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English Heritage launch new Clifford's Tower plan

ENGLISH HERITAGE Impression of new walkway's within the towerENGLISH HERITAGE
The plans include internal walkways and a roof viewing platform

English Heritage has announced a consultation on development plans for a medieval tower in York.

It is the second scheme proposed for the 13th Century Clifford's Tower by the charity.

The new plans retain the walkways and a roof deck proposed in an earlier scheme which was abandoned in 2018.

A new visitor centre, which prompted significant objections to the earlier scheme, is not included in the new proposals.

English Heritage initially proposed to build a £2m visitor centre at the base of the mound the tower sits on.

However, objectors claimed it resembled a toilet block, would destroy the view and have a detrimental effect on the appearance of the area.

English Heritage withdrew its plans due to the opposition in 2018.

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City of York Council The Eye of York from the airCity of York Council
Clifford's Tower was built in the 1250s

Clifford's Tower

  • The stone tower was built in the 1250s replacing an earlier wooden structure
  • It sits on top of a castle mound created by William the Conqueror in 1068
  • It was the site of a major attack on the city's Jewish community in 1190
  • The stone tower was reduced to a shell by a fire in the 1680s
  • It is the only remaining structure of the city's castle. Most of the buildings were destroyed in the 18th and 19th Centuries when the city's court and prison were built
  • The tower was surrounded by the Victorian prison until the 1920s.

Source: English Heritage

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English Heritage Artist's impression of visitor centre at base of Clifford's TowerEnglish Heritage
Plans to build a visitor centre at the site were dropped in 2018

The new proposals retain the internal work to the tower and include options for improving the staircase from street level to the tower.

English Heritage said a public consultation would run until December and would be followed by a planning application. If approved work would begin in 2020.

Andrea Selley, English Heritage's territory director in the north of England, said: "Clifford's Tower is one of York's most important historic sites, and English Heritage is committed to investing in it in a way that protects its historic fabric and improves the experience of those visiting."

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