York City Walls

Why visit

York City Walls is worth allowing time for because it combines a structure whose engineering, design and relationship with its surroundings can be read on site. The site is more useful than a quick photograph: its surviving features give clear evidence of how the place developed and how people used it. Key things to concentrate on are key structural details, the building’s relationship with the surrounding streetscape or landscape and historic urban setting. Its position in or near York also makes it a practical anchor for exploring the surrounding region without reducing the visit to a simple landmark stop.

What you will see

• key structural details.
• the building’s relationship with the surrounding streetscape or landscape.
• historic urban setting.

History

York’s walls incorporate Roman and medieval lines of defence. Most of the visible stone circuit is medieval in character, with later restorations preserving the elevated walk around the city.

Photographs

Steve Daniels · CC BY-SA 2.0 · full attribution on the image credits page.

Visitor tips

1. 1

   Allow enough time for the principal features rather than treating the stop only as a photograph.

2. 2

   Check the official visitor page shortly before travel for access, booking and any temporary restrictions.

About Yorkshire and the Humber

York’s medieval core, abbey ruins, country estates and the limestone and moorland landscapes of the Yorkshire national parks.