From the Irish Famine to the City Walls of York

At Fishergate Postern Tower, Piccadilly, York, North Yorkshire, YO1 9AF

To the accompaniment of traditional Irish folk music, see a display of historic maps and census records showing the arrival of Irish immigrants fleeing the Great Hunger in the 1840s and coming to settle by the walls of York in Walmgate.

See the official Heritage Open Days listing HERE

Come and see the original architecture of this 520 year old tower on York’s City Walls, complete with Tudor arches, intact spiral staircase and a complete garderobe still in place.

The displays will focus on the actual people who lived in the houses in Walmgate next to the City Walls, showing how their names appeared suddenly in the 1851 census, with their place of birth a named county in Ireland.

The display will tell the stories of case study families, following their descendants down the decades since 1851 to the present day.

There will be a launch event accompanied by traditional Irish folk music, and living descendants of the original Irish Immigrants will be invited.

The aim is to reach out to the community of residents in Walmgate, an area of underprivileged social housing, and very much a non-traditional audience for heritage, plus the wider community of people who have Irish backgrounds. The event will highlight the connection between the Irish immigration of the 1840s and the walls, introduce a new audience of local people to Fishergate Postern Tower and the heritage of the walls. The target is to introduce 500 new people from York to Fishergate Postern Tower, and raise their awareness of the heritage of the walls and ramparts, and the part their antecedents have played in the area.

Timings & Tours  =

Saturday 13 September:    From 10.00  to 16.00

Saturday 20 September:    From 10.00  to 16.00

Booking information

FREE entry and pre-booking not required.

Accessibility details

The building has a spiral staircase so no disabled access to the upper floors. Some of the display will be at ground floor level.

Additional information

Due to the size of the building, and restricted access on the stairs, the maximum mumber of people per tour will be limited to 24.

Press Release

Official Press Release is available  HERE.

Posted 5th Sept 2025  AF

Starting on Wednesday 10^th September 2025 the City of York Council (CYC) will be launching “tap to donate” on the city walls.   

Inside Bootham Bar there will be 2 tap to donate points, and a website at  https://www.york.gov.uk/form/YorkWallsDonate  where donations can be made.

CYC are responsible for the care and maintenance of York’s City Walls. It costs over £500,000 annually to fund the maintenance of the City Walls, keeping them free and accessible for visitors and residents alike. This cost is solely borne by the City of York Council and, given the well-publicised financial situation all local authorities face, any donations received will go towards ensuring the walls remain open and free to access, as well as improving interpretation and signage.

The Friends of York Wall support this initiative to ensure that York’s City Walls remain free and accessible for all enjoy.

Posted 4th Sept 2025   AF