The Shambles
The Shambles is known for the number of butchers that used to trade from it. Shambles takes its name from ‘shammels’, an Anglo-Saxon word relating to the flesh benches or …
Bedern
An ancient lane, off Goodramgate, leading to Bedern Chapel and Hall and, via Bartle Garth, to St Saviourgate. A bridge, now destroyed, would have connected Bedern to the Minster precinct.
The …
Micklegate
Micklegate is derived from the Old Norse mykla gata, meaning ‘great street’. ‘Gate’ is Norwegian for ‘street’, reflecting York’s Viking influences.
Friargate
Friargate is today a short street which connects Castlegate to Clifford Street, but it once formed part of Hertergate, which was one of the infamous Water Lanes. The Friary which …
Feasegate
Feasegate is a medieval street which is named after fehus, meaning cow house.
Skeldergate
Skeldergate, along the western bank of the river Ouse has a Viking name and means the Shield Maker’s street.
Swinegate
Swinegate was known in Viking and medieval times as Swinegail, meaning the lane where swine were kept.
Whipmawhopmagate
The longest street name in York is also the shortest street in York, at just 32 metres. The name possibly derives from a local custom of whipping small yelping dogs …
Gillygate
This street takes its name from St. Giles’s Church which was located along this street from the twelfth to sixteenth centuries.
Davygate
The Forest of Galtres was a 100,000 acre royal forest stretching to the very edge of medieval York. Its court and prison (for prosecuting poachers and the like) was located …
Ogleforth
Derived from the Scandinavian name, which means ‘the ford haunted by an owl’. It may alternatively have belonged to someone called Ugel.
Grape Lane
Once part of York’s red light district, the lane was known as Grapc***lane, ‘grap’ meaning to grope.