A Roman column stands in

Minster Yard Minster Yard is a street in the city centre of York, England. It runs along the southern, eastern and northeastern sides of York Minster, for which it is named. History The street may have originated as the courtyard of the headquarters buildi ...

in the English city of

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 ...

. Originally built around the first century, by the soldiers of

Legio IX Hispana Legio IX Hispana ("9th Hispanian Legion"), also written as Legio VIIII Hispana, was a legion of the Imperial Roman army that existed from the 1st century BC until at least AD 120. The legion fought in various provinces of the late ...

, it was reused by Legion VI in the 4th century. It is believed to have been part of a group of sixteen freestanding columns (eight on each side of the aisle), supporting the walls of a basilica on the site. The column was discovered beneath

York Minster York Minster, formally the Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of Saint Peter in York, is an Anglicanism, Anglican cathedral in the city of York, North Yorkshire, England. The minster is the seat of the archbishop of York, the second-highest of ...

during a 1969 excavation, and was given to the

City of York The City of York, officially simply "York", is a Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area with City status in the United Kingdom, city status in the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England. ...

three years later to mark the 1900th anniversary of the city's founding.Roman column, Minster Yard
–

Historic England Historic England (officially the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England) is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. It is tasked with prot ...

The column is tall and constructed of

Magnesian Limestone The Magnesian Limestone is a suite of carbonate rocks in north-east England dating from the Permian period. The outcrop stretches from Nottingham northwards through Yorkshire and into County Durham where it is exposed along the coast between Ha ...

and

millstone grit Millstone Grit is any of a number of coarse-grained sandstones of Carboniferous age which occur in the British Isles. The name derives from its use in earlier times as a source of millstones for use principally in watermills. Geologists refer to ...

.Roman Fortress
–

York Civic Trust York Civic Trust is a membership organisation and a registered charity based in York, England. Its primary function is to "preserve, protect and advise on the historic fabric of York". It is based in Fairfax House. Foundation York Civic Trust ...

It now stands in front of the Minster School, in Minster Yard, on the southern side of

References

Minster Yard Buildings and structures completed in the 1st century Buildings and structures in York Limestone buildings in the United Kingdom Roman sites in North Yorkshire {{Yorkshire-struct-stub