York Archaeology Online Collections

Items

• P0739 Land to rear of The White House, Main Street, Fulford
  The remains of 18th/19th century brick walls along property boundaries were encountered in contractor's trenches at the rear of The White House, together with the possible remains of a brick built outhouse of similar date. Modern garden soil with cut features interpreted as associated with horticultural activity were observed above the natural sub soil.
• P0803 Water Pipe Trench, Junction of Priory Street and Bishophill Junior
  Examination of a small trench close to the junction of Priory Street and Bishophill Junior revealed a stone wall, surviving within 0.32m of the ground surface and aligned south-west – north-east. The materials used in the construction of this wall suggest the likelihood of a medieval origin. The wall exactly follows the course of the parish boundary that separated Holy Trinity Priory from that of St Mary Bishophill Junior. It has been suggested that this parish boundary demarcated the south-eastern limits of the medieval Holy Trinity Priory and there is a strong possibility that the uncovered wall may have formed part of the boundary wall of the medieval Priory.
• 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 It was superseded by a stone barracks.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.
• P0551 57 Micklegate
  The brick vaulted cellar of a building, which may correspond with one shown on the 2nd edition OS map, 1897, was encountered. A wall which may have been associated with the cellar, or a boundary wall was recorded. Garden soil was deposited in the course of landscaping in the 19th century.
• P0372 The Falcon PH, 94 Micklegate
  The foundations of a property boundary wall were observed and were likely to date to the 17th century indicating that the boundary had remained constant from this period to the present day. Post-medieval garden soil was also observed to a depth of approximately 0.90m below ground surface.
• P0371 Judges' Lodging, 9 Lendal
  Approximately 0.40m depth of garden soil was removed, and a small Bellarmine jug dating to the 15th/16th century was recovered from this material. An earlier masonry wall was found beneath the present north-east property boundary wall. A stone coffin had been built into this wall. At least four different phases of build were observed in the wall. Evidence suggested that the wall had once formed a room within a building, prior to becoming a boundary wall. It is possible that this building was a part of St Wilfrid's Church.
• A0867 2 Peckitt Street
  Modern or post-medieval disturbance was observed to a depth of 0.70m and 1m below ground surface in contractor's trenches, close to the boundary wall between 1 and 2 Peckitt Street.
• A0516 104 Micklegate
  Medieval architectural fragments were seen to be part of a property boundary wall during demolition of an outbuilding.
• A0120 St Cuthbert's, Peaseholme Green
  Brief observations were made of a churchyard boundary wall, and a section through the churchyard, showing inhumations, in a contractor's trench.
• 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.
• P0305/P0424 52-62 Tadcaster Road
  "A number of ditches, a pit and a possible construction trench were encountered within the excavated areas. These features suggested a sequence of activity of Roman date and the use of the land for possible agricultural, or habitation, purposes. Modern property divisions appeared to reflect divisions dating to the medieval period. The foundations of recently demolished buildings were visible indicating the positions of structures associated with the most recent use of the site as a builder's yard, the fabrication industry, a stables and a paddock."
• 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.