York Archaeology Online Collections

Items

• P1296 House and Son
• P5354 Adjacent to 12 Doncaster Gate, Rotherham
  In June 2010 an archaeological evaluation was undertaken by ArcHeritage on behalf Great Places Housing Group on land adjacent to 12 Doncaster Gate, Rotherham, South Yorkshire (NGR SK 43040 92840). An evaluation trench c. 25x2m in area was excavated in advance of redevelopment of the site for a block of flats with underground car parking. The evaluation showed that the construction of a cinema in 1913-4 had resulted in the total removal of all earlier deposits down to natural bedrock; no features of archaeological interest were therefore present.
• P0638 14 Skeldergate
  Three boreholes and six test pits demonstrated that archaeological deposits on the site survived to a height of c. 1m - 1.50m below ground surface. Sandy silts deposited in the medieval period were recorded in two of the test pits. Brick walls, probably of 19th century date, were also encountered. A watching brief observed the excavation of thirteen trenches dug to underpin a wall of a property to the southern edge of the site together with a series of pile trenches. In these trenches there was evidence that an undisturbed sequence of deposits dating from the Roman, Anglo-Scandinavian and medieval periods survived on the site. The quality of evidence recoverable from pile trenches was compromised by the method of excavation. Little dating evidence was recoverable and it was difficult to make comparisons between the stratigraphy in each pile trench. Since the quality and archaeological potential of these deposits had already been established by evaluation work carried out in 1991 it is surprising that only a watching brief with limited recording was specified as the requirement for this site. Timbers driven in to the upper surface of natural sands were observed to be sealed by layers of laminated clays and cobbles possibly representing surfaces. These are likely to date from the Roman period. Anglo-Scandinavian pottery was recovered from some of the material interpreted as occupation deposits but it was not possible to determine the scale of activity in this period. Deep deposits of organic build -up were dated to the medieval period. Two massive limestone walls were recorded. The exact relationship between the two walls was not possible to determine due to disturbance from the piling operations, but they were bonded with identical mortar indicating they had formed parts of the same structure which could have been a riverside building or a series of retaining walls. Part of the wall aligned east west had already been excavated in 1991 and was founded on a raft of horizontal timbers and dated to the 12th-early 13th century. Deposits accumulated to the north of the wall indicated intensive occupation, and comprised a culvert and a series of dumps. Those to the south of the wall represented a series of build-up deposits. Further walls were recorded and interpreted as internal walls of a separate structure. A substantial wall was built directly above this second structure and this wall was interpreted as the eastern wall of a riverside building, possibly a warehouse. A series of sand deposits dating to the 13th -14th century sealed all the structural elements. Further dumps were recorded and appeared to derive from demolition sources. A hearth and floors together with a robbed wall indicated continued occupation of the area. In the 14th-15th century there was a change in the type of hearth constructed on the site. Four almost identical circular brick lined ovens or furnaces were constructed and suggest industrial activity. Structural elements and occupation deposits continued to be represented into the 15th-16th century. Relatively little post medieval material was recorded on the site and any found was on the lower terrace of the site. A number of brick cellars or cellar infills were seen across the site and dated to the 19th or 20th century.
• P0708 98 Micklegate
  During the course of work carried out to insert a new floor a watching brief recorded a backfilled cellar which probably penetrated up to c.2m below the present modern ground level. To the north-west and south-east of this cellar probable build-up deposits were observed which may have dated from the post-medieval period or possibly earlier.
• P0705 Sewer Repair, East Mount Road
  Observations were made when a shaft was excavated to gain access to a sewer. Modern service trenches and 19th century cellaring had truncated much of the archaeological deposits in the area. Medieval pottery was found in a soil which was interpreted as a plough soil. It sealed a ditch or pit base which it was suggested could date to the Roman period.
• P0701 Land to the rear of 90 Clifton
  The layer of clean silty clay plough soil immediately above the natural sub-soil suggests that the site has been used for horticultural purposes in the past. Documentary evidence suggests that the surrounding buildings were linked with agricultural land use in the 17th and 18th centuries and local tradition suggests market gardening in the 20th century. Above this material c. 0.50m of modern dumped material was recorded.
• 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.
• P0506/P0527 18a-19 Fetter Lane
  Evidence of occupation on the site from the Roman to the modern period was found. A metalled Roman surface at a depth of only 1.10m below the modern street was identified with the suggestion of significant Roman deposits below. Post-medieval cellars had truncated some of the deposits.
• P0362/P0387/P0458 Davygate Centre
  Medieval structural features were encountered and dated to the 14th century. A 19th century building had truncated other earlier deposits. This building appeared to equate with the New Street Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, constructed in 1805.
• P0391 Old Bus Depot, 17-19 Barbican Road
  The area appears not to have been intensively occupied and was often open ground. The excavation encountered a scatter of features at the western end of the site which cut natural deposits. Some of these features may have been of Roman date but most dated to the medieval period. They included an extensive cobble surface which may have been a yard. Several deep pits were found which may have been used for sand and clay extraction. These features were sealed by a build-up of agricultural soil. During the post-medieval period there was some structural activity on the site indicated by cellaring fronting on to Barbican Road, some drains across the central part of the site and a small area of cobbled surface close to Lawrence Lane. Agricultural soil was also found to date from this period and the eastern part of the site was deliberately raised by dumping in the 19th century. Some post-holes were located which must post-date 1864 since the area is shown as open land on Skaif's map of that date. These features were sealed by the building for the Bus Depot, which were demolished in 1996.
• P0364 Woolpack House, The Stonebow
  Medieval deposits were found to the south of Woolpack House. No evidence of contemporary structures was found and the area was used primarily for gardens or dumping waste. At the north end of the site cellars up to 1.50m deep were located and dated to the 19th century.
• P0294 77 Layerthorpe
  A cellar and modern deposits only were observed in contractor's trenches.
• P0267 1 St Helen's Square
  A modern cellar was observed to have truncated any archaeological deposits.
• P0230 45-59 Gillygate
  Foundations of the standing building were observed and a cellar backfill of an earlier property fronting the street. Homogeneous material with no archaeological features was observed to the rear of the property.
• A0869 54 Stonegate
  A photographic record was made during the re-flooring of the cellar.
• A0801 20-21 High Ousegate
  In much of the observed area archaeological deposits had been truncated by modern buildings and service trenches. To the east of the area of excavation a mortar surface and limestone wall foundation were observed. These features were undated but may have been medieval. Borehole cores revealed material from intercutting pits with high organic fills, one of which was timber lined. These Anglo-Scandinavian features suggest the area was used for rubbish disposal from properties fronting Coppergate and High Ousegate.
• A0823 Wellington Row, flood alleviation wall
  Post-medieval features were observed, including drains, a cellar and floor in a contractor's trench.
• A0740 Swinegate Sewer connection
  A Roman wall was encountered at 2.70m below ground surface. A wooden coffin was observed and left in situ approximately 2.60m below the ground surface. Organic deposits of medieval date in which isolated timber piles and possible coffin plank fragments were also observed.
• A0749 53-55 Micklegate
  The foundations of the standing building were observed.
• A0731 Wellington Row, new sewer
  Cellars and demolition debris associated with 19th century warehouses was observed to a depth of 2.5m below ground surface beneath this a sandy clay sealed four timber piles.
• A0707 52 Skeldergate
  Cellars were found to have truncated deposits in the area and no archaeological structures were encountered in the material between cellars.
• A0701 York College for Girls, 6 Minster Yard
  Architectural fragments dating to the 12th-15th century from the Minster, and also an 18th century brick barrel-vaulted cellar, were observed in a contractor's trench.
• A0637 20 Trinity Lane
  A barrel-vaulted cellar dating to 19th century was encountered at a depth of 2.5m below ground surface.
• A0543 1 King's Square
  Foundation trenches within the basement of this building close to the south-east gate of the Roman fortress were excavated. A sequence of pits and dumps from the 12th to the 16th century were excavated. The lowest features were cut into a series of clay dumps from which only Roman pottery was retrieved. This may have been the top of the Roman rampart but the small size of the excavation precluded definitive identification.
• A0357 14 Coppergate
  Medieval backyard deposits were observed.