Discover The Historic York Cat Trail

This trail is based on cats that appear on buildings around York city centre.

It has been designed to ensure that you see not only the cats of York, but also the most interesting and beautiful parts of our city. The trail starts at The Cat Gallery shop and takes an hour or so.  Highlights along the way include the Museum Gardens, Clifford’s Tower, Grand Opera House and York Minster plus a walk down the Shambles and on the City Walls.

The History of Cats in York dates back to 1920, when Sir Stephen Aitcheson placed two on a building that he owned in Low Ousegate. Some say he put them there to scare away rats and mice though it’s more likely that he thought they would be eye-catching and attractive. Others followed his idea and the odd cat appeared around the city in the hope that good things would happen! It was in 1979 that a local architect called Tom Adams (who had drawn black cats as his signature since the ‘50s) decided to resurrect the idea by placing them on buildings he designed. York based sculptor Jonathon Newdick was then commissioned to bring them to life. Tom passed away in 2006 aged 75, but his inspiration lives on through new commissions of York cats.