SPECIALIST engineers have checked parts of York’s Bar Walls, after structural fears forced the council to close them.
A stretch of walls from Fishergate Postern Tower and Fishergate Bar was closed last Friday and will reopen on Saturday, it has been announced.
Last week, a council spokesman said fears about subsidence meant they had to restrict access to the walls on safety grounds.
A specialist team of experts including a conservation architect and engineers from company Mouchel carried out a detailed inspection of the walls, the council said on Wednesday.
A spokesman said they had found continuing movement in the roof arch and in the stone walls of Tower 39, which sits on the corner of the city walls at the junction of Fishergate and Barbican Road.
As a temporary solution they have put in extra support for the roof, and a spokesman confirmed that any ongoing movement will be monitored.
In the New Year we will produce a detailed scheme for repair and restoration of Tower 39, they added “We don’t like restricting access to the city walls, but our first priority is safety. This section of the walls is expected to reopen as usual on Saturday.”
Last year the city council set aside £350,000 for urgent repairs to some parts of the walls, including Monkgate Bar steps, but there were calls for a long term plan to maintain the walls.
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