The most notable architectural feature of York is the medieval walls surrounding the city. Medieval stonework covers the preexisting older walls, some of which date back to Roman times. The wall was used in 866 A.D. as protection when York was attacked by Danish Vikings. During medieval times the walls had four main gates: Bootham Bar, Monk Bar, Walmgate Bar, and Micklegate Bar (“bar” being the name for a city gate in York). The walls stretched over a perimeter of more than two miles. In the late 18th century, there was a movement to destroy the walls because they hindered York’s expansion, but this proposition was rejected, and the walls mostly remained. Some parts of the walls and gates were removed before the rejection, which explains the missing parts in the wall and missing gates. The existing walls are open for viewing, and they still stretch about two miles. Walking the walls is a must for people coming to York because it is the best way see the city.
I have walked parts of the wall before, but never all together, so I recently decided to complete the whole circuit. I began the walk at Bootham Bar near the entrance to the busy streets. Due to the demolition in the 19th century, Bootham Bar, which stands at the end of a section of the wall, is one of the two bars allowing entrance to the most northern part of the wall. Most of the existing structure was built in the fourteenth century, but there has been a gate on this site since Roman times.
The sky was an ominous gray that threatened rain every five minutes. The wind was strong and nipped at my cheeks, turning them a light pink. Several other people were walking the wall and taking pictures like me. I chose to head around the north corner of the wall. The biggest highlight in this section of the wall is the York Minster, a Gothic cathedral.
I passed over Monk Bar to where the wall drops off at the River Foss. The wall doesn't continue over the river, but opens to the longest break in the wall. At the break in the wall, I crossed over the river and passed an area of York full of newer construction projects and buildings and chain stores such as Morrisons and Home Sense.
The next section of the wall includes Walmgate Bar, where the white timber-framed building shown in the photo here is attached to the upper wall. Inside the building were people and nice yellow mood lighting that cut through the dreary outside. Some parts of hills on which the wall is built are adorned in daffodils, which paint the hills yellow and green. Once past Walmgate, I crossed the River Foss and the River Ouse. These rivers converge right outside the southern side of the walls.
Once I got back onto the wall on the other side of the river, the sun came out and the sky cleared to blue. Suddenly the day seemed brighter and warmer. The last stretch of the wall seems to be the most domestic. The sides of the wall are surrounded by homes, and the area has a more suburban feel than the rest of the wall. The most notable part of the wall here was the large railway station that stretched along the wall. The wall ends close to where I began, but on the other side of the River Ouse.
Anyone who comes into the center of York will have to pass through one of the gates, but that might be the only interaction they have with the walls. Walking the wall was a great way to clear my mind from a hectic upcoming week. It is peaceful and is one of the best ways to explore the city at a different angle.