Clifford’s Tower, York

York is one of my favourite cities in the world. Much like London, history calls to you from every corner and its connections with Richard III make it somewhere which, although it is not near home, I visit as often as possible.

Already an ancient place of settlement, the Romans founded York around 71 AD and some of the remains of their city walls can still be seen and much has been made of the city’s settlement by the Vikings with the wonderful Jorvik Centre which allows you to experience ‘the Sights, Sounds and Smells of Our Reconstruction of the Viking City’.

Clifford’s Tower stands high on a grassy knoll, looking down across the city. Previously, a timber tower , built to subdue the rebellious north by William the Conqueror, the now imposing ruin has been here since 1245. The wooden structure was burned down in 1190, after York's Jewish community was besieged there by a mob and committed mass suicide rather than being murdered or forcibly baptised by the attackers. This terrible event- ‘one of the worst anti-Semitic massacres of the Middle Ages’- is now acknowledged on a plaque, installed at the foot of the tower in 1978.  

Originally simply known as the King’s Tower, the first recorded use of 'Clifford's Tower' is not used until 1596.  The name may be a reference to the fact that Roger de Clifford was hanged at the tower in 1322 for opposing Edward II.

When I first visited, many years ago, Clifford’s Tower was a roofless ruin. Although there were amazing views across the city, it all felt a bit precarious! However, in 2020, City of York Council granted English Heritage, who manage the site, planning permission to enable conservation and improvements to visitor infrastructure, resulting in a completely new experience. A timber structure has been installed which partially covers the ruin, providing a fantastic viewing and activity space at the roof level whilst suspended metal walkways give access to previously unseen features at first floor level.

The result is quite breath taking, allowing visitors to explore more of the tower and, of course, to enjoy wonderful 360 degree views across the city. Plenty of information boards offer details about the building’s history and, for those who are truly interested, it is easy to spend quite some time here, learning about the role of the tower in York’s history and enjoying the views.

One of the many treasures of York!

Clifford’s Tower,

Tower St,

York

YO1 9SA