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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.