Snickelways of York facts for kids
The Snickelways of York are a group of small paths and lanes in the city of York, England. People sometimes spell it wrong as Snickleways.
The name Snickelway was made up by a local writer named Mark W. Jones in 1983. He wrote a book called A Walk Around the Snickelways of York. It's a mix of three words: snicket (a path between walls), ginnel (a narrow path through buildings), and alleyway (a small street).
Even though it's a new word, it quickly became popular in York. People in the city use it often. It has even appeared in official city documents.
What is a Snickelway?
Snickelways are usually narrow paths or lanes found between buildings. They are not wide enough for cars or other vehicles. Most of them are public paths, meaning anyone can walk through them.
Mark W. Jones, the person who created the word, described them this way:
A Snickelway is a narrow place to walk along, leading from somewhere to somewhere else, usually in a town or city, especially in the city of York.
York has many of these paths. Most of them are very old, from the Middle Ages. But some newer paths have also been added. Like other streets, snickelways have their own names. Some names are quite unusual, such as Mad Alice Lane, Nether Hornpot Lane, and Finkle Street.
The Famous Snickelways Book
In 1983, Mark W. Jones created a special walking tour. This tour included 50 snickelways located inside the old York city walls. His book, A Walk around the Snickelways of York, quickly became a top seller in the area.
The book was unique because it was completely hand-written. It also featured hand-drawn pictures. Jones said he was inspired by the Pictorial Guides by Alfred Wainwright. At least nine different versions of the book have been printed. Each new version included updates, like paths that were closed or new ones that opened.
Because the book was so popular, Jones was asked to give talks about the Snickelways. He would show slides during his presentations. This led to a bigger, hardback book being published in 1991. It was called The Complete Snickelways of York. This book combined the original hand-written parts with printed text and photos. It also shared information about snickelways and other paths in areas outside the main city of York.
Images for kids
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The shortest Snickelway, Hole-in-the-Wall, named after a nearby pub.
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Coffee Yard is the longest Snickelway, nearly 67 metres (220 ft) long.
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Mad Alice Lane (also known as Lund's Court) is named after a local legend.
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Pope's Head Alley is very narrow, only 790 mm (2 ft 7 in) wide.
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Grape Lane, which had a different name long ago.
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The Snickleway Inn uses the word for a small lane but is actually on Goodramgate.
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The entrance to Lady Peckett's Yard, leading through buildings.
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Finkle Street, its name might come from old Norse or Danish words meaning angle or bend.
