City of York Council's ancient monuments team is progressing work to strengthen and restore the city walls.

Between May 2004 and January 2006 the team concentrated on the section of wall and railway arches between Micklegate Bar and Lendal. The work was done in two phases and involved strengthening the inner and outer faces of the wall, taking up flagstones on the walkway and installing large stainless steel frames to stop the walls moving apart. When this phase of the work was complete, a time capsule containing a DVD, site drawings and photographs showing the work being carried out, was placed in a space in the arches. 

The team is currently in the process of carrying out £200,000 worth of improvements to Robin Hood Tower, which is located between Bootham Bar and Monk Bar. Work began in May and is due to be completed later this month. It involves stabilising the interior and exterior walls, and the addition of a new stone slabs to the ground and roof.

Before the tower steps were put back in place last week, a further time capsule containing a record of how the work was carried out was put in place. This took the form of a DVD, photographs, a diary and site drawings, and was related to the first time capsule as it seems likely that one will be found before the other.

Geoff Newbold, a supervisor in the council's ancient monuments team, said: "We wanted to leave a record of the work that had been carried out for future custodians of the city to discover. Who knows when the two time capsules will be found!"