A Medieval City Behind Walls

The Micklegate Bar in York looks like something from an ever after story.

If you’re looking for history and legends in the U.K., then York is a perfect destination to start. I teamed up with The Fairytale Traveler’s U.K. correspondent and Midnight Folklore’s, Scott Malthouse to explore its legends and Viking history. I have to say, I fell pretty hard for this storybook city behind medieval walls.

The Fairytale Traveler Experience

We approached York’s Micklegate Bar (bar means gatehouse). I had to chuckle as I watched cars pass through its medieval portal. This gateway to the city, with its towering stature and fairytale-like archways, has stood sentinel for over 800 years. It seemed more fitting for a Knight in shining armorescorting a princess than an Audi escorting a school aged boy. I shouted over to Scott, “If there’s a fairytale capital in England, this has to be it!”

For a really cool timeline of York’s history click here

A walk down the cobble stone streets of York sent us through Roman, Viking and Norman rule straight to the Jorvik Viking Center and the York Dungeon. We soon found out that prince charming wasn’t exactly riding his brawny steed through Michlegate. In fact, it was used not only as a gatehouse, but as a pedestal for the heads of traitors and tyrants -not exactly the fairytale I had played out in my head then again, even the storybooks have their bloodshed.