This is a picture of an ancient area in York called 'The Shambles'. It was an area where nearly every shop was a butcher's shop. The "shammels" were the benches on which the meat was displayed. The shop keepers threw their garbage and trash into the streets. The grooves in the pavement were put there so the refuse could run off when it rained. Must have been a real pleasant area in which to shop. Today, it has been transformed into an area filled with trendy shops of all kinds.