Watchers of York: Sculpture trail inspired by York Minster's gargoyles on display from today
They are inspired by the carved grotesques high up on the walls of York Minster, now the Watchers of York have moved to the ground for a new sculpture trail, launched today.
The 12 Watcher statues are described as protective characters connected to different parts of the city’s story.
Some on the trail watch over hidden corners, some over green spaces and waterways, while others keep an eye on the movement of people in York’s historic streets.
There is The Warden of Wild Blooms, The Keeper of Coloured Light, and The We're In It Together City Guardian. Each Watcher has its own personality and guardianship, reflected by the place where it stands.
The original stone guardian, The Watcher of York, remains close to its ancient home at the Minster, keeping watch over the city.
Organisers say the first Watcher has always been here, quietly watching from the shadow of York Minster.
Carved from stone, it knows every story whispered beneath the Minster windows.
Together, the 12 sculptures will form a trail across York, inviting residents and visitors to discover the city from a new perspective.
The trail, which runs until August 31, has been developed by Make It York in collaboration with York Minster.
Using detailed digital renders of the historic stone figures, designers have developed four-foot-tall sculptures.
One of the original sources for the Watcher character is a medieval carving of a wyvern, a legendary mythical creature which closely resembles a dragon, which is on the South Quire of York Minster and dates from around 1400.
Rather than attempting a complete reconstruction of how the wyvern may once have appeared, the sculpture design carefully interprets what survives today, drawing on the visible stonework while respecting its historical origins.
This approach reflects the conservation philosophy used by York Minster’s stonemasonry team, where original carvings are repaired rather than replaced entirely.
The original wyvern grotesque was recently cleaned and stabilised to help ensure its survival for another century and beyond.
The Watchers sculptures follow the same principle, bringing these ancient guardians back into view through respectful interpretation rather than reconstruction, allowing York’s medieval stone characters to watch over the city once again in a new form.
Lauren Frost, senior events manager at Make it York, said: “We have done trails in the city before but we think this one is different.
"We are working with York Minster which is iconic and will mean a lot to the people of York and to people who visit the city.”