The TikTok-ification of York: How a local gem became a fantastical tourist attraction
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(Credits: Far Out / Geograph)
There never used to be endless queues blocking The Shambles in York. A medieval street naturally attracts the human eye with its charming, narrow, cobblestone paths—a place once occupied by butcher shops and meat stalls, named after a word meaning as such, and filled with locals looking for their evening supper. However, The Shambles has come to epitomise the more modern turn of phrase, mythologised by influential TikTok users as a historical representation of fantasy worlds like Harry Potter.
Some of the buildings in The Shambles date from the 14th century, and if you’ve visited them recently, you’ll find they are remarkably preserved. Aesthetically, its roots are well intact, and there’s something about being encompassed by its narrow walls that feels as close to an authentic time capsule as any other place, perhaps in the world.
Despite its origins, The Shambles is today anything but solely a meat market. Over the years, it has adapted to suit modern consumers, introducing independent shops that uphold York’s idiosyncratic edge. Until now, the most major period of change was after the Second World War, when city planners sought to take ownership of certain buildings to help restore them or demolish them.
While some were re-built, The Shambles largely maintained its historic fabric and began to enjoy a newfound resurgence of popularity not just among locals—suddenly, those from all over the UK caught wind of such a mystical street and wanted to visit to see a little slice of history. And it’s worth it: prior to 2017, at least, The Shambles was as good as a little secret, one of the “if you know, you know” sorts.
The more nostalgic stories of enjoying the area generally range from travelling there as a child and enjoying the bakeries, pie shops, cafes, fudge pantries, and more. This section of York always felt somewhat magical, most likely due to the association with spirituality it has accrued over the years, and so when other shops started to be introduced, like the famous York Ghost Merchants, it was undeniably exciting.
York was once declared the most haunted city in Europe due to its storied past, a label which suits its macabre feel perfectly and something it has come to be monumentally proud of, with many of its shops and attractions being created to lean into such a reputation. York Ghosts Merchants, for instance, is a fascinating concept born from the imaginative minds of Angus McArthur and David Bloodworth.
When they first launched in 2019, they felt York seriously lacked something connecting its magical status to the real experience of The Shambles. The shop, which almost immediately became an overnight success and still gathers long queues to this day, was the perfect amalgamation of haunting and playfulness at the crux of York’s appeal.
Ghost tours and the like have been going on for years with no signs of slowing down, but the entire area experienced a monumental shift when, seemingly out of nowhere, it was deemed the inspiration for Diagon Alley, a feature of the Harry Potter franchise. None of the movies were actually shot there, but it’s not too out of reach to suggest the two have a certain likeness. As a result, it was only a matter of time before the overhanging timber-framed buildings of The Shambles blew up somewhere online, becoming the unsuspecting bait of Harry Potter fans all over the world.
There were—and continue to be—many TikTok videos circulating that promoted The Shambles as the most quintessentially British, Harry Potter-esque location on the planet. The growing awareness, which started to brew a handful of years ago and has since exploded, was no doubt monumental and gave rise to significant consumer demand, resulting in queues to certain shops leading far down the street—a far cry from the more laid-back visits from a number of years ago.
As a result, since around 2017, The Shambles has witnessed the launch of four Harry Potter-themed shops to keep up with the interest, one of which, The Shop That Must Not Be Named, continues to thrive with fanatics dressed in cloaks or waiting to get their hands on a timeless piece of movie merchandise. The other includes The Potions Cauldron, a shop enabling customers to create their own potions or buy one of their famous concoctions.
This is lightning in a bottle for the everyday franchise buff looking for a real-life escape to the place that, in some cases, makes them feel safe and understood. The appeal of Harry Potter cannot be understated, and its audience continues to grow as more and more people discover its fantastically inclusive world. The themed shops located on The Shambles aren’t just shops; they’re experiences and ones that people from all over the world now travel miles and miles to see and witness first-hand.
However, this has also impacted the old-timers and the ones who saw and enjoyed The Shambles before TikTok discovered it. It’s interesting to explore all avenues when considering how the street has changed, but the one that keeps coming to the fore is this: There’s an obvious beauty contained at the heart of such places going viral, with most gatekeeping reserved for the soulless who can’t handle change when it concerns peoples’ happiness. However, it’s also fascinating—and necessary— to be aware of The Shambles’ history and appreciate the period when the entire area was more unsuspecting, with an aura just as inexplicable as it is today.
Moreover, most of the TikTok posts you’ll see today continue to romanticise The Shambles, and the best part is that it’s one of the few places that are actually better in real life than on your phone screen. Although the promotion is enticing, there is a sense of detachment when watching videos overlaid with wistful tunes and images of modern-day York, almost like it’s too good to be true. But it is true, and it can still be beautiful—even if you don’t consider yourself a Harry Potter fan.
As a matter of fact, if you can catch it on a good day, some of those old-world charms are more than still there, hidden in its post-and-beam structures, ready to show you a world that still revels in the glory of once being new. It’s normal to feel ambivalent about York’s recent TikTok-ification, but put it this way: in some way, demand is healthy for longevity, and hopefully, this perfect little street will enjoy many more generational iterations.
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