23rd September 2020

New app takes us on a walk through history in South Bank

Lockdown measures and other restrictions have encouraged us to find new ways of sharing our local history stories, in the face of closed venues. But our work on the history of South Bank, Nunnery Lane and Clementhorpe in York continues, and luckily we’ve been able to adopt innovative ways of talking about it. We’ve been using our award-winning website, amplified by social media, to illustrate our latest findings.

We’re now delighted to launch the first of what we hope will be several audio-guided history walks. A Walk Around South Bank in York is a free guided walk on izi.travel, an app which you can use on your smartphone, with earphones. The system was designed for both the travel industry and museums and heritage organisations. You might choose to do the walk by yourself, or as a couple or a family, at a time when group guided walks are less possible. It's aimed at anyone with an interest in the area, and we’re hoping to surprise you with some little known features and facts.

The app allows you to listen to a commentary while walking around our local area, South Bank. This will tell you about significant features of our history, and shine a light on notable buildings. The commentary plays automatically as you arrive at a point, and the app also features a dynamic map, historic images and descriptive text.

The walk draws upon material from our book Shadows in the Bricks: the old shops of South Bank in York. We try to paint a picture of life 100 years ago, and discover the surprising roots of local clubs, schools and churches. Did you know about the trams in South Bank and how they shaped our neighbourhood? You’ll hear about two local mansions and then how housing for artisans was first built in the late 19th century. There is the devastating damage to the area caused by two World Wars, including an eye-witness account from 1916. We look at the reputed site of a 15th century beheading. We notice the distinctive alleyways and talk about a surprising local link to the history of lupins. The temperance movement played a large part in shaping our area, so we look at local pubs.  We can also reveal more about the famous Count de Burgh.

We hope to create more walks eventually, featuring Nunnery Lane and Clementhorpe, for example.

Follow this link for details of how to access the walk app.