Snickleways

York’s charming and history affluent streets are a joy in themselves. Rich in a multiplicity of architectural diversity from almost every main period in history, it’s always worth a cursory glance upwards away from the shop fronts to witness the many splendidly preserved period features and curios. But behind these bustling thoroughfares, the heart of York is also honeycombed with hidden lanes, courtyards and passageways known locally as snickets, or snickleways. Extremely alluring, these essentially medieval shortcuts are almost all public byways revealing unique views and small pieces of tranquillity away from the nearby hubbub. Mad Alice Lane, Pope’s Head Alley, Lady Peckett’s Yard; there around 50 of these narrow backwaters and while you may temporarily lose your bearings, in a city the size of York it’ll never be too serious.