THEY are one of York's most treasured historical assets.

Now an ambitious £174,000 project aims to bring the bar walls up to 21st century visitor standards.

City of York Council has teamed up with Yorkshire Forward and English Heritage to make it easier for residents and visitors to get the most out of the city's walls.

Interpretative panels will provide the story of the walls, and highlight points of interest, at 16 key places, including Micklegate Bar, Lendal Tower and Walmgate Bar.

They will be placed at street level so they are accessible to all - including those who are unable to walk along the historic walls.

Other phases of the project include a £35,000 programme of cleaning and repairs and new self-closing gates for Bootham Bar, designed by internationally- renowned blacksmith Chris Topp. A number of way markers will be placed along the city walls to highlight key features and additional markers will be set into the floor of footpaths, to guide people through the areas where there are gaps in the circuit of the walls.

Rory McCarthy, the council's tourism development officer, said: "York's bar walls are the finest and most complete of any town in England, and encapsulate the city's new character.

"The new initiative should greatly improve the educational and amenity value of the walls. We want to make the most of them, but at the same time we recognise that any improvements must be sympathetic to the unique historic nature of the environment."

Coun Keith Orrell, the council's leisure and heritage chief, said: "This is an exciting project to bring the information about the city walls up to modern standards.

"This is important for both residents and tourists to get the most out of visits to the city."

Updated: 09:35 Wednesday, March 15, 2006