Castlegate is a historic street in

York York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England, with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss. It has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a Yor ...

, England, which leads to

York Castle York Castle is a fortified complex in the city of York, England. It consists of a sequence of castles, prisons, court, law courts and other buildings, which were built over the last nine centuries on the north-west side of the River Foss.Coop ...

History

The street roughly follows a

Roman road Roman roads ( ; singular: ; meaning "Roman way") were physical infrastructure vital to the maintenance and development of the Roman state, built from about 300 BC through the expansion and consolidation of the Roman Republic and the Roman Em ...

which ran between the fortress of

Eboracum Eboracum () was a castra, fort and later a coloniae, city in the Roman province of Roman Britain, Britannia. In its prime it was the largest town in northern Britain and a provincial capital. The site remained occupied after the decline of the ...

and the River Ouse. Remains of residential Roman buildings have been found in excavations. A hoard from the Viking

Jorvik Scandinavian York or Viking York () is a term used by historians for what is now Yorkshire during the period of Scandinavian domination from late 9th century until it was annexed and integrated into England after the Norman Conquest; in parti ...

period has also been found, while St Mary's Church, on the street's north-east side, appears to have pre-Conquest origins. In the Mediaeval period, Castlegate linked the city of York with the bailey of

, although no references to it are known from before the 14th-century. In this period, its north-east side was dominated by St Mary's, and its south-west side by the York Franciscan Friary. In the Georgian period, Castlegate was a desirable location, and the mansions of

Fairfax House Fairfax House is a Georgian townhouse located at No. 27, Castlegate, York, England, near Clifford's Tower and York Castle Museum. It was probably built in the early 1740s for a local merchant and in 1759 it was purchased by Charles Gregory F ...

and Castlegate House were erected. It was shortened slightly in 1826, when the castle's prison was extended. The street lost importance after 1881, when

Clifford Street Clifford Street is a street in central London, built in the early 18th century, on land that once formed part of the Burlington Estate. It is named after the Clifford family, Earl of Cumberland, Earls of Cumberland. The daughter and heiress of ...

was constructed to its west, providing a more direct route out of the city. From 1913 until 1954, the headquarters of the ''Yorkshire Gazette'' were on Castlegate. In 1921, the St George's Hall cinema opened, closing in 1959. The street currently hosts a mixture of commercial and residential uses, including a small chocolate factory. It was pedestrianised in 2020.

Layout and architecture

The street runs south-east, from the junction of

Coppergate Coppergate is a street in the city centre of York, in England. The street runs north-east from the junction of Castlegate, Nessgate, King Street and Clifford Street, to end at the junction of Pavement, Piccadilly, Parliament Street, and Hig ...

, King Street and Nessgate; to its junction with Tower Street, at the Castle Car Park. Friargate leads off its south-west side, while there is access to the

Coppergate Shopping Centre Coppergate Shopping Centre is a shopping centre in York in North Yorkshire, England. It is named after Coppergate, one of York's medieval streets ("gate" coming from the Old Norse ''gata'', or street). The Coppergate Centre is home to York's B ...

from its north-east side. Notable buildings on the north-east side include 1-5 Castlegate, built about 1730 and including the Blue Boar pub; 7 Castlegate, which is mid-18th century; 9-11 Castlegate, built in 1766; St Mary's Church;

; and large 19th-century houses at 29 and 31 Castlegate. On the south-west side lie 12-16 Castlegate, built about 1730; 18 Castlegate, also early 18th-century; 22 Castlegate, built in the late-18th century but including part of the wall of the Franciscan Friary; and Castlegate House.

Gallery

Castlegate House - geograph.org.uk - 857017.jpg, Castlegate House Fairfax House from Cliford's Tower (1).JPG,

, as viewed from

Clifford's Tower York Castle is a fortified complex in the city of York, England. It consists of a sequence of castles, prisons, law courts and other buildings, which were built over the last nine centuries on the north-west side of the River Foss.Cooper, p. ...

Maison 31 Castlegate York 3.jpg, Maison 31, Castlegate St Mary's Church, York.JPG, St Mary's Church

References

External links

* {{authority control Streets in York