Retrace Route Round the Walls

A new idea at each entry point to the walls is this RETRACE plaque. Place a sheet of paper over the rectangle and rub in the brass rubbing style and when you have been all the way round you should have a complete joined up rubbing of the route around the walls. You should just about be able to make out the raised section in the top right hand corner of the plaque. I see that the idea has been funded by the National Lottery, wonder if they would make a grant to the "fund for prevention of dehydration of morris men" to prevent Ebor Morris drying out when they do the dance tour of the walls ;-))

Lovely Bow Windows

I have often admired this well proportioned house at the end of Jewbury where St Maurice road starts. I particularly like the bay windows and the ornate architrave of the door. The photograph was taken from the walls on the section between Monk Bar and Foss Islands.

Foss Islands - Frankie and Bennies

It seems a sad fact of life that franchises are springing up eveywhere. Whilst it is undoubtably a good thing that franchises provide products of known and consistent quality it must be said that it does rather stamp a uniformity that destroys individuality. My own preference is not use frachise type establishments if at all possible. I must admit to having been in some without realising later that I was in a franchise establishment.

Foss Islands - Homebase

Standing more or less where the old council depot offices used to stand is a block which contains Homebase, probably just as desrted when you go in as when it was on Foss Bank. There are several units in the block which do not seem to have been let yet.

Foss Islands Retail Park - Morrisons

Foss Islands, where the walls are non existent for a a few hundred yards and the defenses were provided by the marshy ground used to be an interesting area. However, the old power station was knocked down many years ago and all that remains is the old power station chimney. The Morrisons supermarket has been built on the site of the old civic amenities site (rubish skips and recycling bins) which has now moved to Hazel Court. I think the chimney was given listed status and was incorporated into the design of the supermarket. So far they seem to have resisted from painting it yellow or putting garish advertising on it or tethering advertising balloons to it.

Ware and Kay - Foss Islands

The Ware & Kay Solicitors building has a clock with a very striking red face. The building stands on the corner of Peaseholme Green next to Layerthorpe Bridge behind a sectionof city wall where the wall finishes by Foss Islands and the Kings Pool.

City Wall - Foss Islands to Monk Bar

This is the section of wall that continues after the gap from Red Tower and takes you to Monk Bar. The road running alongside the walls is known as Jewbury as it was the site of a Jewish cemetry. The central section is marked on the walls with a small inset on the walkway.

The section of wall leads you to Monk Bar where there is a small Richard III museum. Along the way you will have a view of the South end of the Minster, unfortunately covered in scaffolding at the moment and also see the archaeology of the east tower of the Roman fort near the Merchant Taylors hall and also you will pass the Ice House as shown in earlier blogs.

River Foss - King's Fishpool

This is the view along Foss Islands Road looking towards the old County Hospital and Foss Islands junction. On the left of the picture the willow trees are where the King's Fishpool use to be. On the right where Halfords and Staples now stand, there used to be a power station with a cooling tower across the road behind the willow trees. Access to the cooling tower was via the blue bridge in the middle distance. At this point the river flows round a bend to the left of the picture towards a block of apartments known as Rowntree Wharf. The building was at one time a flour mill and then became a warehouse used by Rowntree for storage of ingredients like sugar, cocoa butter and oils and fats used in the manufacture of confectionery.

This section of river also marks a gap in the city walls between Red Tower and the corner of Jewbury. Defences were provided by the marshy ground in the area.

Red Tower

The Red Tower can be found on Foss Islands Road next to the walls. It stands next to what was at one time swampy ground known as the King's Fishpool. The modern DEFRA building at the junction of Foss Islands and Peaseholme green has the address of King's Pool. Being built of red brick the tower contrasts with the pale stone of the walls.

The Ice House - Monk Bar

You can see the ancient ice house from the city walls not far from Monk Bar as you walk along the walls towards Jewbury and Foss Islands. For a view from ground level turn into the yard of the public house next to Monk Bar and walk through the beer garden. As the name suggests this building was used to store ice for food preservation purposes before the days of fridges.