If you’ve ever passed through Stonegate in York, you may have notice the little devil sitting atop a shop window. This little guy is known as the Stonegate Devil, or the Printers Devil, and was placed on the street some time between the 16th and 17th century, making him pretty old...
Why is the Stonegate Devil in York?
The Stonegate Devil is associated with the city’s first printing press, which was also apparently one of the first to arrive in England. The symbol of a demon was associated with printing because some believed that those who worked with the press worked with the dark arts due to their blackened ink stained fingers, hence why he was chosen to represent this location.
Some also believed that the relation between the devil and printed materials like books and newspapers was that it basically gave writers someone else to blame for their spelling mistakes or other printing mishaps. Pretty good excuse, right?
Spooky Things to do in York
Unfortunately, the print shop no longer remains on this street, but the devil is still fully in tact with a fresh coat of red paint, so why not go and pay him a visit using our York Spooky Day Guide? Our day guides provide all the fright without the faff, meaning you don’t have to do any planning before you go. Each guide includes a full itinerary for a spooky day out, including haunted and dark-historic locations, horror-themed attractions, food and drink venue recommendations, parking and transport information, and more!
View our York Day Guide buy clicking here, or you can browse our full selection of guides here.
If you enjoyed this blog, check out our last post on 'The Hauntings of Bath Abbey' by clicking here.