Month: March 2013

The solution to last weeks Picture Number 18 –

The Multangular Tower in the Museum Gardens is the most noticeable and intact structure remaining from the Roman walls. It was constructed as part of a series of eight similar defensive towers. The first settlement, centred on where the Minster now stands, had a much smaller circuit wall than the later medieval defences and the Multangular Tower was a polygonal bastion added to the western corner around the early third century, though it may have been built later.

Its style, protruding from the fortress wall rather than sitting behind it, was a development designed to enable defenders to fire down on anyone attacking the wall itself.

The small stone blocks making up the lower section, along with the red tile course known as Saxa Quadrata, are typically Roman. The larger blocks above however, date from a later medieval rebuilding. Walk round to the left of the tower, under the yew trees and through a little door to get the view from inside the tower and a look at some old Roman coffins.

Picture Number 19 :-

Another distinctive tower – showing the battle scars from 1644 !

The answer will be given here on our FaceBook page.

The solution to last weeks Picture Number 17 –

The narrow spiral staircase is inside Fishergate Postern Tower – an impressive, grade I listed, rectangular stone building at the end Piccadilly, opposite the Wetherspoon’s “The Postern Gate”. The stone tower as we see it today, but without the tiled roof, was built between 1504 and 1507 in place of an earlier structure known as Talken Tower.

The spiral staircase is the only access to the upper floors. There are hidden defensive “trip steps” built into the stone treads – to catch out any unsuspecting attackers trying to rush up to the higher floors. The only “attackers” these days are the increasing number of people who come to see the interior of the tower during open days organized by the Friends of York Walls.

One of the biggest ongoing objectives of the Friends of York Walls is to re-open Fishergate Postern Tower for community use. They are also seeking to raise funds towards refurbishment of the tower by inviting the general public and local businesses to “Sponsor a Stone”. The tower is currently opened up by The Friends at significant York events and during the summer weekends. Watch the website at https://yorkwalls.org.uk/ for details.

Picture Number 18 :-

A tower probably better known for its outside appearance !

The answer will be given here on our FaceBook page.