York Historic Environment Record

Beginning on 9th January 1995 York Archaeological Trust carried out a watching brief during repairs to a 100 metre length of the city walls between Monk Bar and Layerthorpe Postern at chainage 2300-2400 (NGR SE 6064 5218). The repairs involved the removal of the current wall walk surface followed by the excavation of trenches at intervals along the wall walk to allow the insertion of tie bars between the rampart and wall walk walls. The flagstones between unexcavated areas were also lifted and re-set. The portion of wall investigated consists of several building phases which are visible both above and below the wall walk. The repairs of the 1870s have further confused an already complicated picture which has not been simplified by the results of the excavations. The presence of areas of facing stone on the internal face of the rampart wall below the present wall walk level suggests that either a wall walk did not exist at those points or that it was at a lower level than the present one. No datable evidence was found however to suggest an original date for its construction.