A walk through historic York a great local pub: the Phoenix Inn

Rich in medieval and Roman history, this walk around the city walls ends up at a good old local

Armageddon is always the highlight of any walk, and this superb city hike offers an unusual and possibly heretical opportunity to start with the End of the World. It is, after all, conveniently located near York station, inside All Saints Church. In fact, our walk is a circular one, so could begin at any point, even at our ultimate destination, the Phoenix Inn.

As you emerge from York station, the 14th-century city walls are in front of you. Built on earthen ramparts that mark much earlier defences, they are Britain’s longest intact medieval walls and can be walked for most of their route. Head left, passing under the wall and you will see a couple of access points. But I promised Armageddon and you must have it. A couple of hundred metres down North Street is All Saints Church, one of York’s less-visited gems.