York City Walls

Overview

If you’re looking for free things to do in York, then one of your first stops has to be the historic City Walls, or bar walls, that surround the city itself. They’re the longest medieval town walls in England and are open daily, providing a circular walking route around York.

A walk around the beautifully preserved walls is an opportunity to discover their many features including fortified gateways, towers, windows, and arrow slits. You’ll also be able to get some great views over the city from many places.

Walking the town walls is suitable for adults and children alike. Anyone with an interest in history or who just likes spending time outside will enjoy this fun, free activity.

Can you walk York City walls for free?

Yes, it is completely free to walk around York City Walls.

How long does it take to walk the City Walls in York?

Walking the length of the York City Walls will take around two hours. It may take longer, depending on whether you stop to look at things or take photographs.

You can start the walk at any of the four main gates, or bars, as they’re also known, and you can walk in either direction. The four main gateways are:

Bootham Bar
Monk Bar
Walmgate Bar
Micklegate Bar

There are also two smaller gateways and one postern (a small gateway with a tower), and intermediate towers. The walls are around 2 miles (3.4 kilometres) long.

Are the York City Walls accessible?

The walls are not wheelchair accessible or suitable for buggies or pushchairs due to their many steps and narrow, unguarded sections. But it is possible to still see the walls by using the pavements which run next to them.

Who built the City Walls in York?

The City Walls are a collaboration of sorts. They originally date back to Roman times, when they would have been built of earth and wood. In the section of the walls in the Museum Gardens, you can see the remains of the Roman fortress wall and tower above it.

They were then rebuilt in stone in the third and fourth centuries before being refurbished by the Anglo-Saxons.

The Vikings and the Normans replaced the walls with earth ramparts, which were later rebuilt in stone in the 1200s to defend the city against the Scots.

How old are York City Walls?

There have been walls around the city of York since 71AD, making them almost 2,000 years old. However, the current iteration of the walls was built in the 13th-14th century. They were then restored in the 1800s.

Can you walk York City Walls at night?

No, the gates to the walkway are closed at dusk each night, so you it is not possible to access the walls after dark.

Why are the gates in York’s walls called bars?

The name “bars” is thought to originate from the simple gates which were once used to block the entrances and keep people out of the city. The bars were also used as toll booths to charge people fees when they were bringing goods into York. The gates would have been locked at around 9pm, and the city’s mayor kept the keys.

How many pubs are within the walls of York?

There are plenty of places to get something to eat or drink within the York City Walls. There are around 80 pubs and inns in the area, and that’s before we get onto the restaurants and cafes!

York City Walls opening and closing times

The York City Wall gates are usually opened at 8am each day, except for:

Christmas Day
High winds
During repairs or maintenance
Icy or slippery conditions

The closing time for the City Walls walkway is dusk, so it varies throughout the year. Locking the gates takes about an hour to complete, and the gates are locked in an anti-clockwise direction, starting at the Fishergate Postern Tower. Closing times are:

January: 3.30pm
February: 4.30pm
March (before the clocks go forward): 5.30pm
March (after the clocks go forward) and April: 7.30pm
May: 8pm
June and July: 9pm
August: 8pm
September: 7pm, then 6pm from mid-September
October (before the clocks go back): 5pm
October (after the clocks go back), November, and December: 3.30pm

How to get to York City Walls from YHA York

These directions are to start your walk around the York City Walls from Bootham Bar, but you can, of course, start the walk wherever you like. Bootham Bar is around a mile (1.6 kilometres) from YHA York.

On foot: It takes about 22 minutes to walk from the Youth Hostel to the start of the City Walls walk at Bootham Bar.

Cycling: It’s around a six-minute cycle from YHA York to Bootham Bar.

Public transport: From the hostel, walk for approximately nine minutes to the Clifton Green bus stop. Catch the 2A Park & Ride to Rawcliffe Bar and alight at Theatre Royal. From here, it’s about a two-minute walk to Bootham Bar. The whole journey should take around 13 minutes.

By car: It takes approximately five minutes to drive from YHA York to Bootham Bar. The nearest car parks include: