Description

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 16/12/2014

SE5951NE
1112-1/15/7

YORK,
CITY WALLS,
City Wall from Baile Hill to Barker Tower

(Formerly Listed as: The City Walls)
(Formerly Listed as: Micklegate Bar)
(Formerly Listed as: Barker Tower and North Street Postern)

14/06/54

GV I

Includes: Barker Tower and North Street Postern NORTH STREET.
Includes: Victoria Bar NUNNERY LANE.
Includes: Micklegate Bar MICKLEGATE.

Defensive walls, towers, gates and gatehouses between Baile
Hill and Barker Tower including Baile Hill Tower,
Bitch-daughter Tower and 15 intermediate towers, in addition
to the 3 main towers.
Walls 1250-60 and 1330-40; major restoration of 1831-32. Walls
breached for railway arches in 1839, 1845, 1874 and 1876,
latter rebuilt 1965. Baile Hill Tower 1878 when walls adjacent
to Skeldergate Bridge (qv) were demolished. Bitch-daughter
Tower 1330-40, remodelled 1645. Victoria Bar constructed 1838,
foot arches added 1864 and 1877. Micklegate Bar mid C14
incorporating early C12 gate; barbican removed 1826, inner
side remodelled by Peter Atkinson jnr. 1827; foot arches 1827
and 1863; figures carved in 1950 by Walter Rylett; restoration and
repairs of 1952 and 1968. North Street Postern rebuilt 1840.
Barker Tower early C14, re-roofed in C17, altered 1840,
restored 1970.
All structures of magnesian limestone ashlar except for
walkway partly carried on wall of orange-brown brick and
Victoria Bar steps of orange brick with stone treads and
cast-iron balustrade and handrail. Barker Tower has plain
tiled conical roof with overhanging eaves.

EXTERIOR: wall strengthened by squat weathered buttresses on
high bases. Wallwalk paved with stone flags edged with
chamfered coping stones; parapet part crenellated, part plain
and pierced by musket loops, with sloped coping. Towers are
semicircular, rectangular or half-hexagonal, on battered,
weathered and double chamfered plinths; some have cruciform
slits with or without oillets, some chamfered doorways with
shouldered or flat lintels, others no openings; crenellated
parapets are unpierced. Baile Hill Tower octagonal on plan;
Bitch-daughter Tower irregular circle on plan; Barker Tower
circular on plan.

Baile Hill Tower: 2 storeys with embattled parapet. Flight of
steps to wallwalk passes through tower from foot of rampart,
through arched doorway with stilted 2-centred head. Other
openings are 3 slit lights in chamfered openings and 2 arrow
slits with oillets, one blocked.

Victoria Bar: semicircular carriage arch of 2 chamfered orders
flanked by single chamfered pedestrian arches. Incised stone
above central arch reads: Victoria Bar erected by Public
Subscription under the direction of The City Commissioners
AD1836 George Hudson Esq Lord Mayor.

Micklegate Bar: 4-storey 3-bay front: outer bays in form of
pilaster buttresses with battered bases rising into 2-storey
embattled bartizans with cruciform arrow slits. Semicircular
carriage arch incorporating portcullis slot, of 2 stepped
orders of gritstone voussoirs. First stage has narrow vertical
light over arch: in buttresses shoulder-headed doorways
originally to barbican walkway, all in chamfered openings.
Second stage has similar central light flanked by cruciform
arrow slits with oillets. Third floor has two vertical lights.
Bartizans joined by embattled parapet over lion's head
gargoyle in centre: some merlons pierced by cruciform slits.
Heraldry includes carved plaque commemorating restoration of
1727, with shield of arms of Lord Mayor Sir John Lister Kaye;
two shields of the Arms of the City of York: the Plantagenet
Royal Arms beneath a crested helm. Inner side: carriage arch
as on outer side. Each upper storey has two square-headed
windows of two pointed lights in chamfered surrounds. Corbel
course beneath plain parapet steps up over top floor windows.
Shield of Tudor Royal Arms between first floor windows.
INTERIOR: portcullis remains are stored on the first floor.

North Street Postern: rebuilt length of wall contains
4-centred carriage arch between pointed side arches of
gritstone voussoirs, all chamfered.

Barker Tower: 2 storeys on battered base: conical roof broken
by barge- boarded gable with 1-light attic window in quoined
opening. Ground floor door beneath outside stairs to first
floor has one chamfered jamb with run-out stop. Other openings
are vestigial cruciform arrow slits with oillets and two
inserted 1-pane windows. First floor doorway has plain lintel.
Embrasures of original embattled parapet converted to 1-pane
windows by altered roof: two 2x6-pane Yorkshire sashes
inserted in C18.
INTERIOR: original ground floor openings are splayed with
shouldered rere-arches recessed beneath 2-centred arches: 3
survive, 2 altered.
(An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in the City of York:
The Defences: HMSO: 1972-: 90-107).

Listing NGR: SE5968351630

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17530640

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Sussex: East with Brighton and Hove (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Oxfordshire: North and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Listed Buildings and Other Heritage Assets
• 
  Cork: City and County (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  A Buying and Owning a Listed Building: A Brief Guide