See the Viking Ship Carving on Pikeing Well

Event details

Fishergate, Fulford and Heslington Local History Society members will be at Pikeing Well on New Walk to show visitors the recently discovered Viking ship carved on a stone on the well building.

The curved shape of the ship's hull is crisply cut, from the stern on the left to the bow on the right.  What looks like a figure is standing near the stern and holding a steering oar, with the other arm pointing forward.  A dragon’s head appears to be projecting forward from the prow.

The stone is unique in Yorkshire. The only other local depiction of a Viking ship is a metal decoration on the door of Stillingfleet church. 

Pikeing Well was designed by Yorkshire architect John Carr to create a decorative grotto-like building over a spring   It was commissioned in 1752 by York Corporation to provide an interesting decorative feature to enhance the New Walk.

Masonry used to create the well is likely to have come from another building, perhaps the derelict 12th-century church of St George.  The well was extensively reconstructed a century later, mostly re-using the original masonry, but probably introducing a small amount of additional material.

Join us on New Walk at the bottom of the steps from Hartoft Street.

Accessibility: New Walk and Pikeing Well are wheelchair accessible, but the Viking ship carving is on only visible via a short flight of steps.

Find out more about the Fishergate, Fulford and Heslington Local History Society.

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