Description of the attraction
York has been surrounded by stone walls since Roman times. Most of the city walls have survived to this day, and York boasts the longest such wall in England.
York City Walls are also known as the Tower Walls or the Roman Walls. The last name is not entirely correct, since sections of the Roman building have practically not survived. The Polygonal Tower in the Museum Garden is the most remarkable and best-preserved example of Roman times. Emperor Septimius Sever ordered the construction of eight such defensive towers. The lower level of the tower is a preserved Roman masonry, the upper level with narrow loopholes is a medieval superstructure. Most of the walls that exist today are precisely the medieval building of the XII-XIV century. Small areas were reconstructed in the 19th century and later.
On the walls there are four passage towers - Butem Bar, Monk Bar, Wallgate Bar and Mickleg Bar. Although the main part of the Butem Bar tower was built from the 14th to the 19th century, it is here that the oldest masonry, dating from the 11th century, has been preserved.
The four-story Monk Bar Tower is the tallest and most intricate of the four. Its lowering grate is still in working order. The tower was built at the beginning of the 14th century as an independent defense unit, and each floor could be defended independently of the others. The tower now houses the Richard III Museum.
The hallmark of the Wallgate Bar is the barbican (diversion arrow) - the only surviving barbican at the city gates in England. The tower also has a 15th century lattice and oak doors.
The name Micklegate Bar comes from the Old Norse "mykla gata" - "main street". Traditionally, the kings of Great Britain enter the city through these gates.
In addition to these main four, there are two more small gate towers - Fishergate and Victoria. Fishergate was founded during the unrest in 1489, but in 1827 the passage was reopened, and today it is through it that tourists can climb the walls. The smallest tower - Victoria, as the name implies, was built in the 19th century in honor of the English Queen Victoria.
