4) Interesting Historical Links

This links you to documents we have not written but can tell you about the history of the walls, and York’s history in general.

The most important is this full version of a detailed report by the Royal Commission for Historic Monuments, it was written c.1970:

• Historical Monuments in City of York, Volume 2, the Defences
• City of York Council links to sections of the document  “Historical Monuments in City of York, Volume 2, the Defences”    HERE

Another respected history was written c.1960, this link is to the part about the city walls:

• British History Online – York

A number of older books on York’s history and the Walls and Castle are available as digitised versions.  Some more important ones are =

• York: the Story of its Walls, Bars and Castles (1904) has the full and long title of York: the Story of its Walls, Bars and Castles – being a complete history and pictorial record of the defences of the City of York, from the earliest times to the present day (1904)   LINK  is   HERE 
• The History of the Castle of York (1911) has the full and long title of The History of the Castle of York – from its foundation to the present day (1911) with an account of the building of Clifford’s Tower.    LINK  is   HERE 
• History and Description of the Ancient City of York   by William Hargrove  (1818 ?)     LINK   is   HERE 
• EBORACUM: or The History and Antiquities of The City of York – from its Original to the Present Times (1736)   by Drake     LINK  is   HERE 

More recent archaeological findings that it is not easy to link to, make these sources more dated than the much less detailed than our wall guides [links to these are labelled ‘6)’. A short historical leaflet-guide is also a little dated, a searchable, well illustrated York history site is less so, here are the links:

• York Walls Guide ( Visit York )
• http://www.historyofyork.org.uk/home

The following links are to old maps:

• York map in 1617
• York map in 1852

• York Film Archive – York circa 1920 (silent video)
• York map with optional overlays

• York History

• York Walls Guide ( Visit York )

• Archaeological dig report near Tower 39
• Archaeological dig report Tofts Tower
• City of York Historic Characterisation Project – 2013 Walmgate Area

• York Central Historic Core Conservation Area Appraisal – links to all 24 areas

• York Historic Environment Records 

• Book archive – York the story of its wall and castles By Cooper-rich  Published 1904
• York EXPLORE – Archive of old images, maps, etc..

If you find any errors with these links or have any similar interesting links you think we should add then please email  websitefeedback@yorkwalls.org.uk

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Updated  7th May 2023    AF