ONE of York’s most iconic attractions is continuing to prove popular with tourists since reopening, with the number of people visiting from outside Yorkshire described as “very encouraging.”

More than half of the people who have visited Clifford’s Tower since it opened to the public again on August 1 have travelled up to 120km, according to English Heritage, the charity which manages the historic landmark.

As part of our recently launched We’re Backing York campaign, The Press is today focusing on Clifford’s Tower.

The campaign aims to help the city’s tourism industry bounce back and is celebrating the attractions and businesses - big and small - that make York one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country.

Clifford’s Tower is operating at a reduced capacity to ensure a safe, socially distanced experience for visitors of less than 30 per cent of a normal summer day, which could see more than 1,000 people visit the attraction.

A spokesperson for English Heritage said: “Our research shows us that more than half of our visitors have travelled up to 120km to visit York and so it’s fantastic to see that we have still had people from around the country, despite a drop in international visitors.”

They said tourism is “crucial” to Clifford’s Tower, adding: “A significant proportion of our visitors would normally have travelled from overseas and understandably we are seeing very few this year.

"It is very encouraging to see so many visitors choosing York from outside of Yorkshire, and we are very hopeful we will see even more local visitors who may not have seen Clifford’s from the inside in many years.”

The spokesperson said relevant safety measures have been put in place, and up to 25 people are allowed into the tower every half an hour.

A booking system allows visitors to book onto an allocated time slot.

“Because we have a limited number of people allowed into the tower at any one time, our visitors almost have the entire property and the spectacular views all to themselves,” the spokesperson commented. “This is a great opportunity for locals’ to visit places right on their doorstep that they’ve not managed to recently.”

Clifford’s Tower crowns the earthwork mound raised by William the Conqueror in 1068.

For centuries it was the keep and chief strong point of York Castle.