off Foss Islands Road to view Leetham's Mill a fine looking 19th century brick building with an impressive castellated tower!

Leetham's Mill stands on the River Foss. You can then head for the Red Tower.

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The Red Tower (more pictures and notes of the Walmgate area)

The east end of St Margaret's Church viewed from the City Walls near the Red Tower.

Approaching Walmgate Bar.

Walmgate Bar and the walls of the barbican.

The Elizabethan house built onto the city walls at Walmgate Bar, which now houses The Gatehouse cafe!

Looking out of the City through the barbican of Walmgate Bar.

Looking into the barbican of Walmgate Bar (more pictures and notes of the Walmgate area)

The massive blocks of the stone construction of  Walmgate barbican.

Looking south-west along the walls from near Walmgate Bar.

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Autumn on York's City Walls.

Fishergate Bar - through which you can just see the Phoenix pub.

Just up the road from Fishergate Bar is St George's (RC) Catholic Church

A modern hotel and bar incorporating some medieval architectural features!

Fishergate Postern Tower, the gateway at the side is called the postern.

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The old Raindale Mill on the River Foss below the Castle Museum and Assize Courts. Raindale Mill was transported brick by brick from Raindale in North Yorkshire and is fully restored to working order and its flour can be bought at the Castle Museum.

Clifford's Tower and the north end of the Assize Courts.

The steep climb up to Clifford's Tower!

The view west off Skeldergate Bridge as you cross the River Ouse from one section of the wall to the other.

Skeldergate Bridge and on the right on the far bank is the Bonding Warehouse - now a bar?

View north-west from Skeldergate Bridge to the Ouse Bridge in the distance.

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The original flat topped motte and bailey by the city wall is now covered in trees, but provides a quiet spot from the bustle of the city eg play your guitar to your girlfriend!.

Through the trees, a view of the 'new' medieval castle of Clifford's Tower from the 'old' castle motte!

Bitchdaughter Tower where the walls changes direction from south-west to north-west (clockwise).

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Named after Queen Victoria, Victoria Bar is a relatively recent addition to the city walls. It was built in 1838 to improve traffic access between Nunnery Lane outside the walls and Bishophill within the city walls.

Victoria Gate

Looking towards the tower of St Mary's Church, Bishophill Junior on the left and the Minster on the distant right.

The mighty Micklegate Bar (more scenes around the Micklegate area)

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The Walls near York Station - approaching Toft Tower.

The busy transport scene around York Station. (more York Station Scenes)

Part of the original railway station buildings?

The view of York Minster from the city walls near the railway station.

The City Walls just across the Lendal Bridge on the road to York Railway Station, punctuated twice by the busy road.

Heading towards the Minster from near York Station.

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Looking over Lendal Bridge on the River Ouse towards the city centre.

The War Memorial to North Eastern Railway Company workers who died in the 1st World War. It commemorates 2236 NER men and this Great War Memorial is topped by a white obelisk of Portland Stone.

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The Lendal Bridge.

The Lendal Tower at the north-east end of Lendal Bridge.

The conical topped Barker Tower at the south-west end of Lendal Bridge.

You cross the Lendal Bridge over the River Ouse and up on your left are the ruins of St Leonard's Hospital near the entrance to the Museum Gardens.

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Going through the ruins of St Leonard's Hospital you come to the Multangular Tower (far left) on the right behind the Central Library is another section of Roman wall and the Anglian Tower.

The Multangular tower in the Museum Gardens. The tower formed the north-west corner of the Roman legionary fortress of Eboracum. It was built about 300AD on the site of an older and simpler tower. The upper 'larger' stonework is medieval. The tower houses Roman stone coffins (shown below) from various excavated sites of the Roman city of Eboracum i.e. York!

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The impressive Multangular Tower.

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Along the Roman and Medieval walls towards the Anglian Tower.

The Anglian Tower of rather crude construction.

Four successive layers of defences near the Anglian Tower - indicated by the blue scripted concrete tablets - 1. Roman bank 1st-4th century, 2. Dark Ages 9th-10th century, 3. Norman bank 11th-12th century, and 4. Medieval bank of the 13th century.

The buildings of the King's Manor with the City Walls on the right.

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The Red House, a fine Georgian building near the Minster seems to have some of the old city wall in it!

A most handsome Red House, now an antiques centre.

A large section of the city wall was demolished to allow the building of the curved block of houses of St Leonard's Place.

At the end of St Leonard's Place a bit of Roman wall remains in view of the Kings Manor in the background and moving on you come to Bootham Bar.

Bootham Bar is the start of High Petergate and has an early Norman outer archway and fragments of the original portcullis still exist! The City wall on the right runs along to the Multangular Tower (below) and  St Mary's Abbey in the Museum Gardens. and has an early Norman outer archway and fragments of the original portcullis still exist!

Bootham Bar, the west towers of the Minster behind it and the water fountains of the Art Gallery forecourt. The tower on the left with the small square window is called Bootham Tower and was built in 1752.

Marygate Tower - Bootham Bar is at the top of the road.

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A section of the wall of St Mary's Abbey between Marygate Tower and Bootham Bar.

Looking up as you ascend the steps up Bootham bar to return to the wall walk.

A view of the Art Gallery and Exhibition Square from the steps of Bootham Bar.

Note the medieval tower on part of the city walls - actually the walls of the abbey in the lovely quiet 'artists gardens' at the back of York's Art Gallery.

Easy to miss this bit out when walking the city walls - good place for a picnic and/or the cafe in the Art Gallery.

View of Petergate from the walls of Bootham Bar

Several views of the Minster are now shown from the wall between Bootham Bar and Robin Hood Tower.

The west towers on the right and the central tower on the left.

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The central tower of the Minster through the trees.

Looking along to Robin Hood Tower.

The conical roof of the chapter house, central tower and lower right, the Minster Library.

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Views of the City Walls from Robin Hood's Tower (Left towards Monks Bar, Right towards Bootham Bar).

Looking back along the walls to Robin Hood Tower.

Looking along the city walls towards Monk Bar where they are parallel to the Lord Mayor's Walk.

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Down on your right is Grays Court - a fine historic house and a splendid setting for a cup of tea in its Tea Room and Garden.

Grays Court Garden.

A grand view of York Minster from the City Walls near Monk Gate

AND finally back to the magnificent structure of Monk Bar (Monkbar or Monkgate Bar).

Part of the City defensive walls and ditch near Monk Bar on Lord Mayors Walk. A good site for peaceful daffodils and back we are at Monk Bar looking along the walls to Robin Hood Tower. It is also the best preserved part of the most - below the daffodils.

Monkgate Bar from Goodramgate and looking through into Monkgate.

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