York has been surrounded by stone walls since Roman times. Most of the of the city's walls have survived to this day, and York boasts the longest such walls in England.
York's city walls are also known as the Tower Walls or the Roman Walls. The latter name is not entirely accurate, as sections of Roman construction have barely survived. The polygonal Tower in the museum garden is the most the most remarkable and best preserved example of Roman times. Emperor Septimius Severus ordered the construction of eight such defence towers. The lower level of the tower is preserved Roman masonry, the upper level with narrow the upper level with its narrow loopholes is a medieval superstructure. Most of the walls that exist today most of the walls that exist today are medieval buildings dating from the 12th to 14th century. Smaller sections were reconstructed in the 19th century and later.
There are four passage towers on the walls - Bootham Bar, Monk Bar, Walmgate Bar and Micklegate Bar. Although the main part of Bootham Bar tower was built from the fourteenth to the 19th century, it is here that the oldest masonry survives, dating from the 11th century.
The four-storey Monk Bar Tower is the tallest and most intricate of the four. Its lowering lattice is still in working order. The tower was built in the early fourteenth century as an independent defence unit, and each floor could be defended independently of the others. The tower is now home to the Richard III.
A distinctive feature of Walmgate Bar is the barbican - the only surviving barbican on a city gate in England. The tower also 15th-century lattice and oak doors have been preserved.
The name Micklegate Bar comes from the Old Norse "mykla gata", "main street". This is the gate through which kings traditionally enter the city ceremonially.
In addition to these main four, there are two other small gate towers - Fishergate and Victoria. Fishergate was laid out during the riots of 1489, but the passage was reopened in 1827, and today it is through it that tourists can to climb the walls. The smallest tower, Victoria, as its name suggests, was built in the 19th century in honour of Queen Victoria of England.
