Walmgate is a street in the city centre of

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 ...

, in England. During the

Medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

period, the street was the site of a seafissh and cattle market. Walmgate Bar, was involved in the Siege of York in 1644, during the

First English Civil War The First English Civil War took place in England and Wales from 1642 to 1646, and forms part of the 1639 to 1653 Wars of the Three Kingdoms. They include the Bishops' Wars, the Irish Confederate Wars, the Second English Civil War, the Anglo ...

. During the 20th century, many of the older buildings were cleared away and newer structures put up.

History

The street lay outside Roman

Eboracum Eboracum () was a fort and later a city in the Roman province of Britannia. In its prime it was the largest town in northern Britain and a provincial capital. The site remained occupied after the decline of the Western Roman Empire and ultimat ...

, and although it was crossed by a Roman road, evidence of occupation in the period is limited to two wharfs on the

River Foss The River Foss is in North Yorkshire, England. It is a tributary of the River Ouse. It rises in the Foss Crooks Woods near Oulston Reservoir close to the village of Yearsley and runs south through the Vale of York to the Ouse in the centre of ...

, and some burials. The road appears to have developed in the Viking

Jorvik Scandinavian York ( non, Jórvík) Viking Yorkshire or Norwegian York is a term used by historians for the south of Northumbria (modern-day Yorkshire) during the period of the late 9th century and first half of the 10th century, when it was do ...

period, during which it mostly hosted industrial and commercial uses. The street was first mentioned in about 1080, as "Walbegate", suggesting it may be named after an individual called "Walba". Walmgate Bar, the gate at the south-east end of the street, was built before 1155, but the section of 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 Wa ...

enclosing the street was built later: permission to construct this section of the walls was granted in 1267, and they were not completed until 1505. By 1200, Walmgate was an important street, with four churches: St Denys, St Margaret, St Mary and St Peter-le-Willows, of which the first two still survive. The Haberdashers' Hall was built on the street, as were large houses for the Percy and Neville families. Many of the boundaries between building plots date from this period. The area around St Margaret's church became known for fullers. A seafish market was held on the street in the Mediaeval period. In 1590, a cattle market was established, held every second Thursday, and from 1632, an annual cattle fair was also held. By the 19th-century, it was causing serious congestion on the street, and in 1826 was moved to a dedicated cattle market outside the walls. Walmgate Bar was the focus of the

Siege of York The siege of York in 1644 was a prolonged contest for York during the First English Civil War, between the Scottish Covenanter army and the Parliamentarian armies of the Northern Association and Eastern Association, and the Royalist A ...

in 1644, and some buildings on the street were damaged, although most of the destruction occurred outside the city walls. WalmgateIrishPlaque

In the 1840s, many immigrants from Ireland moved to Walmgate, and by the end of the decade, it and the surrounding streets and alleys housed half of the population of the whole city. Overcrowding and poverty were rife. St George's Catholic church was built a short distance from the road. The street also became known for its pubs, peaking in 1901 with 20 on the street. There was also some industry: the Victoria Iron Foundry and Walker Foundry (who made the York Minster Lamp Standard around 1860), Caroline Place linen mill, and a brewery. Many buildings on the street were demolished as part of

slum clearance Slum clearance, slum eviction or slum removal is an urban renewal strategy used to transform low income settlements with poor reputation into another type of development or housing. This has long been a strategy for redeveloping urban communities; ...

schemes in the 20th-century, and since 1950, some council flats have been built.

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 ...

described the street as "depressing" in 1972, but by 1995, David Neave described it as "improved... most of the waste spaces have been filled, but there is still much to be done". It is currently lined with a mix of independent shops, pubs and restaurants, offices and housing.

Layout and architecture

The street runs south-east, from Foss Bridge over the River Foss, continuing the route of

Fossgate Fossgate is a street in the city centre of York, in England. History The street is believed to follow the line of a Roman road leading south-east out of Eboracum. Although it lay outside the Roman walls, it is known that there was a civilia ...

. At the other end, it runs through Walmgate Bar, then ends at the city's inner ring road, at the junction of Lawrence Street, Barbican Road and Foss Islands Road. Merchantgate, Dennis Street, St Denys Road, George Street, Margaret Street, and Hope Street all lead off the south-west side of the road, while Hurst's Yard, Paver Lane, and Navigation Road lead off the north-east side. Notable buildings on the north-east side include Dorothy Wilson's Hospital, built in 1812; the 18th-century houses at 6, 8, 24 and 26-28 Walmgate; a 15th-century timber-framed building at 32 Walmgate; 34 Walmgate, built about 1700; 68-70 Walmgate, and a warehouse behind 72 Walmgate, also of 18th-century origin; St Margaret's Church, now the

National Centre for Early Music The National Centre for Early Music (NCEM) is organisation encourages, promotes and disseminates early music. Located in York, England, it is based in the converted and extended, Grade I listed medieval church of St Margaret, Walmgate. Each yea ...

; and the Bretgate Flats, built in 1979, and described by Neave as "most successful". On the south-west side are the 15th-century Red Lion pub, now often described as lying on Merchantgate; the 18th-century 9 and 11 Walmgate; 19 Walmgate, with a 16th-century wall; 23 and 25 Walmgate, both of 17th-century origin; 35-37 Walmgate, built in the 16th-century; the 15th-century

77 Walmgate 77 Walmgate is a timber framed building in the city centre of York, in England. The oldest part of the building is the 15th century cross wing, the west part of the current building, with its gable end to Walmgate. A hall range was added in the ...

; St Denys' Church; and

Bowes Morrell House The Bowes Morrell House is a historic building on Walmgate in the city centre of York, in England. The house was one of four for which a licence was granted in 1396 to construct in the churchyard of St Peter-le-Willows. It may have been used as ...

, built about 1400.

References

External links

* {{Streets of York Streets in York