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hidden europe 20

Snickelways

by hidden europe

Summary

What were once back streets of iniquity in the English city of York are now important elements in the cityscape - little lanes and alleys that, for those in the know, provide valuable short cuts.

hidden europe 20 / Snippet  / By hidden europe

Snickelways are the most intimate of places. Some are inviting little alleys while others are smelly and forbidding spaces. The city of York in northern England is a honeycomb of secret snickelways.

Most visitors to York stick to the main thoroughfares that link the Minster with the city walls, York's two rivers and the principal shopping areas. These are roads with wonderfully evocative names that tell the history of northern England's most engaging city: Swinegate, Low Petergate, The Stonebow and Whip-ma-whopma-gate.

But those with a little local knowledge forsake these principal streets for a different York: a city of hidden alleys and back lanes.

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hidden europe 67: Heritage
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