The Shambles is a historic street in York, England, featuring preserved medieval buildings, some dating back as far as the 14th century.

It was once known as The Great Flesh Shambles, probably from the Anglo-Saxon Fleshammels (literally flesh-shelves), the word for the shelves that butchers used to display their meat.

The rears of the shops were slaughterhouses and the fact the buildings shade the narrow street from direct sunlight meant that the meat on display could stay fresh for longer.

Also, when butchering took place, the guts, offal and blood were thrown into the street runnels that had a natural slope which helped it wash away after rain.

[2] Along with this, the picturesque qualities of the narrow street with its timber-framed jettied houses have meant that, since as early as the 19th century, it has been recognised as a major attraction of the city of York.

After the Second World War, the street was targeted by city planners who wanted to make improvements to the buildings which by that time were in urgent need of restoration.

York City Council purchased numerous properties from private owners and, during the 1950s, they extensively altered and rebuilt many buildings and demolished large sections of the area, including the entirety of Little Shambles, a short street that led west off the centre which was considered to be beyond repair.

[7] Today, some of these restorations are seen as insensitive, since a great deal of historic fabric, including slaughterhouses and outbuildings at the rear of the properties, was demolished.

The Yorkshire Architectural and York Archaeological Society's annual report of 1949 contains plans of The Shambles showing the buildings to be removed.

[6] The Shambles is one of a number of locations, along with streets in Chepstow, Edinburgh, Exeter and London, for which claims have been made to have been the inspiration for Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter franchise.