York Archaeology Online Collections

Items

• P0742 Hungate Development, Trench 1
  See 2000.1-14 YORYM One of 14 individual site codes of the Hungate Development. See P0647.
• P0714 145 Mount Vale
  A human inhumation dating to the 3rd century was disturbed by a contractor's trench and was subsequently archaeologically recorded.
• P0669 3 Avenue Terrace, Clifton
  A number of trenches dug to underpin the walls of 3 Avenue Terrace were observed. Natural deposits were observed to be overlain by a soil which was interpreted as medieval plough soil which was sealed by modern top soil.
• P0633 Former Old Priory Youth Club, 2a Nunnery Lane
  Deposits to the north-eastern end of the site were interpreted as relating to the medieval town ditch. Waterlain silts were sealed by a later medieval organic dump, which was subsequently sealed by a late medieval or early post-medieval levelling deposit. A modern garden soil then raised the ground surface to its present (post-demolition height). Deposits to the south-east of the site were found to be shallower, natural being found at only 2.5m from the surface. Archaeological deposits here probably related to agricultural activity from the Roman to the medieval periods.
• P0681 Land off Cook's Row and Springfield, Scarborough
  Evidence recorded at the site demonstrated the development of this plot of ground from the medieval through to modern periods. The earliest activity reached in Trench 1 related to a stone wall, clay floors and hearths belonging to a building. Subsequent parts of this structure were robbed of building materials and alterations were made including the laying of cobbled surfaces and a possible stair foundation. The robbing of this building(s) marked the virtual abandonment of the site for occupation purposes. In Trench 2 waterlogged stream deposits within the channel of the Damyot beck were recorded. A stone built culvert was constructed and attempts were made to in-fill the old channel of the Damyot. Parts of the culvert were later robbed and the dumping of large amounts of waste and debris at the site subsequent to its abandonment for occupation purposes. Garden soils were found above these deposits. The ownership of the site and its major buildings during the medieval period is not certain though this may have been the Franciscan Friary who are known to have held land immediately to the west. Certainly the demise of the site occurs at around the time of the reformation.
• P0670 Land adjacent to 37 Main Street, Wheldrake
  Two features were seen cut into natural glacial deposits. One of these was probably a pet cat grave and the the other a large garden feature, possibly a sunken garden..
• 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.
• P0535 Herriot Centre, 23-25 Kirkgate, Thirsk
  In the area closest to the street frontage the remains of amedieval pit was encountered. The majority of the emainder of the material recorded dated from the post medieval period and comprised evidence of a robbed wall, part of a yard surface and garden soil. A 19th century brick feature may have represented a well. 20th century garden features were also recorded.
• P0575 St Saviour's Church, St Saviourgate
  A programme of building recording was undertaken in advance of repair work to the tower and east end of the church.
• P0572 The Mount School, Dalton Terrace
  In some areas of excavation natural was found very close to the modern ground surface. Modern backfill of an old quarry pit and modern garden soils were also recorded.
• 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.
• 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.
• P0565 Herriot Centre Car Park, to rear of Cross Keys PH, Thirsk
  Pond silt from which 19th century pottery was recovered was encountered at c. 1.72m below ground surface. This was interpreted as infilling of a pond known as The Marriage. Overlying the infiiled pond was further levelling and garden soil.
• P0544 5 Dewsbury Terrace
  Natural sub soil was encountered in two boreholes at c. 4m below ground level. At the front of the property garden soil was recorded and building demolition and levelling deposits were observed to the rear. No significant archaeological deposits were observed.
• P0511 County House, Monkgate
  The excavations revealed evidence for settlement within this area of Monkgate from the 10th or 11th c. through to the present day suggesting that activity associated with properties on the Monkgate frontage extended into the investigated area and illustrating the development of the Newbiggin suburb outside the eastern gate of the medieval city. Deposits demonstrate horticultural/agricultural activity and rubbish pits in the Anglo- Scandinavian and medieval periods. The area continued to be used as garden and yard with out-building with evidence of the dumping of metal working slag dating to the 17th or early 18th century. In the 19th c. the area was landscaped as gardens, and ash and clinker, possibly from St Maurice's vicarage, was dumped in the area. In the 1980s the area became a car park.
• 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.
• P0283 Land to the rear of St Andrewgate/Spen Lane
  Excavations reached a maximum depth of 1.80m below ground surface. The earliest deposits excavated dated to the 12th century. These comprised a surface and build-up above it in the western part of the site, probably representing a period of neglect. The first indications of a building fronting St Andrewgate were the remains of a floor and an internal division. These dated to the 13th century. A timber fence line and dumped material including stable manure also dated to this period. In the later 13th/early 14th century over a widespread area material was allowed to accumulate and dumped prior to the renewal of structural activity. At the western end of the excavation two adjacent buildings fronting St Andrewgate were identified. A deliberate levelling of the whole area occurred in the 14th century. Domestic refuse was dumped and disposed of in pits. Further building, either two adjacent buildings or one divided building, fronting St Andrewgate, was identified, following similar alignments to earlier properties. The occupation of the building(s) continued through the 15th century and was represented by hearths, a series of floors and internal building divisions. Part of the building was used as an industrial workshop. Mould fragments suggested the casting of metal, and hammer scale indicated the use of an anvil. A pit feature may have acted as a quenching pit. Numerous internal alterations were made to the buildings though the medieval period. To the rear of these buildings a ditch was identified dating from the late 15th / early 16th century. It may have acted as a property boundary, or an open sewer, although its fill gives no evidence of this function and it appeared to have been deliberately backfilled in one operation. Pits were found in the area behind the buildings and suggest the relatively intensive use of the "backland" area for the disposal of rubbish, although traces of a structure in the form of beam slots were also identified in this area. In the mid 16th century a mortar and tile floor was introduced in the building fronting St Andrewgate which sealed the possible quenching pit. A cess pit or soak-away also dated to this period. Metal-working waste was found in an area which may have been the backyard of the re-organised building. Further structural alterations were made, including a substantial re-build of the building. Foundations which may have been the base for a sill beam supporting a timber-framed building were revealed. At some point after this alteration metal working was again carried out within the building. Occupation of the building continued through the 16th century and was represented by a series of mortar floors and hearths. In the area behind the property there was a rough uneven yard surface, evidence of pit digging, and a property boundary defined by a series of post-holes, which were replaced by a later series. In the late 17th/early 18th century these were backfilled and a widespread levelling deposit covered the eastern part of the site. Alterations and occupation of the building fronting St Andrewgate continued through the post-medieval period. A stone-lined well was encountered near the St Andrewgate frontage. In the modern period the area was occupied by a chemical factory, a building suppliers and a scrap yard. Watching Briefs : Timber building and road surfaces were observed in contractor's trenches in St Andrewgate, and demonstrated that in the Anglo-Scandinavian or medieval period St Andrewgate was narrower than the modern road. A medieval wattle-lined pit and a cobble surface were observed during a watching brief which confirmed that the area towards Spen Lane was open land to the rear of properties fronting St Andrewgate. A well was found which was similar to the one found within the main excavation. The watching brief carried out while pile holes were excavated collected evidence of mortared limestone structures and cobbles and clay c. 3-4m below the ground surface which were intepereted as likely to have derived from buildings and occupation dating from the Roman period. A horizon of organic deposits across the site probably represented evidence of Anglo-Scandinavian occupation. Deposits from the medieval period encountered during the piling were seen to be similar to those recorded more fully during the excavation and derived from street front occupation of St Andrewgate and Spen Lane together with the development of gardens and yards with associated dumping of domestic and industrial waste behind in both the medieval and post medieval periods.
• 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.
• 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.
• P0313 Land off St Andrewgate/Spen Lane
  A single 2m x 2m trench was excavated with the intention of discovering the level of survival of archaeological deposits. The upper 0.50m of the deposits comprised post-medieval demolition material. However, below this medieval occupation deposits, structures and features appeared to be well preserved. There is evidence from edge-set tile features that elsewhere in the vicinity medieval activity may exist only 0.20m below modern ground level.
• P0287 3-5 Victor Street
  The deposits observed suggest that the area was used for horticultural purposes in the 19th century.
• P0165 136 Lawrence Street
  A photographic record was made of architectural fragments found in the garden.
• P0241 Lighting Scheme, Museum Gardens
  An extensive watching brief on a series of pits and trenches associated with the installation of a new lighting system was undertaken in the Scheduled Area around the Abbey of St Mary. Disturbance was largely confined to deposits of recent date but a number of archaeological features were also found. In particular the masonry walls of a range of buildings to the south of those previously identified were recorded.
• 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.