The area of North Street lay within the civilian settlement of Roman
Eboracum. A 2nd-century retaining river wall has been excavated, while evidence of craft working from the 9th- to the 11th-centuries has also been excavated. The road was first recorded in about 1090, as
Nordstreta, and by the 13th-century, this had become
North Street. Starting from the southern end of
Ouse Bridge, then the only bridge in the city, it ran north along the south bank of the
River Ouse, then turned sharply west, to run parallel to
Micklegate. This western section of the street was known for its
tanneries, and known as Tanner Row, which is now regarded as a separate street. The remaining section of North Street became known for its warehouses and yards, on the riverside. In the early 1700s, a steam flour mill was established on the street, while in 1788, a private
staith was built for better access to the river. Around this time, some larger houses were built on the west side of the street, including in 1776 that of the architect Peter Atkinson. The road later became known for its builders' merchants, with the most important being William Stead, founded in 1802. By the early 20th-century, it was a mixed residential and shopping street. Lying next to the river, the street has frequently suffered floods. The first recorded flood was in 1263, and the most recent serious flood was in 1931. Regular floods combined with the local industry to make the street an undesirable location to live, by the early 19th-century, the street had become one of the poorest in the city. By the 1960s, the street remained rundown. Most of the buildings on the river side of the street were demolished, some dating back to the 17th-century, and were replaced by the Viking Hotel and a riverside walk. Some historic buildings across the street were restored. ==Layout and architecture==