York: Roman Fortress, Viking Capital, Medieval Walled City
Few British cities carry as many historical layers as York. A guide to its Roman foundations, Viking-era archaeology and intact medieval walls.
Eboracum: a Roman legionary fortress
York began in AD 71 as Eboracum, a fortress built by the Roman Ninth Legion at a strategic crossing of the River Ouse. It grew into one of Roman Britain's most important settlements, serving briefly as an imperial capital: the emperor Septimius Severus governed from York between AD 208 and 211, and Constantine the Great was proclaimed emperor there in AD 306 after his father died in the city. Substantial sections of Roman wall and the multangular tower still stand in the Museum Gardens, among the best-preserved Roman fortifications anywhere in northern Europe.
Jorvik: a Viking capital rediscovered
Viking raiders captured the city in AD 866 and renamed it Jorvik, ruling it as the capital of a Scandinavian kingdom for the better part of a century. That period might have remained a matter of sparse written record had it not been for a 1970s excavation at Coppergate, which uncovered an extraordinarily well-preserved Viking-age street beneath the waterlogged, oxygen-poor soil, complete with timber buildings, leather shoes, textiles and everyday tools. The Jorvik Viking Centre, built directly on the excavation site, now presents these finds to the public and remains one of the most significant Viking archaeological sites in Britain.
Medieval walls, the Minster, and the Shambles
York's city walls, largely built or rebuilt in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, form the most complete set of medieval defensive walls in England, running for nearly three miles and still walkable along most of their length. York Minster, begun in 1220 and completed in 1472, is the largest Gothic cathedral in northern Europe and holds the greatest concentration of medieval stained glass in Britain, including the Great East Window, itself the size of a tennis court. Nearby, the Shambles, a narrow medieval street of overhanging timber-framed buildings that once housed the city's butchers, has survived largely intact since the fourteenth century and is widely cited as an inspiration for Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter films.
Visiting York today
York's population of around 210,000 supports a historic centre compact enough to explore on foot in one to two days. April through October offers the most comfortable weather for walking the city walls, while the National Railway Museum, free to enter and home to the record-breaking Mallard locomotive, adds a chapter on York's role as a nineteenth-century railway hub. Climbing the Minster's central tower, 275 steps, gives a panoramic view that puts the Roman, Viking and medieval layers of the city into a single frame.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was York called before it was York?
The Romans named it Eboracum; the Vikings, who captured it in AD 866, renamed it Jorvik, and the modern name York evolved from that Norse form.
How was the Jorvik Viking site discovered?
Archaeologists excavating at Coppergate in the late 1970s found Viking-age timber buildings and everyday objects extraordinarily well preserved in waterlogged soil, leading to the creation of the Jorvik Viking Centre on the site.
How long are York's city walls?
The walls run for nearly three miles around the historic centre, making them the most complete set of medieval defensive walls surviving in England.
Is York Minster the largest cathedral in England?
It is the largest Gothic cathedral in northern Europe by floor area, and holds the greatest surviving collection of medieval stained glass in Britain.