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Davy Tower

Grade II* listed buildings in YorkTowers completed in the 13th centuryTowers in North YorkshireUse British English from January 2023
9 Tower Place York 01
9 Tower Place York 01

The Davy Tower is a feature of the York city walls in England. The stone tower was built around 1250, probably at the end of a wall or earthwork leading to Castlegate, around the moat of York Castle. It was first recorded in 1315, and by 1424 the part of the city inside the walls was occupied by the York Franciscan Friary. Until 1553, a chain could be strung across the River Ouse from the tower to a now-demolished tower near Skeldergate. From 1607, a public toilet adjoined the tower, on the river side, known as the "Sugar House". In 1732, it was replaced by a stone arch, the Friargate Postern.Around 1730, the tower was altered, when a summerhouse was constructed in its southern corner: the basement in stone, and the raised ground floor in brick. It was extended in about 1830, and has since filled all but the north-west corner of the tower, which has been demolished. The building was extended again in the 20th century, incorporating a coal store and a new concrete floor. In 1954, it was Grade II* listed.The mediaeval stone wall is about 10 feet high and 1 foot 8 thick, and it retains two original windows: an arrowslit in a cross shape, and a musket loop. Some internal features survive from the 18th century, including a chimneypiece, window seats, a dado rail with panelling, and a cornice.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Davy Tower (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Davy Tower
Friar's Terrace, York Bishophill

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Latitude Longitude
N 53.95512 ° E -1.08149 °
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Friar's Terrace 9
YO1 9SH York, Bishophill
England, United Kingdom
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9 Tower Place York 01
9 Tower Place York 01
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York Castle
York Castle

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 south side of the River Foss. The now ruined keep of the medieval Norman castle is commonly referred to as Clifford's Tower. Built originally on the orders of William I to dominate the former Viking city of Jórvík, the castle suffered a tumultuous early history before developing into a major fortification with extensive water defences. After a major explosion in 1684 rendered the remaining military defences uninhabitable, York Castle continued to be used as a gaol and prison until 1929. The first motte and bailey castle on the site was built in 1068 following the Norman conquest of York. After the destruction of the castle by rebels and a Viking army in 1069, York Castle was rebuilt and reinforced with extensive water defences, including a moat and an artificial lake. York Castle formed an important royal fortification in the north of England. In 1190, 150 local Jews were killed in a pogrom in the timber castle keep; most of them died by suicide in order not to fall into the hands of the mob. Henry III rebuilt the castle in stone in the middle of the 13th century, creating a keep with a unique quatrefoil design, supported by an outer bailey wall and a substantial gatehouse. During the Scottish wars between 1298 and 1338, York Castle was frequently used as the centre of royal administration across England, as well as an important military base of operations. York Castle fell into disrepair by the 15th and 16th centuries, becoming used increasingly as a gaol for both local felons and political prisoners. By the time of Elizabeth I the castle was estimated to have lost all of its military value but was maintained as a centre of royal authority in York. The outbreak of the English Civil War in 1642 saw York Castle being repaired and refortified, playing a part in the Royalist defence of York in 1644 against Parliamentary forces. York Castle continued to be garrisoned until 1684, when an explosion destroyed the interior of Clifford's Tower. The castle bailey was redeveloped in a neoclassical style in the 18th century as a centre for county administration in Yorkshire, and was used as a gaol and debtors' prison. Prison reform in the 19th century led to the creation of a new prison built in a Tudor Gothic style on the castle site in 1825; used first as a county and then as a military prison, this facility was demolished in 1935. By the 20th century the ruin of Clifford's Tower had become a well-known tourist destination and national monument; today the site is owned by English Heritage and open to the public. The other remaining buildings serve as the York Castle Museum and the Crown Court.

Baile Hill
Baile Hill

Baile Hill is a man-made earth mound in the Bishophill area of York, England. It is the only remaining feature of what was known as the Old Baile. The origins of Baile Hill date back to 1068. Having seized York in that year, William the Conqueror built a castle on the south side of the city close to the River Ouse. Then, as a response to a rebellion the following year, a second castle was built on the opposite side of the river. There is no clear evidence which of these castles was built first, but it is generally thought to be the one which stood on the site of the later York Castle on the east side of the river, followed by the Old Baile on the west side. Like its opposite counterpart, the Old Baile was of motte and bailey design. The motte was approximately 40 feet (12 m) high and 180 feet (66 m) in diameter, and was surrounded by a large ditch. A flight of steps led to a wooden structure at the top which was surrounded by a fence, also made of wood. The bailey lay to the north-west of the motte and was rectangular. Around its perimeter was an earth rampart and an outer ditch. The castle, it is believed, was not in regular use for long. By the 13th century it was in the hands of the Archbishop of York and in 1322 Archbishop Melton agreed to defend it in times of war. By c. 1340 part of the city wall had been built along the south-east and south-west sides of the Old Baile, incorporating the existing ramparts and ditch, however, these defences were rarely called into use. The only notable occasion was the siege of York in 1644 during the Civil War, when Baile Hill was used as a royalist gun emplacement. Apart from that, however, the Old Baile was used mainly for grazing and recreation activities, particularly archery during the medieval period. Today, Baile Hill stands at the junction of Baile Hill Terrace and Cromwell Road. The only other visible evidence of the former castle are two slight dips in the city wall rampart, one next to Baile Hill and the other close to Victoria Bar, which indicate the location of the former ditch. Houses built during the 1880s cover the rest of the Old Baile.