This weekend we finished walking the walls that surround most of York. There are a few breaks in the wall: in one area a wall was never built because it was a swamp, but in a few others the wall has been taken down. Around 1830, the city started removing the wall to make room for roads that would allow better access to the city for an increasing volume of 'traffic.'. A concerned citizen complained and was able to get them to stop. He convinced them that there was value in the walls and said he would set up an organization to raise money to build walking paths on the walls for the citizens to enjoy if they let them stand. Just goes to show you what one person who takes action can do. The city agreed to his proposal and did not tear down any more of the wall than what had already been knocked down. This gave them one good access road to the city that is still used by most cars and buses to get into the city - it is a very busy road. And the gentleman's "pedestrian society" built the walking paths that are used daily by citizens to walk to and from work or school and the walls have become a major tourist attraction.
Saturday was such a gorgeous (actually, hot) day. Here are a few pictures taken from the wall. First, the cafe we stopped at for lunch - our best meal yet:
Views of York St. John and the Minster:
Just a very nice view - I think of the Minster grounds.
As long as the weather holds, we will continue to walk the wall each day: it is a unique way to get to work.
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