What is the meaning of Whip-Ma-Whop-Ma-Gate?

What is the meaning of Whip-Ma-Whop-Ma-Gate?

What a street
Whip-Ma-Whop-Ma-Gate is one of the smallest streets in York, if not the smallest. A plaque erected in the street states that it derives from a phrase Whitnourwhatnourgate meaning “What a street!”, but most modern sources translate the phrase as “Neither one thing nor the other”.

How long is Whip-Ma-Whop-Ma-Gate York?

approximately 9-10m long
The actual street is a raised Piece of pavement between the end of the church and the wall which is approximately 9-10m long. It is thought to be the shortest street in York and one of the shortest in Britain. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.

What the shortest street in York called?

Whip-Ma-Whop-Ma-Gate is a brief street in York, England, said to be the shortest in the city. It links Colliergate to Pavement and the Stonebow, and runs behind St Crux parish hall, the site of one of York’s medieval churches.

What does gate mean in York?

York Streets and City History. The term ‘gate’ used in York street names like Walmgate, Coppergate, Stonegate and Skeldergate, derives from the Viking word ‘gata’ meaning street. The term should not be confused with the word ‘gate’ meaning a gateway. The historic gateways to the city of York are called ‘Bars’.

What is the longest street name in York?

WHIPMAWHOPMAGATE. The shortest street in York has the longest name of all. Located at the bottom of Colliergate and the top of Fossgate, Whipmawhopmagate is only a few yards in length but features on every tourist tour of the city.

What is the history of York?

York was founded in 71 AD when Cerialis and the Ninth Legion constructed a military fortress (castra) on flat ground above the River Ouse near its junction with the River Foss. The fortress was later rebuilt in stone, covered an area of 50 acres, and was inhabited by 6,000 soldiers.

Where is the smallest street in the world?

Ebenezer Place
Ebenezer Place in Wick holds the world record for the shortest street. Our No 1 Bistro is the only address on Ebenezer Place, but at 6ft 9 inches in length (2.06 m), there is no room for another.

Why are the gates in York called bars?

The gateways through the defences in York are called ‘bars’. The name ‘bar’ has its origins in the bars, or simple gates, which were used to block the gateways to keep people out. Originally the bars were made of simple stone. The gates were normally locked at 9pm and the keys were kept by the Mayor.

What does gate mean in street names?

The suffix ‘gate’ on many of York’s streets is from the Norse word ‘gata’ (pronounced ‘garter’), which simply means ‘street’. So whenever you are trying to find the meaning of a street name with ‘gate’ at the end, you can remove ‘gate’ and find the meaning in the first part of the street name.

Why are streets called gate?

It originates from the Norse word “gata” for “a road or way” and therefore can be traced back to the year 867 when Danish Vikings captured the Anglo Saxon town of Snotingham. Chapel Bar, on the site of one of the fortified gates into the old town for instance, was originally called Bar Gate.

What’s the oldest city in England?

Colchester
In addition, Colchester has long been known as Britain’s oldest recorded town, based on a reference by the Roman writer, Pliny the Elder. In around AD77 while describing the island of Anglesey, he wrote that ‘it is about 200 miles from Camulodunum a town in Britain’.

Where is Whip Ma Whop Ma Gate in York?

On the detailed 1850 Ordnance Survey map of York, Fossgate, Pavement and St Saviourgate (reproduced in the Historic Towns Atlas of York) are seen as narrow streets meeting in a tight corner at St Crux church. Whip-Ma-Whop-Ma-Gate was too minor to name.

Where does the name Whip Ma Whop Ma come from?

However, some say the origins of Whip-Ma-Whop-Ma are actually supposed to mean “Neither One Thing Nor Another.” In the Middle Ages, it was the location of the city’s whipping post and stocks, which could also possibly account for the “Whip” part of the name.

Why was the street called the whipping post?

Many people think that the street was the site of a medieval ‘whipping post’ from the ‘whip’ part of the name. This was a post where criminals would be tied to and flogged for their crimes. Some have a theory that this name came from the whipping of dogs who would steal meat from the butchers on The Shambles.