Tourists Urged to Donate for the Upkeep of York's Historic City Walls

Donate to preserve York's city walls

Tourists visiting York's iconic city walls are being encouraged to contribute to their preservation through new donation points. York Council has approved a six-month trial of this initiative, aiming to raise funds for the ongoing maintenance and improvements of the historic structure.

The scheme will install two "tap-to-donate" points at Bootham Bar, one of the most popular sections of the city walls, where visitors can easily make single-figure donations using card payments. In addition to the donation points, QR codes will be placed around the site, allowing tourists to donate online, with information about the history and conservation efforts of the walls.

Councillor Pete Kilbane, the council’s culture spokesperson, pointed out that if just 5% of the city’s estimated 2.5 million annual visitors donated £5 each, it would raise approximately £625,000—more than enough to cover the upkeep costs in tourism. He emphasized the historical importance of the walls, saying, “The city walls are not only the glory of York, they’re one of the glories of England. Built by the Romans, they are older than England itself."

The walls are a significant part of York's heritage, and maintaining them requires specialist stone masons, an expensive task that only a few local authorities face. If the trial proves successful, the council plans to expand the donation points along other parts of the walls, with an estimated running cost of £5,000 for the program.

The goal is not only to preserve the walls for future generations but also to ensure that they remain a cherished historical landmark for both locals and tourists alike.