By far my favourite architectural aspect of York are the Roman City Walls. The city walls don’t completely surround the city anymore, but a substantial chunk of them remain. In fact, more miles of wall remain in York than any other city in England. The majority of the walls that we see and walk on are actually the medieval walls that were built on top of the Roman ones.
The stretches of wall are punctuated by “bars” aka gatehouses and there are 4 main bars on the wall: Bootham Bar, Walmgate Bar, Monk Bar and Micklegate Bar. Some chunks seem a bit dangerous – you’re quite high up and there’s no railing in some sections, but the modicum of danger makes them even more exciting. The view from the walls around the city is incredible. My favourite view of the Minster is from just past the railway station.
There are little museums and cafes placed in various bars around town. The most famous being Gatehouse Coffee in Walmgate Bar, which is lovely: but be forewarned – there’s not a lot of seating and since it’s close to the University it gets full really quickly. The atmosphere is super cozy and it’s stunning inside. My tip: if the weather is bearable, take your coffee and cake upstairs through the gate to the top of the tower and sit outside. It’s lovely. (Plus it’s a good place to go to get Union Coffee in York alongside a giant brownie.)
Dancing on the walls.
That’s the Gatehouse Coffee shop.
Locked in City Walls jail! Oh no – will she ever get out?!
Have you walked the walls? And do you think it’s possible to say that without assuming that you’re in an episode of “Game of Thrones”?
