Micklegate Bar

This gatehouse was the traditional ceremonial entrance for royalty, who would typically approach the city from the south. The exterior of the bar bears a royal coat of arms, the city’s gold lions on a red cross, and the arms of York’s Lord Mayor. The arch is probably Norman. The lower section is 12th century; the rest is mostly 14th century. The corpses of traitors and rebels were placed on Micklegate bar (and others.) The heads were reserved for Micklegate Bar, and could remain in place for years.

Micklegate Bar Folklore:

All manner of ghostly activity has been reported inside the bar, most of it attributed to Sarah Brocklebank, daughter of an 18th century gatekeeper. She mislaid her father’s keys and caused him to lose his job. The family became destitute, and in revenge she now haunts the gatehouse. A helpful ghost in the form of a medieval friar has also been encountered.