Southern Edge of York Castle Area

Visited 19 March 2006

This appears to b a remnant of the castle wall shown at the bottom of the model in the previous picture.  This came much after William the Conqueror whose wooden forts at York met with so much resistance (and fire).  The Anglo-Saxons were perhaps the best fighters in Europe and William defeated them at Hastings more through lucky coincidence than skill.  His victory there had given William the crown, but not control of the country) 

William was less than happy with York's bonfires.  He waged his winter campaign of "Harrying the North" from 1069-70, brutally laying waste to the land and killing perhaps 150,000 people and destroying their food supplies so those who escaped his men starved to death, some after resorting to cannibalism.  (After visiting several restaurants, we found the food in the area much improved since William's time.)  Since William's rampage, the North of England has been the poor stepchild to the south ever since.

Lost? If so, click here for a good map of the York Walls (in PDF format)

For more narrative on York, see our description web page by clicking here.