Clifford's Tower

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Clifford's Tower

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Welcome to Clifford's Tower! Head to our website for opening times and booking info. Please email us at [email protected].

Experience stunning views over the ancient city and immerse yourself in centuries of history at one of York's most iconic sites. Clifford's Tower has sat at the heart of the city since the Norman Conquest, and over the years it's been a royal mint, a medieval stronghold and a garrison in the Civil Wars. This page is for visitors and fans of Clifford's Tower to share photos, thoughts and recommendations. If you have any questions about Clifford's Tower or English Heritage please email [email protected] or 'like' us at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/English-Heritage/173240995747 and post your question there, where we will be happy to get back to you as soon as we can. HOUSE RULES

This page is designed as a place to discuss Clifford’s Tower - to share tips for a great day out at the Tower, upcoming events and news from the property. We love hearing the ideas and opinions of our social community, and encourage you to leave comments, photos, videos and links (‘content’) here on our page. However, in the interests of our whole community, by using this site you accept our ‘house rules’ and agree that any content posted by you on our page will follow these rules. Content posted on our page must not:

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If you have any questions about the house rules, Clifford's Tower, the work of English Heritage, membership or queries that need a more in depth answer our Customer Services team would be happy to help.

24/10/2026

Unfortunately Clifford's Tower will be closed on Sunday 25th October due to high wind speeds above our operating levels. If you've pre-booked tickets, you will be automatically refunded. We apologise for any inconvenience and hope to see you soon!

20/10/2026

Did you know that the mound of Clifford's Tower is a Roman graveyard?

The earth in the mound is from the Roman road which lead out of York, where graves were housed. The Romans didn't bury their dead within cities because they feared both physical and ritual pollution. Clifford's Tower is located beside a Roman road, leading out of York, and when William the Conquerer was building the mound, he simply took all the dirt from this road, containing the bones, and used it to build the mound for his motte and bailey castle!

We know there are remains in the mound, because when Basil Mott started to put underpinnings in the mound in 1901, he found bones. At first, he believed these were the bodies of the massacre, but we now believe that they were Roman.

18/10/2026

Have you ever noticed ladybirds at Clifford's Tower?

They find holes and crevices in the stone to sleep in! The other day, one even landed on a member of staff. As it gets colder you'll see less, and then more again in spring. 🐞🌸

14/10/2026

On this day in 1066, the Battle of Hastings occurred. This was the end of Harold Godwinson's reign and the beginning of Norman rule in England. York Castle (now Clifford's Tower) was built 2 years later in 1068, as part of William the Conqueror's brutal Harrying of the North.

13/10/2026

It's the season of gothic novels, pumpkin spice, and acting dramatically in the ruins of a castle.

If you like gothic stories, you probably know that a lot of them drew on an imagined idea of the medieval period. Shirley Jackson quotes Chaucer, Dracula describes fighting in the fifteenth century, Oscar Wilde adored by Dante Alighieri. This makes Clifford's Tower the perfect place to read a gothic novel this autumn, as you yourself can become a windswept hero or heroine on the roof, reading dark, dramatic tales while enjoying views of a medieval city. We'll even provide an immersive experience with some pathetic fallacy 😉

What's your favourite period of history? Tell us and we'll recommend a gothic novel for these autumn evenings.

11/10/2026

The medieval church was very important to everyday life. Worshipping would have often been a sensory experience, with colour, scent, and music all playing a part. Religion was such an important part of life that when Henry III rebuilt Clifford's Tower in stone in the 13th century, he added a private chapel. We know the chapel would have been richly decorated because of the arcading you can see around the window here.

While the chapel was a private space, people could gather on the lower floor of Clifford's Tower to hear the service the king was attending.

10/10/2026

This image shows Clifford's Tower in 1680, before its roof was blown off! You can see soldiers patrolling and a drawbridge connecting the tower to the rest of the castle. Can you spot any similarities (or differences!) to Clifford's Tower today?

08/10/2026

It's ... you might recognise this picture if you lived in York in the early 2020s! This was what we looked like from 2021 to 2022 while we renovated the inside. This renovation involved balancing archaeology and architecture, keeping the historic fabric of the site intact while simultaneously improving the visitor experience!

04/10/2026

Did you know that our renovation in 2022 more than doubled the number of people we can have on site at any one time? 😮

Prior to the renovation, we could only have around 60 people inside the tower, but now we can have up to 150! This was one of many improvements, another being the protection of our ancient limestone walls via the wooden roof.

Have you visited since our renovation?

24/09/2026

Did you know we have talking benches inside the tower? 📣

This was part of our renovation in 2022! Each bench describes a moment in the castle's history. All of the voices you hear in the benches are locals from Yorkshire.

Address

Tower Street
York
YO19SA

Telephone

+441904646940

Website

https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/cliffords-tower-york/

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