York
York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
. The name means "Great Street", "gate" coming from the Old Norse ''gata'', or street.
Micklegate is described by
York City Council
York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
as "one of the most handsome streets in Yorkshire", and was described by
Nikolaus Pevsner
Sir Nikolaus Bernhard Leon Pevsner (30 January 1902 – 18 August 1983) was a German-British art historian and architectural historian best known for his monumental 46-volume series of county-by-county guides, ''The Buildings of England'' (1 ...
as "...without any doubt the most architecturally rewarding street in York". There are three Medieval churches on the street, and a total of four
Grade I listed buildings
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
, with the majority of buildings being three- or four-storey
Georgian
Georgian may refer to:
Common meanings
* Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country)
** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group
** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians
**Georgian scripts, three scrip ...
structures.
The name Micklegate is sometimes applied to a slightly broader area, including the side streets Toft Green, Priory Street, Trinity Lane and St Martin's Lane. There is also a ward of Micklegate, used for elections to the City Council, which covers a much larger area, spreading well beyond the city walls.
Geography
The street runs east from the
York city walls
York has, since Roman times, been defended by walls of one form or another. To this day, substantial portions of the walls remain, and York has more miles of intact wall than any other city in England. They are known variously as York City Wal ...
at
Micklegate Bar
York has, since Roman times, been defended by walls of one form or another. To this day, substantial portions of the walls remain, and York has more miles of intact wall than any other city in England. They are known variously as York City Wal ...
, long the main southern entrance to the city, continuing the route of Blossom Street. On its north side, it has junctions with Bar Lane, Barker Lane and George Hudson Street; and on the south side, with Priory Street, Trinity Lane, and St Martin's Lane.
Micklegate ends at the junction of North Street and
Skeldergate
Skeldergate is a street in the city centre of York, in England. The street is now primarily residential, with many of its warehouse buildings having been converted into apartments.
History
During the Roman Eboracum period, the area in which Ske ...
. The continuation of the road in this direction is the short Bridge Street, which then crosses the River Ouse as Ouse Bridge. The street winds down a gentle slope towards the Ouse, and the council describes this, along with the number and density of historic buildings on the street, as defining its character. Due to its historic importance, and with Micklegate Bar regarded as the royal entrance to the city, it is relatively wide, compared to many streets in the city centre. Micklegate is also known for the attractive views along the street, particularly at the top and bottom ends.
History
The road originated as part of a
Roman road
Roman roads ( la, viae Romanae ; singular: ; meaning "Roman way") were physical infrastructure vital to the maintenance and development of the Roman state, and were built from about 300 BC through the expansion and consolidation of the Roman Re ...
from
Tadcaster
Tadcaster is a market town and civil parish in the Selby district of North Yorkshire, England, east of the Great North Road, north-east of Leeds, and south-west of York. Its historical importance from Roman times onward was largely as the ...
to York, which ran through a civilian settlement in the Micklegate and
Bishophill
Bishophill is an area of central York, in England. It lies within the city walls and has been occupied since at least the Roman period.
Etymology
Known as "Bichill" by 1334, the name was also recorded as "Bychehill Lomelyth", "Lomelyth" being ...
area, in the direction of the fortress on the other bank of the Ouse. Its alignment was altered in the Viking period, when the Ouse was bridged in a new location, and it has remained unaltered since. By this time, it was known as Great Street - "Myglagata" - which evolved to become "Micklegate".
During the Medieval era, long
burgage plot
Burgage is a medieval land term used in Great Britain and Ireland, well established by the 13th century.
A burgage was a town ("borough" or " burgh") rental property (to use modern terms), owned by a king or lord. The property ("burgage tenemen ...
s with narrow street frontages were allocated, and these still form the basis for some building plots. By 1282, there were at least 118 built-up "tofts" on the street, and this has been taken as evidence that its entire length had been built up. In 1586,
William Camden
William Camden (2 May 1551 – 9 November 1623) was an English antiquarian, historian, topographer, and herald, best known as author of ''Britannia'', the first chorographical survey of the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, and the ''Annal ...
described the street in ''Brittanica'': "One gate named Micklegate Barre, the great gate from which a long and broad street reacheth to the bridge. The same street is beset with proper houses having gardens and orchards planted on either hand and behind them fields".
The street always had a mixed character, with houses of wealthy citizens of York, town houses of minor nobility from elsewhere in the county, smaller houses, shops and inns. The Butter Market, which was located in front of St Martin's Church, was the staple - setting the prices - for the entire north of England, although it went into decline and was demolished early in the 19th-century.
The during the Georgian period saw many wealthy citizens of the region built large houses on the street, particularly its middle and upper sections, while many other properties were given new facades, in contemporary styles.
The street remained the main access to the city from the south until the modern era. However, since the Victorian period, the street has been a less prestigious address, and the back gardens of many houses were built over and used for industry. George Hudson Street was created in 1877, linking Micklegate with
York railway station
York railway station is on the East Coast Main Line serving the city of York, North Yorkshire, England. It is north of and on the main line it is situated between to the south and to the north. , the station is operated by London North East ...
, and this now forms the main southern for traffic into York city centre, along with the eastern stretch of Micklegate, the remainder of the street seeing relatively little traffic.
114 Micklegate was the birthplace of the architect J. A. Hansom, who invented the
hansom cab
The hansom cab is a kind of horse-drawn carriage designed and patented in 1834 by Joseph Hansom, an architect from York
York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, ...
.
Notable buildings
Micklegate Bar
The lower section of
Micklegate Bar
York has, since Roman times, been defended by walls of one form or another. To this day, substantial portions of the walls remain, and York has more miles of intact wall than any other city in England. They are known variously as York City Wal ...
was built in the 12th century, and the top stories in the 14th. At least six reigning monarchs passed through this gate. A restoration of the Bar was completed in late 2017.
Following the
Battle of Wakefield
The Battle of Wakefield took place in Sandal Magna near Wakefield in northern England, on 30 December 1460. It was a major battle of the Wars of the Roses. The opposing forces were an army led by nobles loyal to the captive King Henry VI of ...
, a battle during the
Wars of the Roses
The Wars of the Roses (1455–1487), known at the time and for more than a century after as the Civil Wars, were a series of civil wars fought over control of the English throne in the mid-to-late fifteenth century. These wars were fought bet ...
, the heads of
Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York
Richard of York, 3rd Duke of York (21 September 1411 – 30 December 1460), also named Richard Plantagenet, was a leading English magnate and claimant to the throne during the Wars of the Roses. He was a member of the ruling House of Plantage ...
(father of
Edward IV
Edward IV (28 April 1442 – 9 April 1483) was King of England from 4 March 1461 to 3 October 1470, then again from 11 April 1471 until his death in 1483. He was a central figure in the Wars of the Roses, a series of civil wars in England ...
and
Richard III
Richard III (2 October 145222 August 1485) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. His defeat and death at the Battl ...
),
Edmund, Earl of Rutland
Edmund, Earl of Rutland (17 May 1443 – 30 December 1460) was the fourth child and second surviving son of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, and Cecily Neville. He was a younger brother of Edward, Earl of March, the future King Edward ...
(another son of Richard) and
Richard Neville, 5th Earl of Salisbury
Richard Neville, 5th Earl of Salisbury (1400 – 31 December 1460) was an English nobleman and magnate based in northern England who became a key supporter of the House of York during the early years of the Wars of the Roses. He was the ...
were displayed on Micklegate Bar.
Micklegate Bar once had a
barbican
A barbican (from fro, barbacane) is a fortified outpost or fortified gateway, such as at an outer fortifications, defense perimeter of a city or castle, or any tower situated over a gate or bridge which was used for defensive purposes.
Europe ...
or outer gateway in front of it, which became ruinous and was demolished in 1826. The two doorways to the top of the barbican can be seen in the photo above right.
The
City Walls Experience at Micklegate Bar
The City Walls Experience at Micklegate Bar is located in the southern gatehouse of the historical city walls of York, England. It is operated by the Jorvik Group (part of York Archaeological Trust) and uses maps, display screens and video pre ...
(formerly known as the Henry VII Experience), is located in the southern gatehouse.
Micklegate Bar to Trinity Lane
Notable buildings on the north side of the street include 142–146 Micklegate, with 17th-century origins; 138 Micklegate, also 17th-century; 134 and 136 Micklegate, built in 1740; 128–132 Micklegate, built in the 1750s; 122–126 Micklegate, partly dating from the 17th-century; 118 and 120 Micklegate, built in about 1742; 114 Micklegate, constructed in the later 17th-century; the 16th-century 112 Micklegate, internally timber-framed and formerly the Red Lion; the heavily altered early-18th century 110 Micklegate; the late-17th century 102 and 104 Micklegate; The Nag's Head, built about 1530 and with earlier origins; 98 Micklegate, built in the 1770s;
The Falcon Tap
The Falcon is a historic pub on Micklegate in the city centre of York, in England.
The establishment originated as an inn named ''The Falcon'', in the 18th-century. It was first recorded in 1715, and in 1736, Francis Drake named it one of t ...
, an ancient inn with no part of its early buildings surviving, but an 18th-century sign; 92 Micklegate, built about 1798;
Micklegate House
Micklegate House is a Grade I listed building in York, a city in England.
The house lies on Micklegate, in the city centre. It was completed by 1752, as a town house for John Bourchier of Beningbrough Hall
Beningbrough Hall is a large Geor ...
, is the largest house on the street, a
Grade I listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
, and the early-18th century
Bathurst House
Bathurst House is an historic building in the English city of York, North Yorkshire. A Grade II* listed building, standing at 86 Micklegate, part of the building dates to around 1727;
On the south side lie the 14th-century pub
The Priory
The Priory Hospital, Roehampton, often referred to as The Priory, is a private mental health hospital in South West London. It was founded in 1872 and is now part of the Priory Group, which was acquired in 2011 by an American private equity firm ...
; the timber-framed 16th-century 95 Micklegate; 85–89 Micklegate, built about 1500; the 18th-century 83 Micklegate; the Holy Trinity Church, a Grade I listed parish church, the only remaining part of Micklegate Priory; and 77 Micklegate, built about 1790.
Trinity Lane to George Hudson Street
On the north side of the street lie 74 and 76 Micklegate, dating from the mid-18th century; 70 and 72 Micklegate, with 15th-century origins; mid-17th century 68 Micklegate; late-18th century 58 and 60 Micklegate; 56 Micklegate, of 17th-century origin; Garforth House, built in 1757; 42–48 Micklegate, originating in 1710; and the former Adelphi Hotel, largely rebuilt in the mid-19th century, but with some earlier material.
On the south side are 73 and 75 Micklegate, built in 1730; 69 and 71 Micklegate, originating about 1700, and 67 Micklegate, of similar date; late-18th century 61 Micklegate; 57 and 59 Micklegate, built in 1783; 53 and 55 Micklegate, completed about 1755; and St Martin-cum-Gregory, a Grade I listed church, currently used as a stained glass centre.
George Hudson Street to Bridge Street
St John's Church, on the north side of the street, is a Grade II* listed building. After a period as the York Arts Centre, it is currently used as a bar.
On the south side of the street are 33–37 Micklegate, with a 17th-century wing; Cromwell House, reconstructed in 1860 but with older elements; Crown House, long an inn, with a 17th-century section; 17–21 Micklegate, of 15th-century origin; and 11 and 13 Micklegate, built about 1740.
Contemporary use
The street became famous for its pubs and clubs, being known as "The Micklegate Run" by many drinkers and club-goers in the late 20th century.
Writing in 2011, Avril Webster described Micklegate as remaining a "nice shopping area", with a "good selection of specialist shops". However, according to
York City Council
York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
, although pedestrian use of the street is high, many businesses on the street have struggled in recent years.
Sources
*
References
External links
Micklegate website and general history of the street as well as Micklegate Bar.
{{Streets of York