If you are visiting the City of York then I would strongly recommend that you “walk the walls”. These walls are the Medieval walls built in the 13th and 14th centuries and still almost completely surround the city. It is only the sections that cross the rivers that no longer exist. The original city walls have been preserved so that visitors can now walk along these walls and overlook the sights and sounds of the town and get a feel for some of the City’s history and how defending the City would have felt in medieval times.

The walls stretch for nearly three miles and pass many of the Bars (gates) and Towers that were built at the same time as the walls. The walls are open until dusk each day (unless it is icy) and they are a rather unique experience as very few cities in this country still have any of their walls remaining, and certainly not the amount that York has.

There is no charge to walk along the walls and there are a number of access points at different places around the City, although these are not always too obvious to find. Along the walls there are a number of places where seats have been provided so that you can take a short break, rest your legs, and admire the view or soak up the history of the area.

This walk gives an unusual look into the City and I would recommend it to any visitor. You do not have to walk the full three miles but can decide how far you are going to walk to suit you.