Bootham is a street in the city of York, England, leading north out of the city centre. It is also the name of the small district surrounding the street.
History
The street runs along a ridge of slightly higher ground east of the River Ouse. It follows the line of Dere Street, the main Roman road from Eboracum to Cataractonium. Many Roman remains have been found in the area, which were principally used for burials. The street's name probably derives from the Norse for "the place of the booths", referring to the poor huts in the area. From the Roman period, an alternative route from the bridge over the Ouse ran a short distance west of Bootham, and in the Saxon and Viking Jorvik periods, that was the main road to the north-west. However, after St Mary's Abbey was constructed in this area, that road was blocked, and Bootham became the principal route. In 1260, the abbey was given permission to construct a wall, part of which runs immediately west of the southern part of Bootham. Disputes between the abbey and the city led to conflict in 1262, with several houses on the street being burned down. Shortly after 1326 the Bootham Hoard of silver coins was deposited at the site which would become Bootham School.
thumb|St Mary's Tower
The first documentary evidence of buildings on Bootham is from the 12th century, and by 1282, there were 19 properties on the street, most opposite the abbey wall, with some further out. The city received complaints that, by the end of the century, the road's paving was broken up, there was a stench of pigsties in the area, and that the street was often blocked by loose pigs. In 1308, the abbey was given permission to hold a market and fair on the street, and although this was later revoked, there is evidence of a market being held until at least 1448. In 1354, the abbey finally agreed that Bootham should fall within the city's jurisdiction. In 1497, St Margaret's Arch was built through part of the wall at the southern end of Bootham, providing access to what is now King's Manor. It continues the line of High Petergate, the via principalis of Roman Eboracum, from Bootham Bar in the York city walls. It follows the main Roman road from York to Catterick. It runs north-west, over the York-Scarborough railway line, ending at a junction with Bootham Crescent and Queen Anne's Road, beyond which its route become Clifton. On the south-west side, it has junctions with St Leonard's Place, Marygate, St Mary's and Bootham Terrace, while on the north-east side, it meets Gillygate, Bootham Row, and Grosvenor Terrace.