CLIFFORD'S Tower, the ruins of the Norman keep of York's medieval castle, has just re-opened to the public following a £5 million refurbishment.

New walkways inside give access to areas of the tower most people will never have seen before. And a new decked roof gives spectacular views across York.

The tower's new look is a reminder, however, that it has undergone many transformations in its near 100--year history.

Originally built (in wood, at first) as the keep of the Norman castle from which William the Conqueror was able to terrorise the North, it was later the site of an appalling massacre of York's Jews.

In 1190, 150 local Jews are said to have been killed in a pogrom. They initially took shelter in the timber castle keep - and most of them are thought to have ultimately killed themselves rather than fall into the hands of the mob baying outside.

The tower and castle were rebuilt in stone by King Henry III in the middle of the 13th century - the tower itself in a unique 'quatrefoil' design a bit like a four-leafed clover.

It was used as a centre of Royal administration before falling into disrepair in the 15th and 16th centuries. Refortified during the Civil War, it continued to be garrisoned until 1684, when an explosion destroyed the interior.

It then became a jail and debtor's prison, and ultimately a military prison. Grim granite walls were built to surround the tower, hiding it from view - and it was only revealed to the public again in 1935, when the granite outer walls were demolished.

Now, following a major refurbishment, it has entered on the latest stage of its long life.

Our photo gallery today shows images of the tower from the 1870s through to 1983 - both before and after the prison walls were demolished.