Sunday, June 21, 2009

From the Walls of the Historic City of York - Part 1

York in North Yorkshire sits centrally in mobile high speed internet vale streamyx home York. It is North East of Leeds and a few short miles from the A1M. Altogether very easy internet connection speed reach and with loads of accommodation, York is a terrific place to spend a few days.

The City broadband speed test uk one of the most complete sets of city walls in the UK. You can walk much of the way around the centre of the town leaving the walls on only a few occasions, and what better way to navigate around some of York's highlights, most of which are within a few minutes of your walk.

Let's begin at the railway station and head down to the River Ouse. Once you reach the river on the edge of Lendal Bridge. This bridge was streamyx modem setting in the mid 19th century by one Thomas Page, its purpose being to create easier access to the railway station from the main part of town which is on the opposite side of the river. The bridge is very ornate and the design incorporated the cross keys of the Diocese of York as well as the white rose of the city itself. The way onto the walls is via a small tower known originally as Barker tower but later also called Dead House to note its use as the place to house bodies pulled from the river.

On mounting the walls you head back towards the station, crossing one of the places in which the wall has been breached in order to allow modern traffic to pass through. Its worth glancing over to look at the station which is a fine example of Victorian stations. The original station was inside the walls but was internet classifieds outside as there was a need to expand to meet the ever growing popularity and extensiveness of the Victorian railway network.

Continuing to climb away from the river you will quite quickly reach Micklegate Bar one of the medieval gates into the city. Micklegate was of particular importance as it is on the road from London, many Kings and Queens have entered the city this way. Because of its importance it was also the place where the heads of traitors were hung throughout the ages. In particular the gate would have been decorated with the heads of the kuala lumpur trip of the revolt of the latter years of the reign of Henry VIII when he visited the town with his bride Kathryn Howard. The bar itself is now flanked by two smaller arches built more recently to ease the flow of traffic.

The walls continue along to Victoria Bar (built in 1838), Birchdaughter tower (built in 1645) and then on the the Davy tower and down to the Ouse again.

Crossing the river by the very ornate Skeldergate Bridge it is now worth a detour away from the walls to visit the tm net my Cliffords Tower and York Castle Museum

Cliffords Tower was originally established as a wooden tower atop a newly built mound by William the Conqueror. In 1190 half of the Jewish population of the city took refuge in the tower from one of the anti Jewish riots of the time. Many of them committed suicide in the tower and it was set alight. When the survivors emerged the next day they were slaughtered by the surrounding mob.

In 1322 the rebel leader Lord Robert Clifford was hanged from the walls of the tower giving rise to its popular name which has stuck to this day.

There is little left of the rest of the castle but the site is now occupied by the Castle Museum with its interesting and varied displays.

Returning to Skeldersgate Bridge you will see the fairly inconspicuous Fishergate postern, these days dwarfed by a newly built modern hotel. This is your route back onto the walls and continuing southeasterly and then turning east you will walk along to Walmgate Bar, one of the most impressive of York's gateways.

Walmgate still has an intact Barbican and inner Oak gate and would have been used to entrap attackers and shower them with stones, arrows and even boiling oil. Inside the tower there is an impressive timber framed house supported on columns. This was the birthplace of the poet John Browne in the last decade of the 18th century.

The tour will be continued in From the Walls of the Historic City of York - Part 2 when we will move on to the famous Minster and nearby museum and remains of St Marys Abbey.

You can find accommodation in York to complete your stay at York Accommodation

Steve Allanson is a freelance web designer, management consultant, photographer and author.
Details of Yorkshire Accommodation in and around York can be found at Yorkshire Accommodation

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