9, Shambles, Medieval timber building in York, England
Number 9 Shambles is a late 15th-century building with exposed wooden beams, markedly sloping walls, and upper floors that extend outward over the paved street. The upper stories project significantly, while the ground level remains narrower, showing the typical structure of medieval commercial buildings in this location.
This structure originated in the late medieval period and originally functioned as a butcher's shop with wide window ledges used to display meat. The Shambles street was the center of the meat trade in York at that time, and these distinctive window features remain visible today.
The building displays traditional Tudor-period commercial architecture with its distinctive leaning walls and prominent upper stories that hang over the street. The wooden beam structure and tilted facade remain characteristic features that shape how visitors experience this narrow lane today.
The structure sits on the eastern side of Shambles street and is easily reached on foot when walking through York's medieval city center. The narrow lane can get crowded during peak hours, so visiting early in the morning or later in the day works better for a closer look.
The facade leans so dramatically that the space between this building and the one opposite changes noticeably from ground level to roofline. The gap is much tighter at street level than at the top, showing how medieval structures settled and shifted over centuries.
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