Must See Historical Sites When Staying at our Luxury Yorkshire Hotel: York City Walls
Taking a break from the stresses of working life in a luxury hotel in Yorkshire is a great way of recharging your batteries. The countryside of Yorkshire is stunningly beautiful as are the grounds in which Wentbridge House is set. The property, which dates from 1700, offers the perfect spot to relax and enjoy some pampering.
Of course, Wentbridge House isn’t the only historical site in the Yorkshire region and there are many sites that may be if interest to our visitors. Here we look at one such site that we consider a must see when staying at a luxury hotel in Yorkshire; York city walls.
A Roman construction
The Roman 9th Legion arrived in York in AD71 where the Ouse and Foss meet. Recognising the spot as an excellent strategic location; they set about building some defences to protect them from the local tribes. These hasty defences consisted of a ditch, backed by a turf and clay embankment, with a wooden fence, gate and tower. The settlement was of a good size and large enough to house the 6,000 soldiers that made up the legion.
By the third century AD the defences had been altered to stone, which held within its walls both the fortress and the large town which had sprung up on the opposite side of the Ouse. The Multangular Tower was one of the key parts of the defences and is still present today.
The Viking influence
Information on the York city walls during the dark ages in somewhat limited. What we do know is that by AD867 they had fallen into such disrepair that they were unable to resist the Viking army lead by Ivar the Boneless. Whilst under Viking rule, York enjoyed great prosperity, which helped fund work on the city walls. The Vikings covered the Roman walls with an earth embankment, building a wooden fence on top of it. They also extended the defences so that they reached right to the edges of the two rivers, which it was essential to control.
The Norman Conquest
Following his victory at Hastings in 1066, William the Conqueror moved north two years later. There was much anti-Norman feeling around York in this time, however by the time William arrived at the city walls he was able to enter unopposed. Once inside the city William set about building two castles; one on each bank of the river made from earth and wood. The rampart around the city was both raised and extended. William also oversaw the blocking of the Foss, which created a large body of water that was impossible to cross.
Medieval to recent history
In order to fund the stone walls which we see today, taxes were imposed in 1226 on goods that were brought into the city. Over the next few hundred years the walls helped to protect the city and its inhabitants from rebels and also invading Scots. They were hammered by Parliamentary artillery in 1644 during a siege that lasted three months. It was in 1800 however that they faced their biggest test, when the City Council applied for the walls to be demolished to help improve the city. Fortunately, local residents resisted the move and although some towers were lost, the majority of the walls were saved.
Keep checking back for more guides on fantastic sites that you can visit when staying at Wentbridge House luxury hotel, Yorkshire.
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