Many visitors to York (and some locals) are always getting lost. The easy-to-navigate straight line and grid plan of Roman Eboracum gave way to Anglian curved streets and shortcuts, routes plotted as a result of grassroots convenience rather than top-down planning. Over the centuries, York’s streets have evolved to the point where, admittedly, there seems to be little logic to the overall layout. And when the narrow streets are boxed in by looming medieval buildings, it’s easy to feel confused.
The street names don’t help much either. Famously, in Yorkspeak, bars are gates and gates are streets. There are lots of streets named ‘gate’, and some of them sound distinctly alien: Jubbergate, Skeldergate, Feasegate. But Whipmawhopmagate has to take first prize, especially when it’s also York’s shortest street.
But every street and street name tells a story. Stonegate follows the route of the Via Praetoria, the Roman road leading to the fortress of Eboracum. Bedern, Ogleforth and Shambles are Anglian; Micklegate, Googramgate and Coney Street are Viking; and the less said about Grape Lane, the better.
To find out more, pick a marker from the map above, or an item below, or just browse the list.
- WhipmawhopmagateThe longest street name in York is also the shortest street in York, at just ...
- The ShamblesThe Shambles is known for the number of butchers that used to trade from it. ...
- SwinegateSwinegate was known in Viking and medieval times as Swinegail, meaning the lane where swine ...
- StonegateMeans the stone-paved street. It follows the line of the Roman Via Praetoria, a street ...
- St SaviourgateNamed after St Saviour’s Church, which originally dated back to 1090. The street was originally ...
- SkeldergateSkeldergate, along the western bank of the river Ouse has a Viking name and means ...
- Peaseholme GreenThis area was once a water meadow where peas were grown. The street name is ...
- OgleforthDerived from the Scandinavian name, which means ‘the ford haunted by an owl’. It may alternatively ...
- MicklegateMicklegate is derived from the Old Norse mykla gata, meaning ‘great street’. ‘Gate’ is Norwegian ...
- Lady Peckett’s YardConnecting Pavement and Fossgate, the snickelway is named after then wife of John Peckett, Lord ...
- JubbergateIn the Viking era this street was known as Brettegate, meaning the street inhabited by ...
- Holy Trinity, King’s SquareKnown as Konungsgarthr or King’s Garth in the 10th century, some have suggested this small ...
- Grape LaneOnce part of York’s red light district, the lane was known as Grapc***lane, ‘grap’ meaning ...
- GoodramgateThe name Goodramgate is derived from a Viking called Guthrum (possibly the 9th century king ...
- GillygateThis street takes its name from St. Giles’s Church which was located along this street ...
- FriargateFriargate is today a short street which connects Castlegate to Clifford Street, but it once ...
- FeasegateFeasegate is a medieval street which is named after fehus, meaning cow house.
- DavygateThe Forest of Galtres was a 100,000 acre royal forest stretching to the very edge ...
- Coney StreetThis street name has nothing to do with rabbits. Cuningstreta was its original Viking name, ...
- ColliergateThe street was once the place where coal or charcoal was traded in medieval times. ...
- BoothamAlthough contested, Bootham may mean ‘at the booths’ and could refer to booths erected near ...
- Blossom StreetOriginally known as Ploxwangate, from Ploughswaingate, meaning ‘the street of the man who repairs ploughs’. Ploxwan ...
- BedernAn ancient lane, off Goodramgate, leading to Bedern Chapel and Hall and, via Bartle Garth, ...
- AldwarkAldwark is a street that gets its name from ‘Old earthwork’ or ‘old fortification’ and ...