The Haberdashers' Hall was built on the street, as were large houses for the Percy and Neville families.

By the 19th century, it was causing serious congestion on the street, and in 1826 was moved to a dedicated cattle market outside the walls.

[3] Walmgate Bar was the focus of the Siege of York in 1644, and some buildings on the street were damaged, although most of the destruction occurred outside the city walls.

[3] In the 1840s, many immigrants from Ireland moved to Walmgate, and by the end of the decade, it and the surrounding streets and alleys housed half of the population of the whole city.

[1] Many buildings on the street were demolished as part of slum clearance schemes in the 20th century, and since 1950, some council flats have been built.

[1] Nikolaus Pevsner described the street as "depressing" in 1972, but by 1995, David Neave described it as "improved... most of the waste spaces have been filled, but there is still much to be done".