Section of city walls closed for another month

The stretch of York's city walls between Station Rise and Micklegate Bar (pictured) will stay closed until 26 July

A section of the centuries-old city walls in York will remain closed for a further month while redevelopment work continues.

The stretch between Station Rise and Micklegate Bar was due to re-open on Friday after being shut for six weeks.

But this part of the wall will now stay closed until Friday 26 July while a new retaining wall and rampart is built.

City of York Council said the improvements were needed following the removal of Queens Street Bridge.

Work was originally set to take place for six weeks, but has been delayed

"Access gates will be locked, and signs informing of the closure and how to rejoin the wall walk will be in place," the council added in a statement on its website.

The bridge was moved further away from the city walls earlier this year to help taxis, buses and pedestrians access the front entrance to York Station more easily.

It was built over the railway in 1877 and also helped to stabilise the walls.

The council added the the new retaining wall and rampart would replace the bridge and were designed to hold the foundations of the structure in place.

York has more miles of intact walls than any other city in England. Although the Roman first enclosed York, very little of the surviving stonework dates from their occupation and the course of the original wall was later altered.

A small section of the wall and the Multangular Tower in the Museum Gardens, and another part between Bootham Bar and Monk Bar, are Roman.

The Danish invaders who later conquered the city rebuilt the walls, but demolished the Roman towers. Most of the remaining structure is medieval.

There was a major restoration of the walls in the Victorian period, after they had fallen into disrepair.

There were four main gatehouses, or "bars", which were used as tollbooths and defensive outposts in medieval times. All four have survived.

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