York Archaeology Online Collections

Items

• P1024 Former Foss Islands Service Station
  On March 14th and 15th 2002 York Archaeological Trust carried out an archaeological watching brief on land at the former Foss Islands Filling Station, Foss Islands Road, York, during which the drilling of five boreholes was observed. In all of the boreholes thick relatively modern dumps were observed. Below these were thick deposits of silt which were damp or wet and in places contained noticeable amounts of moderately to well preserved organic material. The profile obtained from these boreholes indicated that the underlying clay sloped downwards from south to north and that the site may lie astride the edge of the King’s Fishpool, known from documentary and cartographic evidence to lie partly in the area of the site. In October 2004, and on January 26th 2005, York Archaeological Trust carried out an archaeological watching brief at the former Foss Islands Filling Station, Foss Islands Road, York, during the excavation of a combined total 17 test pits and 5 boreholes. Previous archaeological work on the site had already identified modern dumping deposits sealing highly organic deposits associated with the Kings Fish Pool. The test pits and the boreholes during this programme of work confirmed these findings suggesting that this area was on the edge of the King’s Fish Pool as the natural subsoil was located close to the surface at the southern end of the site and dropped sharply to the north. An environmental sample was taken from the pond deposits within Borehole 5 that showed there was very good organic preservation. Most of the plant remains identified were from aquatic or waterside habitats, the only exceptions being daisy, which grows in short grassland, and black-bind weed that occurs as a weed in waste places and arable ground. The identified invertebrate remains were also of aquatic forms. The watching brief in January 2005 yielded further evidence for the presence of the King’s Fish Pool with organic sediments and at least one wooden structure together with a number of other wooden posts being observed.
• P1140 Land off Navigation Road
  In an initial phase of investigation, two boreholes, nine window samples and seven test pits were excavated on land off Navigation Road, York. Subsequent to this an archaeological evaluation was commissioned to further explore deposits located during the primary phase of investigation. In the first phase of the site investigation, the earliest deposits overlying the natural were brown clay silts up to 5.4m below the present ground level identified in Window Samples 3 and 4. These may represent early soil horizons or flood events, perhaps from the Roman period. Overlying these was an extensive deposit of humic material between 3.6m and 5m below present ground level. This deposit may either represent organic material decaying in a marshy area or semi-silted channel on the edge of the medieval King's Fish Pool, or a phase of dumping of organic material into the Pool. A layer of clay silt up to 1m thick usually sealed this, probably representing silting in the King's Fish Pool. This was overlain by extensive deposits of material used presumably to reclaim land from the King's Fish Pool and to raise the ground level sealed these deposits.
• P0744 The Ryedale Building, 58-60 Piccadilly
  Borehole evidence indicated the presence of medieval alluvial material and suggested that the site lay within the King's Fishpool. The excavated deposits comprised levelling deposits probably used to reclaim land from the River Foss. They were waterlogged with good organic preservation and dated from the 16th -19th century. Large quantities of animal bone in the 18th century deposits appeared to have been discarded waste from leather processing.
• P0647 Hungate Development (Phase 1)
  A desk top study identified the likelihood that archaeological deposits would survive over all of the site and the deposits would include well stratified and well preserved waterlogged organic remains, of high archaeological value dating from Roman times to the post-medieval period. The area is known to have contained a Carmelite Friary, two parish churches, the Guild Hall of the Shoemakers and a Holy Priests House. A watching brief of an extensive borehole survey recorded material which was interpreted as dumps and occupation deposits dating from the Roman and the Anglo-Scandinavian periods together with alluvial silts representing the River Foss and the infilling of the King's Fishpool in the later medieval period. In parts of the site significant medieval and post medieval occupation deposits were also noted. See also 2000.1-14 YORYM for entry relating to excavation of this site.
• P0599 Ryedale Building, 58-60, 84 and 86 Piccadilly
  c. 10m of archaeological deposits were recorded above natural. These comprised alluvial sandy silts, which in one borehole could be dated to the pre Conquest period. Above these were clayey organic silts which were interpreted as having formed within the King's Fishpool and dated to the 14th - 15th century. Further organic silts accumulated in the 18th/19th century which were sealed by c. 1.5m - 3m of modern rubble and a concrete surface.
• P0453 38 Piccadilly
  Deposits for a borehole core were recorded. Natural was encountered at approximately 9m below ground surface. Above it, deposits were interpreted as alluvial and dumping in the area of the King's Fishpool. They were sealed with post-medieval and modern rubble, representing land reclamation.
• P0440 3-7 Coney Street
  Borehole cores demonstrated that at part of the site nearest to Coney Street approximately 4m of archaeological deposits survived, deepening to approximately 7m nearer the River Ouse. Small excavations showed pits which contained building demolition material which dated to the 16th/17th century, and may have been the result of demolition of structures when the extant 17th century buildings were constructed. Modern dumped material was found above these features.
• A0722 26-34 Skeldergate
  Three trenches were excavated to determine the level of survival of archaeological deposits. Stone structures of medieval date were found to survive close to the Skeldergate street front and beneath the cobble river lane exposed in a previous phase of trial work. An impenetrable masonry feature located at depth in a borehole may represent the line of a Roman wharf.
• A0614 29-31 Skeldergate
  18th/19th century cellars were encountered. Large scale dumping to raise the ground level between this building and the river was encountered. At 31 Skeldergate a cobble and brick surface of a water lane which sloped down towards the river was uncovered. A date for the construction was not established but it went out of use in the 2nd half of the 18th century when it was sealed by dumps prior to the construction of a cellared building which was itself demolished in the 19th century. In a test pit a large area of mortared limestone blocks was seen 3.75m beneath the surface and 5.6m from the present river wall. This may be a part of the medieval river wall excavated at both the Albion Wharf and City Mills sites also on Skeldergate.
• A0611 Car Park, Garden Place
  Trial trenching and a borehole survey revealed that the site next to the River Foss had been extensively disturbed by massive 19th century foundations of Leetham's Mill. Beneath them, late medieval rubble, possibly used to reclaim land from the River Foss, sealed silty, waterlaid deposits indicating that part of the site had been within either the King's Fishpool or the river itself during the 11th and 12th centuries.
• A0833 Flood Alleviation Pumping Station, North Street, York
  "The excavation, within a 6m diameter shaft to house a pumping station for the River Ouse flood alleviation scheme, provided a well stratified closely dated sequence demonstrating changes in river/land management and waterfront activities from the 2nd century to the 15th century. The earliest features dated to the 2nd century, the most significant of which was a robbed deeply piled foundation trench for a river retaining wall. Three sandstone blocks parallel to the wall may have been associated with or have formed part of a replacement waterfront structure. Two larger blocks may have been part of a riverside building. All the Roman structural elements were completely sealed by a substantial deposit of alluvium, 0.20m - 0.70m deep. This may represent a single large flood event, or several smaller episodes. A long series of land management strategies using wattle hurdle fences and revetment timbers was revealed in the post-Roman period. The earliest wattle structure, a fence line running parallel to the River Ouse, was found collapsed under dumped deposits which dated to the 8th century. The sequence of dumped deposits was found interleaved with alluvial deposits. These deposits were highly organic and contained domestic debris, industrial waste and the redeposited demolition debris. They were cut by a terrace and wattle was used to consolidate the surface of the plateau of the terrace and wattle hurdles were used to revet the bank. Material appears to have quickly accumulated on the terrace, filling it and sealing the wattle structure, continuing the dumping activity and dating to the 9th century. The most elaborate wattle revetment structure was constructed on a pebble and stone surface and comprised five lines of wattle hurdles which each closely followed the river bank and horizontal wattle held in position at the base of the slope by larger revetting timbers. Two further phases of structural activity using wattle were identified. An interesting departure in the form of revetment occurred in the 11th century, and may be considered an attempt at land reclamation. Timbers were used to define three sides of a rectangle, and material was used to deliberately infill the rectangle. The nature of the material dumped on the river bank maintained a similar character through the 11th and 12th century. Timbers were used to stabilise the river bank in this period. Dumping, interspersed with alluvial deposits, continued to build up during the 13th century with the surface of the ground gradually becoming level. At this point, it can be surmised that from the change in use of the land, a riverside wall had been constructed to the east of the excavated trench. Part of the foundations of a building and associated floors, and contemporary build-up outside the building were recorded and a later wall foundation also dated to the 13th century. It is not possible to interpret the precise form of these buildings from the available evidence, but they appeared to be of modest scale. Three large post-pits and a robbed wall foundation indicated the construction of a larger building on the site, which was covered by shallow build-up and a night-soil pit feature which dated to the 14th/15th century. All later material was truncated by 19th century development of the site."
• A0722 26-34 Skeldergate
  Three trenches were excavated to determine the level of survival of archaeological deposits. Stone structures of medieval date were found to survive close to the Skeldergate street front and beneath the cobble river lane exposed in a previous phase of trial work. An impenetrable masonry feature located at depth in a borehole may represent the line of a Roman wharf.
• A0688 17-21 Piccadilly [Reynards Garage]
  A considerable depth of post-medieval material was seen to seal well-stratified remains of the late medieval period including structures and layers containing mould fragments dating to the 14th-15th century. Underlying these was a considerable depth (in excess of 2m) of material apparently dumped on marshy land subject to flooding which produced an exceptionally good sequence of pottery. The excavations did not penetrate to Roman levels.
• A0724 13-17 Coney Street
  A series of five trenches demonstrated that archaeological levels survived to remarkably high levels over much of the site. Even where riverside basements had been cut into the surface, only late material had been removed. Structural remains of the pre-Victorian vicarage for the church of St Martin and evidence for an adjacent cobbled lane were located close to the surface.
• A0736 84 Piccadilly
  "At considerable depth, c.2.90m AOD, deposits which confirmed occupation in the Anglian period and suggest structural activity in the Anglo-Scandinavian period were encountered. In the medieval period the whole site appears to have been flooded by the damming of the River Foss to supply water to the castle moat in 1069. The site was thus encompassed by the King's Fishpool, and allowed to silt up in the 14th and 15th centuries. Post-medieval deposits were primarily related to land reclamation activities of the Foss Navigation Company which was formed in 1793 to make and maintain a navigable communication. Modern deposits on the site show that it was used extensively for dumping ash and cinder waste which may have derived from industrial processes carried out close by, prior to its most recent use as a warehouse and car showroom."
• A0676 Adams Hydraulics, Peasholme Green
  There is a possibility of pre-historic occupation on the site. This is suggested by a deposit containing charcoal and burnt clay indicative of occupation immediately above natural deposits and below dated Roman features. Worked flint was discovered redeposited in Roman and later deposits from all three phases of work. Extensive Roman deposits were encountered, including a well made cobble surface and evidence of pottery manufacture nearby, suggesting that the site is likely to contain a well preserved part of the industrial suburb supplying the legionary fortress. Some indication of Anglo-Scandinavian occupation in the vicinity was provided by the location of a cess pit of this date. Excavations showed that the surface of the natural deposits differed greatly from those at the street frontage of Peasholme Green and the south-eastern part of the site near to the River Foss. The natural topography showed the naturally low lying nature of the area, approximately three-quarters of which was later occupied by the King's Fishpool. 14th-15th century buildings fronting the street and a contemporary cobble surface demonstrated the survival of medieval deposits at the street front. Wicker structures of this date were found close to the present day River Foss. The King's Fishpool appears to have been backfilled in the post-medieval period and the area used for agricultural purposes. No structures of this date were encountered, only a ditch and four pits. Dumping took place to the north-east of the site when the River Foss was canalised in the 18th century, and further dumping levelled the south eastern part of the site before industrial buildings were constructed on the site in the 19th and 20th centuries.
• A0780 38 Piccadilly, Simpsons Yard
  "A single 3 x 3m trench 20m east of the modern course of the River Foss located a well worn cobble surface of 3rd century date, at 1.65m AOD. The excavation did not reach natural. The presence of dry land archaeology at this location suggests that the course of the Roman River Foss deviates from the alignment shown on the OS historic map of Roman York. The build-up and dumped deposits above the surface derived from domestic sources and dated to the 10th and 11th centuries. The excavated trench was within the area which was flooded by the damming of the River Foss to supply water for the moat to the castle in 1069. The silts excavated dated from the 14th to the 16th century. The King's Fishpool was allowed to silt up over this period, followed by attempts at land reclamation. A timber revetment and a series of wickerwork structures were revealed. Post-medieval dumping caused approximately 1m depth of material to accumulate, its nature changing from domestic rubbish to demolition debris. Traces of brick buildings and an earlier cobble surface of Simpson's Yard were also excavated."
• A0208 Coppergate/Piccadilly/Castlegate, watching brief
  The principal Roman features encountered included the fragmentary remains of a largely robbed out stone building. This has tentatively been interpreted as a warehouse, on the basis of its proximity to the River Foss. Four pits and a linear feature were excavated. A red gritstone wall was observed in the Fossbank area. Its north-east/south-west alignment precludes it from being a riverside wall. A pit dated to the Anglian period which contained the Coppergate helmet was the only feature of this period. Buildings dating to the Anglo-Scandinavian period were found, including the western wall of a structure already identified in the main Coppergate excavation. Associated tenement boundaries and pits were recorded. The recorded medieval features included structural remains, fence lines, riverside reclamation, the outer defences of York castle, and parts of the cemetery of All Saints Pavement. From the post-medieval and early modern periods the most significant discoveries were parts of the cemetery of St Mary's Castlegate, traces of canalisation of the River Foss and part of the footings for the Victorian prison in the Castle Yard.
• A0272 Skeldergate, City Mills
  The excavation ceased when riverlain silts were reached at approximately 7m OD. At this level upright wicker structures were encountered. These may have acted as a breakwater and were thought to date to the 11th century. These were superseded by wicker and post constructions which marked the division between the river and an area of timber buildings close to the river bank. There was evidence of subsequent land reclamation from the river and a complex of warehouses and industrial buildings dating to the 13th-14th century were built on this land. A strip of the Skeldergate street front was excavated to 15th century levels, revealing a series of properties with brick or stone walls, hearths and fittings.
• A0084 16-22 Coppergate
  The earliest activity on the site took the form of Roman timber buildings, replaced by stone buildings, and also a late Roman cemetery. No activity is recorded after the 4th century until the late 9th century when rubbish disposal and post and wattle boundary fences suggest occupation close to the site. In the later 9th/early 10th century these boundaries are realigned, possibly indicating, Coppergate, with street fronting properties, had been laid out in this period. Four post and wattle buildings fronting the street become distinguishable, and evidence of iron working and other trades on a commercial scale are recorded. Dumping on the Coppergate street frontage occurs in the late 10th century in connection with the erection, within the same boundary lines of sunken featured structures; sometimes in two rows and behind the street frontage. Modern truncation has rendered evidence for 11th century and later buildings on the street front, but the area to the rear is increasingly built up with phases of structural activity and dumped deposits.
• A0052 39-41 Coney Street (W.H. Smith)
  Several phases of Roman occupation of this river bank site comprised two successive timber structures dated to the late 1st-early 2nd century, and slight traces of other, later structures. The area was replanned in the mid 3rd century with the introduction of a road with gutter which ran parallel to the river. This remained in use until at least the late 4th century. There was also a medieval wall on the crest of the river terrace and evidence of post-medieval land reclamation from the river, including the construction of a slipway or river wall and watergate. A sequence of 17th-18th century structural remains was located.