4 A MEDIEVAL CITY

Britain's making, the days when the land was in
the melting-pot as far as race and nationality are
concerned.

B. MIIJTARY VAI,UE OF ITS POSITION

York is situated on the higher ground, in the
angle made by the rivers Ouse and Foss at their
junction ; a little to the south, the east and the west
there are low ridges of mound. The outer, main
series of hills which border the central plain, are
some dozen miles away, their outer faces being more
or less parallel and running very roughly north and
south. It seems clear that the site was chosen from
the first for its immediate defensive value, the
direct result of its geographical features. The
position was of both tactical and strategic importance.
In Roman times, however, its tactical value de-
creased when the great wall wTas built that stretched
with its lines of mound, ditch, stone-rampart, and
road, and its series of camps and forts, from near
the mouth of the T}Tne to Splway Firth. Henceforth
the wall marked the debatable frontier, but York
never lost its strategic value. It was thus used by
the Romans, William I., Edward L, Edward II., and
Edward III. in their occupation of and their expe-
ditions against the North. It has served as a base
depdt and military headquarters for centuries.

C. PorjTiCAi, IMPORTANCE

York, then, whatever its name (for it had many
names) or condition, inevitably became an occupied
place, a stronghold or a town from earliest times.
When the Church attained great importance in
the north, York, in addition to its natural and