Monk Bar is the tallest of York's four surviving medieval gateways, rising to four storeys with projecting corner turrets. It dates mainly from the 14th century and retains its working portcullis — one of very few in England where the original portcullis mechanism is still intact and has been demonstrated in modern times. The bar stands on Goodramgate, the street that led from here towards the city centre and the Minster. The elaborate construction, compared to the other bars, suggests Monk Bar was considered the most important northern approach.
The gatehouse houses the Richard III Experience, a small museum focused on Richard III and the Yorkist cause during the Wars of the Roses. York was strongly Yorkist during this period, and Richard's connection to the city — he was the last English king to be born in the county — remains a matter of local pride. Admission is charged for the exhibition; the bar itself and the wall-walk on either side are free.