York Archaeology Online Collections

Items

• P6035 Moxy Hotel Development, Dundas Street
  The investigations were largely focused in the northern half of the site where significant archaeology was known from the 2012 and 2016 YAT excavations. Watching brief monitoring in the southern half the site, including the crane base, confirmed that the slope towards the River Foss was more pronounced in antiquity and earlier deposition, as a consequence, is at a much greater depth. Although it was the intention to preserve this important structure in situ, the investigation and removal of the majority of the best-preserved and extensive structural element of Building 1, the south-west wall, has afforded an opportunity to better understand the building and its morphology. In time, following post-excavation analysis, it should be possible to ascertain the construction date of the building from carbon dating and tree ring analysis As well as Building 2, the probable 13th-century extension to the north of Building 1, exposed in 2012, a number of late-medieval structures and deposits point to extensive other alterations to the building, while the robber cut to the south suggests the building was demolished in stages as the larger building became unusable. Analysis of the archaeological material recovered from this watching brief and excavation will undoubtedly contribute significantly to our understanding not only of this medieval building but also of the development of medieval stone buildings in York from the Norman period and later.
• P5848 Rutson Hospital, Northallerton
• P5104 York Minster Revealed
• P5631 Mansion House & Guildhall, St. Helen's Square
• P5506 Gawthorpe Manor, Harewood
• P5319 Shepherd Wheel, River Porter Valley, Sheffield
• P1287 St. Thomas' Church, Osbaldwick
• P5086 Robin Hood Tower, City Walls, Lord Mayors Walk, York
• P5031 Electricity Sub-Station, Silver Street
• P5003 Land adjacent to St. Saviour's Church, Hungate
• P5007 St. Anthony's Hall, Aldwark, York
• P1260 St. Mary's Abbey Precinct North, Yorkshire Museum
• P1281 60 Lawrence Street
  Between 11th and 20th July 2005 York Archaeological Trust undertook an evaluation excavation at 60 Lawrence Street, York. This was in advance of a proposal to demolish the existing retail property and redevelop the site by erecting new flats and garages. In the three trenches excavated evidence was recovered for activity of an agricultural nature during the Roman period followed by disuse in the subsequent Anglian period. Activity, and possibly occupation of the site, recommenced in the Anglo-Scandinavian period and there was some evidence to suggest that this may have been continuous up to the present day. This site has produced valuable evidence for understanding the origins and development of this suburban area of York.
• P1296 House and Son
• P1214 Land Adjacent To St Saviour's Church, Hungate, York
  Between 13th and 22nd September York Archaeological Trust undertook an archaeological evaluation excavation at land adjacent to St Saviour’s Church, Hungate, York in order to assess the date, nature, preservation and quality of any archaeological remains on the site. The evaluation revealed a complex sequence of burials, structures and occupation deposits, and road surfaces dating from the 11th - 12th century to the present day. There was also evidence of possible earlier Roman, Anglian and Anglo Scandinavian activity on the site. Significant archaeology, including the burials, lay relatively close to the modern ground surface but is at present generally well preserved and has great potential as an archaeological resource for revealing and understanding the development of this area of York over the last 2000 years.
• P5206 Dutch House, 4 Ogleforth, York
  During a watching brief at 4 Ogleforth, York the floor of a cellar was removed in preparation for the laying of a new floor. Examination of the exposed area revealed a number of linear backfills aligned north-west / south-east and north-east / south-west. These were interpreted as the backfills of beam slots. The depth at which they were seen and their alignment suggested that they were parts of timber structures of the 1st or 2nd century belonging to the Roman Legionary Fortress. A small area of burnt clay seen at the same level as the backfills may be a hearth within a building. No coherent structure could be defined from these fragmentary remains. In another part of this watching brief a limestone wall and slightly organic build up deposits were recorded in a newly excavated service trench. No dating evidence was recovered associated with this wall or the deposits was recovered but previous work in the vicinity may indicate a medieval date. Building recording The report details the results of a programme of building recording carried out in February 2009 at the Dutch House, Ogleforth, York. The Dutch House is a mid-late 17th century brick built structure, an early surviving example of its type. Although there is clear evidence of domestic usage in the 19th century and probably earlier, significant changes during renovation in 1958 have removed much earlier fabric and evidence of its development. In addition to compiling a comprehensive photographic and graphic record of the current form and condition of the building this survey has been able to throw some light on some hitherto unknown aspects of its history and development, particularly the detail of its domestic use from the 19th century and the extent and impact of a renovation scheme.
• P5190 Bland's Farm, 37 Southfields Road, Strensall
  In the course of this watching brief no buried structures or definite features were noted although the animal bone from Context 1012 may have been within a very shallow cut. Since the site was formerly a farm the presence of animal bone might be expected. A small part of one probable farm building (1017) was noted in one of the recorded sections and may have been part of a structure which was open to the east. The lack of any features of any great date need not be unexpected since the site does lie some distance south of the principal road through Strensall, where occupational activity would tend to be concentrated. It was clear from examination of the sections that some form of modern site clearance had removed all deposits down to natural clay in the western part of the site whereas in the eastern part there remained up to c.0.5m of dark build-up deposit (1001, 1002, 1005, and 1012). The few finds noted from this dark deposit all appeared to be recent in date and no finds pre-dating the 20th century were noted from the excavations. It is therefore felt that no archaeology of any significance was disturbed during the works although larger scale open stripping of a substantial area may reveal features of some archaeological interest.
• P5497 Library Square, Museum Street, York
  Although badly disturbed in places by modern services and the Tree Pit 1 excavation was not observed this watching brief did provide some useful information about the area. In the main clearance area modern activity had removed any archaeological stratigraphy of any significance down to around 0.5m BGL and even here the clean dark soil (1016) recorded had suffered considerable truncation. The nature of Context 1016 is uncertain although its depth and cleanness may indicate that it is a build-up deposit of medieval date. The evidence from Tree Pit 2 is more interesting. Here there are traces of stone built walls, sometimes surviving to within 0.5m of the modern ground surface. Also in this pit were a number of thin but compact deposits (1000, 1008, 1014 and 1015) which may have been floor levels. Both walls and possible floor levels were sealed by pre-modern probable demolition material. The date of these walls and floors is uncertain but the demolition material may belong to the 18th century and the walls and floors to the 16th century or possibly earlier. If this is the case then they should belong to part of St Leonard’s Hospital which is known to have occupied this site in the medieval period. Although the hospital is well documented, being one of the largest and richest in England at the time, comparatively little is known about its layout and any opportunity to archaeologically investigate any part of this hospital would be useful.
• P5469 Utility trench, Deangate to Chapter House Yard, York
  In many of the observed trenches and recorded sections it was clear that modern services had destroyed all significant archaeology down to a level of around 1m. Possible or probable build up deposits were noted in Sections 1, 6, 7, 10, 11, 22 and 23 but the only fairly convincing deposit was Context 1000 in Section 1 and the trench was c.1.5m deep here whilst elsewhere the trenches were generally c.0.8m – 0.9m deep. No features were recorded anywhere along the lines of the trenches but a definite stone wall was recorded at the base of Section 11. This contained no added brick or tile which may indicate a medieval date for it. The east west alignment of this is unusual but once plotted out it can be seen to run approximately parallel to the Minster. Nothing else of any great note was seen along the remainder of College Street and into Minster Yard. The section of trench through Chapter House Yard was for the most part a combination of modern services and levelling deposits although a human skull was seen in part of the trench (See Figure 4 for location). It was in the very base of the trench and since the new ducting could be routed around and just above it then it was left in situ within deposits that were certainly modern.
• P5459 Electric Sub-station, York Minster Stoneyard, Deangate, York
  An excavation conducted at the York Minster Stoneyard encountered early 18th century construction activity and a mid 18th century building forming part of the prebendary of Strensall. The late 19th/early 20th century landscape clearance for the creation of Deangate and the current Stoneyard buildings was also identified.
• P5358 Niagara Weir Fish Pass, Middlewood, Sheffield, South Yorkshire
  A watching brief observed the construction of a fish pass through the Niagara wier, originally built to serve the 18th century Wadsley Bridge paper mill and latterly supplying the 19th century Niagara Works.
• P5327 River Wharfe Weir, Boston Spa, West Yorkshire
  A watching brief monitored the building of a fish pass through the weir at Boston Spa. These works entailed demolishing part of a wall connecting the weir with the remains of an industrial building on the river bank known as \'Dam House\', which appears to have been used for flax retting. Loose stonework from this structure was recovered from the river bed and recorded by Malcolm Barnes of The Boston Spa Archaeology and Heritage Group (BSPARCH).
• P5219 Utility Trench, 10 St. Sampson's Square, York
  During a watching brief monitoring an excavation for the installation of a new water feed to 10 St Sampson\'s Square, York a mortared limestone wall, possibly aligned north-east / south-west, was observed. It had foundations of cobbles set in sandy clay. It appeared to cut a build-up deposit. No dating evidence was recovered but the construction of the wall may indicate a medieval date. It probably belonged to a building demolished or cut back during enlargement of St Sampson's Square, possibly c.1835 when the present Church Street was constructed.
• P0742 Hungate Development, Trench 25
  See 2000.1-14 YORYM One of 14 individual site codes of the Hungate Development.
• P0742 Hungate Development, Trench 8
  See 2000.1-14 YORYM One of 14 individual site codes of the Hungate Development.