Monk Bar

The most prominent feature of Monk Bar is the portcullis, which still hangs in its groove after six hundred years. This is the tallest of the four main medieval gateways into York, built as a fortified residence to protect the city from Scottish raids. In the nineteenth century, workmen discovered a secret chamber inside the walls containing a cache of old muskets. Today, visitors walk through the same stone archway where soldiers once lowered the heavy iron gate to seal the city off from invaders.