02/09/2026
There were a lot of comments on Monday’s video of the procession through York in memory of St Margaret Clitherow.
Here is a little of her story, courtesy of Alice of The Bloody Tour of York.
Today marked the annual pilgrimage in honour of St Margaret Clitherow and the Martyrs of York.
And if you’ve been on The Bloody Tour of York you’ll know Margaret’s story well.
But if you haven’t, take a look at this statue, that can be found in the heart of the Shambles.
Margaret Clitherow was a Catholic wife and mother who lived in York during the reign of Elizabeth I. She secretly hid Catholic priests in her home and helped them escape the authorities.
Eventually, she was arrested.
She refused to enter a plea, knowing that doing so could put her children and others on trial. On 25 March 1586, Margaret endured the awful punishment of peine forte et dure, she was crushed to death beneath a heavy door, it is thought to have been her own front door, with weights placed on top of it.
She was just 30 years old.
Today, her shrine stands on the Shambles, close to the house where she lived. A quiet place marking a brutal and tragic story.
