York Hidden Gem's: Bootham Bar Statues
Meet the Secret Statues Guarding Bootham Bar – And the Bonkers Laws That Came With Them
Next time you’re strolling past Bootham Bar, don’t forget to look up. Perched right at the top, three stone-faced legends are keeping watch — just in case anyone gets any funny ideas about invading York from the north.
They’re not just decorative either. Each one stands for a different job in the defence of the city:
The knight: The one doing the actual fighting (obviously).
The mason: The one who builds the walls to keep the baddies out.
The mayor: The one who holds the keys and probably shouts things like “man the gates!”
They might look old — and that’s because they are… sort of. The ones you see today are 19th-century re-dos of originals that date all the way back to the 1300s. So they’re basically vintage replicas.
Scotland vs Yorkshire: The OG Rivalry
Back in the 14th century, things got pretty tense between England and Scotland. Yorkshire ended up getting pillaged by Scottish armies, which, understandably, didn’t go down well. So, what did we do?
We cobbled together a local army made up of whoever we could find — farmers, monks, clerics, probably a few lads from the pub — and got to work on beefing up our city walls.
Bootham Bar got a fortified upgrade complete with a serious-looking portcullis (that’s the giant spiky gate still visible inside), and some slightly less serious additions too…
The Passive-Aggressive Door Knocker (Yes, Really)
In a move that can only be described as medieval-level petty, York once had a special door knocker just for Scotsmen. They weren’t allowed to just wander in. Nope — they had to knock and politely ask if they could come into the city.
Charming.
The knocker’s long gone now (as is the weird anti-Scots vibe), and thankfully, Scots can now enter York without permission or paperwork. Though the remnants of this eccentric rule lived on longer than you’d think…
Yes, You Could, Technically Shoot a Scotsman (But Don’t)
There was once an old law that said a Yorkshireman could legally shoot a Scotsman with a bow and arrow — but only within the city walls, and only on a Sunday.
That delightfully unhinged rule wasn’t officially repealed until the Human Rights Act came into force in 1998. So if you’ve ever wondered whether British law is weird: yes, yes it is.
A Little Something Next Door…
Right beside Bootham Bar is a low-key gem: a little café that sits on top of an actual chunk of Roman York. When it opened in 2015, builders uncovered part of the original Roman wall — now safely preserved under glass for you to admire while sipping your flat white.
Look down and you’ll spot the original street level from 2,000 years ago, when this was all part of Eboracum, the Roman fortress. Which is honestly a pretty epic backdrop for a lunch break.
Find It:
Bootham Bar, 2–4 High Petergate, York YO1 7EH
Statues above, Roman wall below, and centuries of history (and sass) all around and as always if you are coming to York and you need a place to stay then just visit our website www.houseofyork.org and book:
- one of our homes for up to six people
- two of our homes for up to 12 people
- or all three together for up to 18 people
Rather conveniently, all our houses are next door to each other!
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Book one of our Holiday Homes for your next trip to York
Are you looking for a great place to stay for your next trip to York. All 3 of our holiday homes are next door to each other which means you can hire them individually for up to 6 people or together for up to 12 (107 & 109 together) or even 18 people (Spencer House & 107 & 109 together).
To check availability and book just visit www.houseofyork.org
We pride ourselves on being couples and family friendly and we try to take any of the stress out of your stay so you can focus on enjoying yourselves and magnificent York.