Shambles: the story behind York’s famously wonky street

They may not tilt in quite the same way, but the famously wonky, timber-fronted shops of this ancient street continue to attract visitors and residents alike – and have caused people to crane their necks for centuries.

Children turn Shambles into a playground in this early photograph of York’s famous medieval street, long before it became one of the city’s biggest attractions.

After the heat of July and August, York was an obvious staycation choice, with plenty to enjoy, whether food and drink or the city’s rich culture was the main attraction.

Undated

Locals will be all too familiar with the crowd-pulling appeal of Shambles, one of York’s great photo stops.

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The narrow, bustling lane is packed with quirky shopfronts, overhanging upper floors and queues of people in search of a little medieval magic – or perhaps something closer to Harry Potter’s Hogwarts.

Undated

The street is often linked with Diagon Alley, although J.K. Rowling has said she had not visited Shambles when creating the wizarding shopping street. That has done little to lessen the connection in visitors’ minds, or the appeal of the Harry Potter-themed shops.

Yet Shambles had a far more pungent past than its glossy, Instagram-ready present might suggest.

Shambles was recorded as early as 1086, when the area appeared in the Domesday Book as in macello – Latin for “at the market”. It developed into York’s butcher’s quarter, with meat sold from open-fronted premises and slaughtering often carried out behind the shops.

The shelves beneath several windows, still visible today, once displayed cuts of meat rather than wizarding treats, souvenirs and sweet jars.

The leaning buildings of Shambles are almost touching in this undated photo from The Press archive.

Leaning – by design

Those upper floors that appear to lean into the street were not simply the result of medieval builders having a bad day. They were deliberately built to project over the lower storeys, a technique known as jettying – also seen elsewhere in York, such as Goodramgate.

A scene from 1974.

Jettying gave householders extra room above without taking away valuable space at street level. On Shambles, where the timber-framed buildings stand so close together, the result is especially striking as it can feel as though the houses are conspiring to meet overhead.

Deliveries in bygone years when vans still made their way down cobbled Shambles to supply the shops lining the historic thoroughfare.

The overhangs also helped shelter stalls, shoppers and goods from rain and sunshine, particularly useful when this was a working meat market, long before refrigerated display cabinets.

What’s in a name?

The formal street name is Shambles although many refer to it as “the Shambles”. Its name comes from an old word for a bench or stall and later became closely linked with places where meat was sold.

These delivery drivers, pictured in 1986, are in a tight spot as they navigate the famously-narrow street.

It has had other names over the centuries, including Haymongergate and Nedlergate, before the “Great Flesh Shambles” appeared in the 15th century.

By 1830, 25 of York’s 88 butchers were based there.

The butchers have gone, the sights and smells have changed, and the street is now a global visitor favourite. Yet Shambles remains defiantly crooked and a medieval survivor still leaning into the future.