It took William I two years to move north after his victory at Hastings in October 1066 and coronation as King on Christmas Day 1066.

There was a strong anti-Norman feeling in the north and this was coming to a head around York during the summer of 1068. William moved quickly to try to squash this potential rebellion. He marched north. His advance caused such alarm that he entered the city unopposed.

On his arrival he set about his normal activity in hostile territory. He built a castle. In York he built two castles, York Castle and Baille Hill. He also started remodeling the defences into broadly the form we see today.