Is York a Roman city?

Yes, York was founded by the Romans in 71 AD as Eboracum. It served as a major military base and the capital of the province of Britannia Inferior.

Can I see Roman ruins in York for free?

Yes, several major sites are free to view. The Multangular Tower in Museum Gardens and the Roman Column in Minster Yard are both open to the public at no cost.

What is the best time to start this Roman walk?

The best time is around 10:00 AM. This allows you to explore the Museum Gardens before the midday crowds and ensures the Roman Bath pub is open for the final stop.

Are the Roman sites in York accessible for wheelchairs?

The Multangular Tower and Roman Column are accessible. However, the Anglian Tower has uneven ground, and the Roman Bath ruins are located down a flight of stairs.

Is it worth visiting the Roman Bath pub in York?

Absolutely, it is one of the few places where you can see a Roman hypocaust system in situ. The small museum in the basement provides a unique look at legionnaire life.

Where is the Roman wall in York?

The modern city walls follow the line of the original Roman walls. The best Roman masonry can be seen at the base of the Multangular Tower in the Museum Gardens.

Who was the Roman Emperor proclaimed in York?

Constantine the Great was proclaimed Emperor in York in 306 AD. You can see a commemorative statue of him near the Roman column by the Minster.

Zigway - The Guide Follows You

1 hr 40 min

Duration

6

Stops

Easy

Difficulty

About This Tour

Step back nearly two thousand years to when York was known as Eboracum, a formidable military fortress at the edge of the Roman Empire. This self-guided walk invites you to peel back the layers of time, moving through the medieval streets to find the stone-carved echoes of the Ninth and Sixth Legions. Unlike a typical guided tour York offers, this independent neighborhood stroll allows you to stand where emperors stood and walk the perimeter of a fortress that once housed 5,000 elite soldiers, all at your own pace. The route begins in the tranquil Museum Gardens, where the lower masonry of the Multangular Tower still stands as a testament to 4th-century engineering. From there, you will explore the defensive fortifications that have protected the city through Roman, Anglian, Viking, and Medieval eras. You will encounter the towering Roman column unearthed beneath the York Minster, a monument to the moment Constantine the Great was proclaimed Emperor right here in the city. As you navigate the historic City Centre, the architecture reveals a fascinating story of reuse and resilience. You'll visit the site of one of the world's most famous ghost stories at the Treasurer's House, where the spirits of a Roman legion were famously sighted, and conclude your journey at a local pub built directly over the remains of an ancient bathhouse. This walking route is perfect for history enthusiasts and first-time visitors who want to understand the foundational stones of England’s most historic city. By choosing a self-guided walk, you have the freedom to linger at the ruins or grab a coffee in a historic square without the pressure of a group. This is the ultimate way to experience the Roman legacy of York, discovering how the layout of a modern city is still dictated by the lines drawn by Roman surveyors centuries ago.

Highlights

The 4th-century masonry of the Multangular Tower
The rare 'missing link' architecture of the Anglian Tower
A massive Roman column from the original military headquarters
The legendary site of the Roman ghost sightings at Treasurer's House
The subterranean remains of an authentic Roman caldarium

Route Map

Numbers indicate the order of stops on the tour

Tour Stops (6)

1

Multangular Tower

Welcome to the Museum Gardens, home to the most impressive fragment of Roman Eboracum. Look at the tower before you. The lower half, with its small, neat limestone blocks and a distinctive band of red Roman tiles, dates back to the early 4th century. This was the corner bastion of the Roman fortress. When the Romans left, the medieval residents simply built on top of it—you can see the larger, rougher stones and the arrow slits of the upper section added much later. Imagine Roman sentries standing here, looking out over the River Ouse, guarding the headquarters of northern Roman Britain.

2

Anglian Tower

Tucked away along the city walls is the Anglian Tower. This small, square stone structure is a rare archaeological gem. For a long time, historians weren't sure when it was built, but it is now widely believed to be the 'missing link' between the Roman era and the Viking arrival. It was likely built in the 7th or 8th century to fill a gap in the crumbling Roman fortifications. It’s one of the few standing structures from the 'Dark Ages' in England, representing a time when the city was the capital of the Kingdom of Northumbria.

3

Roman column in Minster Yard

This massive stone pillar standing in the shadow of the York Minster wasn't always here. It was discovered in 1969 during excavations in the Minster's foundations. It originally belonged to the Basilica, the great hall of the Roman military headquarters, which stood exactly where the cathedral stands today. This column is a physical connection to the year 306 AD. When Emperor Constantius Chlorus died in York, his son Constantine was proclaimed Emperor by the soldiers right here. Constantine would go on to legalize Christianity and move the capital of the Empire to Constantinople.

4

National Trust - Treasurer's House, York

While this elegant house dates mainly from the 17th and 18th centuries, its most famous residents might be much older. In 1953, a young apprentice named Harry Martindale was working in the cellar when he saw a troop of Roman soldiers emerge from the wall, appearing only from the knees up. It was later discovered that a Roman road lies exactly 15 inches below the cellar floor, explaining why the 'ghosts' appeared to be walking on their knees. The house sits directly over the Roman road leading to the fortress's northeast gate.

5

Goodramgate & Monk Bar Court

As you stand near Monk Bar, you are positioned over the site of the Porta Decumana, the northeast gate of the Roman fortress. While the gate you see today is medieval, it follows the exact alignment of the Roman original. Look down Goodramgate; the narrow, winding nature of the street is a medieval characteristic, but the overall grid of this part of York still respects the boundaries set by Roman surveyors nearly 2,000 years ago. This area was the heart of the civilian settlement that grew up around the military garrison.

6

Roman Bath

Our final stop is perhaps the most unique. Beneath this pub, which is aptly named 'The Roman Bath,' lies the remains of the fortress's caldarium, or steam room. Discovered during renovations in 1930, these ruins show the sophisticated underfloor heating system, known as a hypocaust, that the Romans used to keep their soldiers clean and relaxed. For a small fee, you can head down into the basement to see the original tiles and the plunge pool. It’s a vivid reminder that even at the edge of the empire, the Romans brought their luxury and engineering with them.

Frequently Asked Questions

The walk is approximately 1.5 miles (2.4 km) long. If you stop to read the plaques and visit the Roman Bath museum, it typically takes between 90 and 120 minutes.