You should be standing right near a thick, square stone pillar holding an iron street lamp, marking the split between the smooth modern pavement and a descending lane of old stone. Long before this was called Museum Street, this area fell within the heavy defensive walls of Roman Eboracum, the ancient military fort that eventually grew into the city of York. But if we go back to the twelve sixties, this exact spot was just a narrow, cramped lane pressed up against the boundary wall of Saint Leonard's Hospital. Back then, it was recorded in the local registry under a rather curious name... Ffotlesgayle, or Footloose Lane. It sounds terribly cheerful to modern ears, like a dance hall. But the reality was a bit more poignant. The name actually translated to Footless Lane, referring to the ailing residents of the hospital who were physically unable to walk easily without assistance. It was a lane defined by their slow, unsteady footsteps. Over the centuries, the street widened, the old hospital walls were knocked down, and the path grew busy with travelers making their way down to the river to catch the Lendal Ferry. That little boat ran faithfully across the River Ouse until eighteen sixty-three, when a grand new bridge was built to replace it. Still, the old route sloping down to the water remains right alongside the modern road. It is a street that has constantly reshaped itself to care for and carry the people of York. Take all the time you need here, and whenever you are ready to move on, our next stop is just a short minute away at the Judges' Lodgings.
Stop 2 of 22
