April 2013 – FRIENDS OF YORK WALLS CIO

“York – Scene From The Walls” a new photographic archive

April 10, 2013April 10, 2013 admin

Introducing a new photographic project and pictorial archive for The Friends of York Walls called “York – Scene From The Walls”.

The object of the project is to record everything that can be seen in all directions and at all “significant viewpoints” around the bars, the full walls circuit and all the associated defences in York.

An archive of still photographs is being produced and made available to the general public on the photo sharing website Flickr. The images are held in a group called “York – Scene From The Walls” and can be viewed on Flickr. It is hoped that these images will provide a useful and lasting resource not only for the Friends of York Walls but also for local organisations including the City of York Council and anyone interested in York’s archaeology and history at a snapshot in time – i.e. Winter/Spring 2013.

Please see the article here for more information.

Where Is This? – Numbers 19 & 20

April 4, 2013 admin

The solution to last weeks Picture Number 19 –

This is St Mary’s Tower, at the corner of Marygate and Bootham, a corner tower to the abbey walls. Built sometime between 1318 and 1324 by Stephen de Austewyk, St Mary’s tower has changed much over the years. It is a two storey structure, around thirty four feet in diameter, with an octagonal interior.

It was badly damaged during the 1644 siege of York, and subsequently rebuilt. The tower was mined by Parliamentarian forces during the attack, with an explosion beneath its foundations almost totally destroying it. The subsequent breach in the walls enabled Cromwell’s army to gain access to the city, fighting their way to the King’s Manor. However the attack was soon repelled with many injured and killed. The tower was rather crudely rebuilt, with much thinner walls, and some rather inexplicable external faults ….. still visible today.

With its disjointed bits and salvaged masonry it’s a visible reminder of the 1644 siege, a part of our history which doesn’t really seem to have captured the public imagination.

Picture Number 20 :-