York Archaeology Online Collections

Items

• P1170 New Quay Road, Whitby
  Possible quay.
• P5508 71-73 Goodramgate
  A two-trench evaluation at 71-73 Goodramgate revealed extensive midden deposits of 13th century date at 2m BGL/14.30m AOD. A 14th century building with evidence for 16th century demolition and alteration was found, along with evidence for the disposal of local metal working waste from the 15th century into the post medieval period. An 18th/19th century clearance truncated these remains, which were sealed beneath extensive 19th century ground make-up deposits. The lowest midden deposits were waterlogged and contained organic remains with an extremely good level of preservation. Subsequent boreholes revealed a further 3.25m of deposits overlying natural at 5m BGL/c.11.10m AOD.
• P0607 Primitive Methodist Chapel, rear of 3 Little Stonegate
  The excavations show that beneath the ‘Primitive Methodist Chapel Cottage’ cellar, deep well stratified archaeological deposits survived. The earliest evidence for settlement included a linear ditch or gully aligned north-east to south-west, and a stake-hole alignment or fence line. These may all be of late Iron Age date and would therefore form the first evidence for prehistoric occupation within the area enclosed by the Roman Legionary Fortress. These were sealed by a thick layer of turf which was not distrubed until the construction of Roman timber barracks on the site. This building was demolished and the area levelled. This may have created a large open area within the fortress, such as a parade ground, compound or yard. The surface of this was patched over the area of the subsiding Iron Age ditch or gully and a shallow scoop or pit was excavated, perhaps for the disposal of rubbish or cess. Subsequently a road was constructed along with a second timber barracks which was thought to have been dismantled at the beginning of the 2nd century. It was superseded by a stone barracks. Several phases of modification to this building were recorded and a long series of successive exterior surfaces was found between the barrack blocks. These were interleaved with several accumulation, trampling and occupation deposits, the latter showing signs of scorching. The internal area appears to have been kept scrupulously clean and level throughout the time period in which the external surfaces built-up. The internal arrangement of the buildings was modified over time and metalled paths were laid out. A small area of metalling internal to a barracks may indicate it was used for stabling. In the first half of the 3rd century the barrack block apppears to have been partially burnt down. Various modifications were carried out to the building and a large latrine pit was found to belong to this period. In the 2nd half of the 3rd century a major rebuilding of structures took place on site along with new paths. Occupation of the buildings, which underwent further alterations, continued until the beginning of the 5th century. A series of mixed demolition and manure deposits then built up over the whole area. A thick homogenous deposit was either dumped or accumulated over the whole trench area. This was interpreted as an accumulation of manure, mixed with a small amount of earlier demolition material, cess and domestic rubbish. The area was interpreted as having been part of a farmyard at this point, perhaps including livestock pens. The earliest Anglo-Scandinavian feature was a pit or rubbish pit dated to the 9th or early 10th century Its backfill was later truncated by a second pit which contained demolition or clearance material. A garderobe was found to be backfilled with a number of deposits, clearly of manure, or foul waste origin, some of which contained pottery dateable to the 10th or 11th century. The area appreared to be in the back yard of a property during this period and this function continued through the medieval period. A number of pits and dumps were dated to this period. In the post medieval period the area was crossed by two fence lines perhaps erected to divide up the area into properties. This boundary fence appears to have been replaced by a brick built boundary wall or wall to a property behind Little Stonegate. A number of deep 18th century walls, the construction cut for a late 18th or early 19th century cellar for the “Methodist Chapel Cottage”, as well as the 19th century construction cut for the Primitive Methodist Chapel then, disturbed the area. A number of 20th century service trenches were also encountered.
• P0570/P0619/P0674 St Margaret's Church, Walmgate
  The evaluation excavation recorded a series of intercutting burials dating from the 18th and 19th centuries along with some evidence for the construction of the churchyard boundary wall. The churchyard was found to have once extended into land at the junction of Paver and Percy Lanes but this area may have been lost to the churchyard as early as the 16th century. One trench may have been located in the area of the backyards of properties which fronted onto Paver Lane. Deposits relating to reconstruction works of the church which date from the 1850s were also recorded. A further three trenches were dug in the churchyard of St Margaret's church in order to address problems with the construction of a new building on the site. Part of the foundations for the northern boundary wall of the churchyard was discovered within the existing entrance way.
• P0788 41-49 Walmgate
  The area investigated formed part of the Walmgate street frontage and the associated backyards. Excavations with Time Team Live involved reopening an evaluation trench excavated in 1990 (1990.26) and extending it eastwards. Two post and wattle walls found were interpreted as belonging to adjacent buildings fronting Walmgate and dated to the Anglo Scandinavian period. Organic preservation in deposits from this period was good. Elements of late medieval and post medieval buildings were recorded including a hearth. Four test pits were excavated for engineering purposes and were recorded archaeologically. In these, deposits from the early post medieval period were recorded close to the existing ground surface. Elements of medieval or early post medieval buildings were identified. Underpinning work on the modern building occupied by a shop, together with service trenches, were also recorded. A larger scale excavation in 2000-2001 recorded a sequence of occupation from the Anglo Scandinavian through to the post medieval period. Timber buildings dating from the 10th to the 13th century were revealed to have been followed by a sequence of timber framed buildings dating from the 14th to the 20th century. Evidence of a 300 year history of metalworking, copper alloy casting and smithing, on this site was also found.