York Archaeology Online Collections

Items

• P5104 York Minster Revealed
• P5506 Gawthorpe Manor, Harewood
• P5121 Environment Agency Riccall Depot, Landing Lane, Riccall, York
  An archaeological watching brief was undertaken by York Archaeological Trust on the 27th August 2009, as part of a project to excavate a pond and install some new fencing posts at the Environment Agency’s Riccall Depot, Landing Lane, Riccall, York. The pond was excavated to the south-west of the depot buildings. The pond is intended to flood and drain naturally, acting as a wildlife habitat. The pond will be c.14 x 10m in area with an outer shelf 0.1m deep, an inner shelf 0.25m deep and a central portion 0.5m deep. The excavation of the deepest portion of the pond and clearance of the outer shelf was observed during the watching brief, but not the final landscaping. The deepest portion of the pond was excavated by a mechanical digger with a toothed bucket, while stripping of the outer shelf was undertaken by a smaller machine with a toothless bucket. The ground through which the pond was being excavated was clearly modern dumping of demolition rubble, and comprised mid brown silt with frequent modern brick fragments, concrete fragments up to 1.0 x 0.4 x 0.3m in size, rubble, broken wooden posts, wire, iron rods and lumps of mortar. No deposits of archaeological interest were observed.
• 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.
• P0760 8 Chapter House Street
  The earliest layers encountered during excavation comprised a garden soil above which there was a layer of demolition derived material. This may relate to a period of re-construction during the 17/18th century and the plaster fragments noted could have been part of Archbishop Holgate’s original school. During these excavations, several fragments of pottery, dating from the 16th to 20th centuries, were recovered. These, together with several fragments of human bone and skull, suggest that the site has been levelled with material from nearby, possibly the cemetery of St. John-Del-Pyke, and that material was dumped as part of a ground clearance project.
• P0809 Cable Trench, Museum Gardens
  The excavation of two inspection chambers and an archaeological watching brief on the digging of a cable trench in the Museum Gardens, revealed the presence of five walls and a probable drain/sewer. The depth, materials and alignments of these features suggest that they originally formed parts of the medieval abbey of St. Mary’s. A number of rubbly deposits likely to relate to the demise of these and other buildings were also observed. Later deposits can be associated with the landscaping and horticultural activities of the gardens, and in one area to the disposal of probable excavation spoil, in the early 19th century. The latest features encountered relate to modern paths and services.
• P0693 Acomb Grange, Grange Lane
  The excavation of an electricity cable trench revealed limited evidence of medieval and post medieval activity. A possible ditch was tentatively interpreted as a part of the western side of the moat which surrounded the medieval grange.
• P0608 13-17 New Street
  Medieval deposits dating to the 11th-13th centuries were recorded in one of four excavated trenches. Some of this material was waterlogged and included rich organic remains and was interpreted as occuring in an area of garden or back yard. A timber found at the lowest level was thought to have been a sill beam for a small wooden structure such as a shed or outhouse. Post medieval demolition debris was recorded as having been used to raise the ground surface by between 1 - 1.50m and intensive modern activity had destroyed most of the post medieval deposits.
• P0552 Land off School Lane, Heslington
  A watching brief observed deposits to a maximum depth of c. 0.65m below ground surface. Between 0.35 and 0.50m depth of this comprised top soil which related to the use of the area for pasture although abrading of the small amount of pottery recovered may indicate the area had also been ploughed. In the north eastern corner of the excavation a demolition dump of brick was seen.
• P0567 Monkbar Hotel, St Maurice's Road
  No significant archaeological features were encountered in a machined trench with a depth of 1.40m. Below the modern car park, deposits comprised undated demolition dumps and homogenous garden soil. The only feature observed was a stake hole.
• P0566 Land adjacent to Lord Mayor's Walk
  No significant archaeological features were encountered in a trench dug for the siting of a CCTV camera, which was excavated to a depth of 0.50m. Beneath the topsoil was a demolition deposit associated with the demolition and reconstruction of an adjacent toilet block.
• P0472 Sewer Repair adjacent to 97 Low Petergate
  Part of a limestone wall with clay and cobble foundations was observed at a depth of 2.90m below ground surface in a contractor's trench. It dated to the Roman period. Above this structure demolition deposits were recorded. Organic material probably representing Anglo-Scandinavian or medieval activity was observed. Modern service trench backfill was observed to a depth of 1.40m below ground surface at which point a cobble surface was seen. This may represent an earlier, possibly medieval, road surface.
• P0468 Sewer Repair adjacent to 93 Low Petergate
  A deposits of limestone fragments were observed in a contractor's trench and interpreted as a Roman road. It was located at 4m below ground surface, c.13.90m OD. A dump of demolition material derived from a Roman building was also observed. Organic material was seen and modern service trench backfill cut a cobbled surface layer which is likely to have represented a medieval road surface.
• P0441 Sewer Repair, 47 Goodramgate
  The earliest deposits derived from the demolition of a Roman building, and were thought to date to the Anglo-Scandinavian period. A build-up deposit and approximately 1m depth of material which was identified as garden soil were also thought to date to this period. The make-up of the first surface of Goodramgate is likely to date to the 11th century, suggesting that Goodramgate was an element in the Anglo-Scandinavian street plan, in the former fortress.
• P0317/P0414 47-51 Skeldergate
  A mortar and rubble spread of material at the base of one of the excavation trenches possibly derived from the demolition of a Roman building. Evidence of a building and ditch dating to the medieval period was encountered. A stone wall and a brick wall were of post-medieval date. Boreholes revealed deposits which indicated Anglo-Scandinavian activity was to be found on the site.
• P0245 Judges' Lodging, 9 Lendal
  Excavations revealed three distinct episodes in the medieval period. These were, firstly, some structural activity in the form of construction/demolition debris, secondly, the use of the site as a graveyard (11th /12th century), and thirdly, its subsequent disturbance (14th century). The burials were within the cemetery of the Church of St Wilfrid which was closed in the 16th century and were found less than 0.50m beneath the surface of the patio to the rear of the hotel. A subsequent period of levelling was identified as 16th/17th century in date and may relate to the first disuse of the churchyard, followed by its use as a garden area.
• P0193 Land adjacent to 19 Priory Street
  The deposits observed were interpreted as demolition deposits from the demolition of outbuildings associated with 19 Priory Street.
• P0160 Gas Pipe Trench, High Newbiggin Street
  A demolition deposit relating to the demolished 19th century buildings was observed. Garden soil or overspill from churchyard of the demolished St Maurices's church was also encountered.
• A0841 Frontage of 148 Lawrence Street
  Two 3 x 3 m trenches excavated in advance of a building extension revealed the original ground surface sloping steeply down from south to north, cut by two possible graves which may have been of Roman date. A series of build-up levels of medieval date were sealed by post-medieval surfaces and demolition deposits that were probably associated with the Hospital of St Nicholas. A post-medieval stone-lined feature was observed in contractor's trenches of a maximum of 0.80m depth.
• A0838 York Castle car-park (Boreholes)
  A series of boreholes were sunk to ascertain the location and depth of the ditches of the medieval castle and the related course of the River Foss. The data collected will assist in plotting the course of the River Foss and the position of the moat. 8.30m - 12m below ground level the deposits encountered were laminated sands silts and clays which were probably waterlain within the castle ditch or the River Foss. Above them was post-medieval infill, and demolition deposits derived from the Victorian prison below the modern car park surface.
• A0882 Manor Farm, Manor Lane, Rawcliffe
  A topographic survey recorded medieval field boundaries and it was demonstrated that structures in this area were post-medieval in date. Excavation showed evidence of a Romano-British field ditch system. A large ditch which is likely to have acted as a parish boundary between Skelton and Rawcliffe was found to date from the Anglian or Anglo-Scandinavian period. A field drain and ridge and furrow provided evidence of medieval agriculture and a ditch may have been a minor boundary ditch. The buildings of Manor Farm are likely to be of post-medieval date.
• A0843 Site of St. Nicholas’ Hospital, 148 Lawrence Street, York
  The land surface found to overlie natural deposits and an isolated large post found at the western end of the site were dated to the 11th century. A cobble and chipped limestone yard located in the south-west part of the site was thought not to be associated with the building found on site and dated to the late 11th early 12th century. Also dating to this period were the earliest building remains comprising a structure aligned east-west. A linear ditch, cut through some occupation deposits relating to this structure and thought to have remained open over a period of time, marked the end of this phase of activity. The construction of an aisled building identified as St Nicholas' leper hospital dated to the late 12th early 13th century. The recoverable plan of the building show it to be approximately 20m long and 10m wide. The northern aisle initially had a hearth at either end, with no evidence of partitioning. It was within the central hall that the greatest concentration of activity occurred, with a succession of at least five overlying hearths and a sequence of floor levels found at the eastern end of the hall. Evidence of occupation was less intense towards the western end of the hall. Some reconstruction of the building occurred in the 13th/14th century. In the north aisle a new partition wall was inserted with a hearth on its western side. The eastern part of the main building was given over to a series of smaller rooms and hearths in the north and south aisles with a larger hearth in the central hall. In the 14th century the aisled building fell into disuse and a substantial regular building was constructed re-using the padstones of the central hall of the aisled building. This building was thought to have been 20m long and 6m wide. No associated internal deposits survived. Later in the 14th century this building was robbed and a phase of levelling activity was identified. A rectangular brick building was then constructed re-using the pad stones and some of the wall foundations of the previous structure, with a new north - south partition dividing the building in half. Outside the building, to the north, was a cobbled yard. An annexe on the north-west of the building was constructed in the 15th century. The robbing and demolition of the building occurred over the period 15th century through to the 18th/19th century. Traces of a hearth with no associated structural features were found dating to this period. Some possible garden features were also located. Demolition spreads, garden soil and miscellaneous features dated to the 18th /19th century. While the street frontage was developed with houses, the hospital site remained largely underdeveloped as the south side of the area used as an autowrecker's yard.
• A0777 North Street boreholes
  Two series of boreholes in advance of the design of a flood prevention scheme identified a complex depositional sequence up to 11m deep adjacent to the Moat House Hotel slipway (the medieval Divlinstayned). A sequence of Roman deposits was identified, including evidence of structural activity. No evidence was found of a continuation of the Roman road located on the Wellington Road site nearby. Above the Roman deposits was a series of well-preserved organic deposits. These demonstrated that the river bank continued to be developed in the Anglo-Scandinavian and medieval periods. Post-medieval dumps and modern garden soil represented the most recent use of the site.
• A0356 Museum Gardens (IBM)
  A robbed cobble and mortar foundation connected with the cloister walk or the western range of buildings was encountered. This part of the layout of St Mary's Abbey was found to be sealed by substantial layers of 19th century levelling deposits which were approximately 0.90m deep.
• A0064 Gillygate
  Observations in the section of contractor's trench running along the east side of Gillygate included traces of Roman occupation, organic material, and medieval occupation layers from a depth of 0.60m below the ground surface.