Walls have ears as audio tour of historic boundaries launched

And now visitors are being given the chance to learn more about York’s medieval walls with the launch of a new audio tour. York Council’s archaeologist John Oxley shares his knowledge of the walls through the podcast, which can be downloaded free of charge.

Mr Oxley said: “The city walls are an iconic part of York’s history and are a constant reminder of its tumultuous past. I’m delighted to have the opportunity to share details about the walls and they role they played in the city’s history with visitors and residents alike.”

The city’s bar walls stretch for two miles and are seen as the finest and most complete of any town in England. Visit York’s chief executive, Gillian Cruddas, claimed the new podcast would help to boost the city’s multi-million pound tourism industry.

The podcast is available for free from the council’s website at www.york.gov.uk/visiting. Visitors wanting to contribute to the cost of the upkeep of the walls can also download the podcast by texting YWALLS to 88833, at a charge of £1.50 plus the standard network charge. Depending on the network used, between 51p and 88p will go towards the maintenance and protection of the walls.