York Archaeology Online Collections

Items

• P0528 St Mary's Abbey Wall, Chainage 100-112
  Damaged stones were removed and replaced with new stone in a programme of repair. The stonework of the section of wall under repair was constructed c. 1266 and heightened in c. 1318. The stonework of the wall in this section was recorded.
• P0383 St Mary's Abbey Precinct Wall
  Two buttresses were added to the Marygate face of St Mary’s Abbey Precinct Wall, requiring archaeological excavation as a condition of Scheduled Monument Consent. In each a well-built vertical wall continued below the depth of buttress construction to at least 1.5m beneath the modern ground-surface, with consolidated ramparting against the outer face. A cobble surface which may have been a pathway was encountered and was sealed by a build-up deposit, both of these were thought to be of medieval date. A limestone and cobble foundation of a wall running parallel to the abbey wall and a surface with associated build-up were dated to the 18th century. Modern dumped material including a domestic rubbish dump were found above this.
• A0547 South Esplanade testpits
  Part of wall, which may have been part of the medieval Franciscan Friary Precinct Wall, was observed. A post-medieval phase of re-building was also noted.
• A0263 Museum Gardens
  A limestone wall and foundations were observed in a contractor's trench. From its position it was interpreted as a part of the St Mary's Abbey precinct wall.
• A0887 St Mary's Abbey, Tower C
  Excavation inside the tower on the precinct wall showed a depression near the north angle. This indicated a pre-existing ditch and showed that the wall had originally been continuous to this point and that the tower had been added later. Pottery from the ditch dated to 11th-13th century. There were no deep foundations to the tower. Two earlier phases of building, differentiated by varying thickness of the tower wall were encountered. These earlier building phases may date to 1266 and 1318.
• A0353 Museum Gardens (sewer trench)
  Precinct and internal building walls of St Mary's Abbey were recorded after being observed in contractor's trenches.
• A0359 Museum Gardens (Flood Defences)
  The first trench uncovered the remains of a 19th century open air swimming bath. Subsequent activities of workmen resulted in the collapse of part of the inner face of the Abbey's precinct wall, which showed evidence of robbing post dating the Dissolution of the Abbey in 1539. Further trenches were dug between the Hospitium and the river. These recover stretches of the Abbey precinct wall and structural remains which were interpreted as the vestiges of kitchens and other offices of the Abbey, mentioned by Drake.