Plate 10. Trench 24 - overall view from west
Plate 11. Trench 24 - recording wall 24027 and south facing section
Plate 12 Trench 24 - Wall 24007 as exposed
Plate 13. Trench 24 - south elevation of wall 24027
York Archaeological Trust
Trench 24, at the extreme north-western corner of the proposed development area is dealt with separately since it was not close to any of the other trenches. It was situated on Hungate in the forecourt of a car showroom which fronts onto The Stonebow. Trench 24 was 4m long and 2m wide, and the present ground surface was situated at 10.50m AOD. The trench was positioned across the original line of Hungate, which was thought to have been of Anglo-Scandinavian or medieval origin (Macnab 1999b, 8). It was hoped that the trench might clarify the date at which the street was founded.
Analysis of the pottery from this trench since the production of the interim report (Macnab & McComish 2000) has altered the interpretation and dating of some of the deposits radically. The description below therefore differs markedly from the interim report.
The earliest archaeological deposit encountered was a probable surface of small to medium sized cobbles compacted into pale grey brown silty clay (context 24068) the surface of which was at 9.27m AOD. This was only partially excavated for dating purposes and contained pottery dated from the early to mid 9th century and residual Roman material including part of a decorative Roman bowl (small find 51). Context 24068 was situated in the north-eastern corner of the trench and may be part of a street or yard of Anglo-Scandinavian date.
A series of dumped deposits was found on the eastern side of the trench. These consisted of friable mid grey brown organic sandy silt (context 24067) and mid to dark brown organic clay silt (contexts 24078-9) which contained limestone, sandstone, residual Roman brick and tile, wood and bone fragments, charcoal flecks and cobbles. These dumps are interpreted as levelling deposits or dumps of household refuse. The deposits were not excavated as they were observed at the limit of excavation. They may date to the early to mid 9th century and represent a clear functional change from the Phase 1 surface to the Phase 2 dumping.
A further series of deposits was located to the west of these dumps. These consisted of friable mid grey brown organic silty loam (contexts 24069, 24071 and 24075) and dark brown organic sandy silt (context 24066). Interleaved with these deposits were vertical stakes (contexts 24072-4 and 24076), near horizontal stakes (contexts 24077 and 24080) and a flat wooden plank (context 24070). This sequence of deposits and wooden, possibly structural, elements was not excavated but may be interpreted as the collapsed remnants of a timber-lined pit or pits. Further excavation would be required to disentangle this complex archaeological sequence. Sealing the possible timber-lined pit complex was a further dump of household refuse consisting of crumbly mid brown sandy silt (context 24064). This had similar inclusions to 24067 and 24078-9, described above and was pottery dated to the late 9th century. The pottery from this deposit (88 sherds) constituted an important assemblage, 80 of the sherds were from only six or seven York Ware cooking pots dating to 850-900 AD.
Sealing the dump were two further levelling deposits consisting of limestone, cobble and residual Roman brick and tile rubble (contexts 24061-2) in mid to dark grey brown silty loam. This deposit produced evidence for a variety of crafts, including lead alloy manufacturing (small find 24), antler, horn and bone working, comb manufacture (small finds 19, 20, 21 and 49) and butchery waste. In addition an iron socketed flesh fork (small find 57) similar to one found on Coppergate, a copper alloy buckle (small find 23) and two fragments of lava quern were also recovered (small finds 52 and 53). These deposits raised the ground level to c.9.60m AOD and produced 168 sherds of 10th century pottery. There appears to have been a serious effort to level the ground level before the construction of buildings on site.
Truncating levelling layer 24061 was a shallow linear construction cut (context
24060) orientated east to west and situated on the eastern side of the trench. This
had gently to steeply sloping sides, an uneven base and measured over 1.02m long,
0.70m wide and up to 0.18m deep. Filling this shallow construction cut was a foundation
(context 24059) which consisted of medium to large blocks of limestone, cobbles and
sandstone, and was one course (between 0.15m and 0.24m) high. It was dry bonded and
would have formed the western end of either a sill beam wall or a low wall foundation.
This was probably of 10th century date judging by the date of the pre-construction
levelling deposit.
Sealing the foundation was a mixed compact mid grey brown silty loam (context 24058)
with burnt clay flecks, patches of orange brown clay, pebbles, charcoal flecks and
small to medium limestone and Roman brick fragments. This was covered by soft light
to mid yellowish orange brown sandy clay (context 24021). Both of these deposits
are interpreted as levelling deposits, probably laid down after the building was
demolished. Deposit 24058 was pottery dated to the 11th century.
A further series of dumps was laid down consisting of friable dark grey brown sandy silt (context 24054), plastic dark grey to greyish green clay silt (contexts 24017 and 24052) and friable mid grey green silty clay (context 24022). These deposits contained mortar, limestone, wood, bone and shell fragments, grey clay patches, charcoal flecks and cobbles in varying concentrations, and were consistent with dumps of domestic refuse. The green tinge is often associated with high concentrations of organic waste such as cess, manure, and stable waste, which would not be uncommon within the backyards of Anglo-Scandinavian or medieval properties. Pottery dated to between the 10th and 12th centuries was recovered and may indicate a date of mid to late 11th century for the deposits. A glass linen smoother (small find 15) that may date from either the Anglo-Scandinavian or medieval periods was also recovered. Two fragments of tile found within deposits 24054, which were dated from the 13th to the 16th centuries are thought to be intrusive.
A sub-rectangular pit (context 24012) truncated the earlier deposits. This had moderately steep sides, a flat base and measured 1.00m long, 0.70m wide and 0.20m deep. It was filled with soft dark greenish grey clay silt (context 24009), which contained similar inclusions to the dumped deposits described above. Pottery dated to the 11th century was recovered but it also contained two fragments of brick and tile which were dated to between the 14th and the 16th century and probably result from contamination by a post-medieval post-hole (context 24011) which truncated the western end of this pit. Overall pit 24012 is interpreted as a late Anglo-Scandinavian or early medieval rubbish pit.
On the north side of the trench loose light yellow orange brown sand (context 24015) was laid down. This was sealed by a thick dump or build-up of friable dark greenish brownish grey gritty clay silt (context 24008), which contained frequent charcoal flecks and bone fragments, occasional oyster shell, brick, tile and limestone fragments and cobbles. The latter was probably a mixture of domestic waste, manure and animal bedding materials, as was confirmed by an environmental sample, dumped within a backyard. Context 24008 was pottery dated to the 10th or 11th century. Intrusive 14th to 16th century tile fragments can again be explained by the truncation of this deposit by two post-medieval post-holes (contexts 24011 and 24014).
A large terracing cut (context unnumbered) truncated the Anglo-Scandinavian and early medieval backyard deposits. This was orientated east-north-east to west-south-west and removed a substantial amount of archaeological deposits on the southern side of the evaluation trench. The terracing cut measured over 2.66m from north to south, 2.12m west to east and was over 0.91m deep (truncating deposits to 8.84m AOD). Built into the northern side of the terrace was a substantial well-constructed limestone wall (context 24007). It appears that the northern side of the wall was unfaced and simply built against the terrace, but the south-elevation consisted of ashlar masonry blocks, many of which showed signs of tooling. The limestone blocks averaged 0.30m x 0.25m x 0.25m and the overall wall measured over 2.12m long, up to 0.93m thick and over 1.31m high (the top of the structure being situated at 10.15m AOD. At c.9.13m AOD the wall appeared to step out slightly by up to 0.07m and this may be the top of a footing or plinth. The core material consisted of cobbles, limestone blocks and rubble bonded with hard creamy white lime based mortar. The substantial nature of the wall and the effort necessary to construct it and to terrace the hillside, suggests that this project must have been undertaken by a wealthy land owner or institution in the vicinity. The most logical candidates are the Carmelite Friars who were given land in the vicinity in 1295 to construct a Friary. It is not known whether this wall was part of a precinct wall, the north wall of a claustral building attached to the Friary itself or a building owned by the Friary and positioned on the north side of Hungate.
To the south of the wall, and adjacent to it, a small sondage was excavated. The earliest deposit within the sondage was a rounded stone associated with hard creamy mortar (context 24085). This is interpreted as being part of the foundation for the wall but this interpretation must be treated with caution as so little of the deposit was revealed. Sealing the possible foundation and running parallel with the wall was a spread of small to medium sized cobbles (context 24084). The southern edge of this may have formed a curb line, but again this was difficult to ascertain. To the south of the possible curb and sealing it, was a band of light grey clay (context 24082) which may have formed part of a floor or surface. This was in turn sealed by friable light grey brown sand (context 24081) which may have been laid down as a levelling deposit after the floors went out of use. Covering the cobbles close to the wall was a small patch of friable mid grey silt (context 24083) which may simply have accumulated adjacent to the wall. The deposits were not excavated and therefore their date is in question, but they were at c.8.90m AOD and were sealed by deposits dating to the late 14th or early 15th century. It is probable therefore that they are of early to mid 14th century date and they may be associated with initial occupation adjacent to wall 24007.
Sealing these deposits south of wall 24007 was a 0.36m thick layer of tightly packed
cobbles (context 24065) which contained industrial material in the form of slag and
fine copper wire embedded and extremely well compacted into its upper surface. The
top of this deposit was at between 9.11m and 9.27m AOD. No accumulation built-up
on the cobble surface and the lack of signs of wear and tear suggest that it was
not external. It may be a surface within a building, perhaps one for carrying out
an industrial or manufacturing process. Copper alloy wire, off-cuts, objects and
pins (small finds 34-38) suggest that metal working was being carried out close by.
The surface was pottery dated to the 14th or 15th century.
A deposit of coarse rusty brown sand and loose cobbles (context 24063) built up adjacent
to wall 24007. This contained mortar and tile and bone fragments and may represent
uncompacted floor close to the wall or a build-up of repair debris.
Sealing contexts 24063 and 24065, over the whole of the area to the south of the wall, was friable grey brown organic sandy silt (context 24057) which was up to 0.21m thick. This contained frequent fragments of leather, representing primary and secondary hide off-cuts, shoe-making and cobbling waste as well as further quantities of fine copper alloy and silver wire, objects, off-cuts, pins (small finds 16-17, 25-26, 28-31, 41-43 and 46-47) and a multi-foil mount (small find 27). Other materials within the deposit included charcoal, coal, coal ash, slag, wood, tile, brick, bone and shell fragments, cobbles and pottery dating from the 14th to the 15th centuries. Environmental analysis of this deposit suggests that food waste, hay, straw, peat, stable manure, butchery and skinning debris constitute component parts of this dump deposit. In particular the bone assemblage appears to have been reworked, not all of it being dumped at the same time or having come from the same place. Interpreting this complex deposit is therefore extremely difficult. It contains hide processing, skinning, cobbling and shoe-making waste; materials from the manufacture of copper alloy and silver objects including pins; food and butchery waste; animal bedding and manure. The evidence from the pottery suggests that these deposits may have been associated with the Friary, but the nature and character of the dump suggest that the building within which it was deposited may have been disused.
Further dumps consisting of very mixed brown clay silts, ashy silts (contexts 24051 and 24053) and ashy sands (context 24046) sealed the dump material close to the wall. The dumps raised the ground level to the south of the wall to between 9.37m and 9.54m AOD and were all pottery dated to the 14th or 15th century, the upper most dump containing only 15th century pottery. Environmental analysis of context 24051 suggests that it contained animal bedding and food waste with animal bone which indicates reworking of the deposit, as well as further examples of primary and secondary hide processing, shoe-making and cobbling waste.
Figure 17. Trench 24 - west facing section. Scale 1:20
Figure 18. Trench 24 - south facing section. Scale 1:20
Figure 19. Trench 24 - south facing elevation of wall 24007. Scale 1:20
It is probable that at this point the wall 24007 was demolished to its present height and robbed for stone, probably sometime in the 15th century. To the south of the wall a massive levelling dump built the ground level up to 10.12m AOD. The levelling material consisted of compact pinkish orange, brown, grey and olive green fine grained sand (contexts 24036, 24039-45, 24050 and 24055-6). These contained iron pan mineralisation, mortar, light grey silty clay and pale grey brown sandy clay lenses, shell, bone, tile, brick, coal and limestone fragments, mortar and charcoal flecks, gravel, pebbles and cobbles. The majority of the pottery suggests a 14th or 15th century date for the levelling activities but a sherd of 16th century pottery from context 24055 may suggest a later date and signify that the majority of the pottery was residual.
Wall 24007 was rebuilt (context 24048) within either a shallow construction trench or the remnants of a robbing cut. This linear cut (context 24049) was orientated east to west, its south side falling vertically or very steeply in a series of irregular steps to an uneven base, whereas to the north the side fell steeply directly to the base. It measured up to 0.86m wide and up to 0.40m deep and was almost completely filled with wall rebuild (context 24048). This consisted of large blocks of limestone bonded with soft creamy white mortar underlying a similarly bonded wall core of cobbles and limestone fragments. The construction work was much rougher than the earlier wall. It would have formed the foundation or footing for a slightly wider limestone wall (up to 1.00m wide) on a similar alignment to wall 24007. Once construction was completed the gaps remaining in the construction cut were backfilled with moist mottled green silty loam (context 24047).
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Plate 10. Trench 24 - overall view from west |
Plate 11. Trench 24 - recording wall 24027 and south facing section |
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Plate 12 Trench 24 - Wall 24007 as exposed |
Plate 13. Trench 24 - south elevation of wall 24027 |
To the south of the wall the construction cut (context 24035) for a furnace was excavated on the extreme western side of the trench. This appeared to be rectilinear in plan, although truncation by service trenches made ascertaining the full shape and the position of the flue impossible. The furnace was slightly bell shaped with steep to near vertical sides, which appeared to undercut in places, and a flat base. The furnace measured up to 0.97m wide and 0.87m deep. Covering the base of the furnace construction trench was friable pale greyish brown silty sand (context 24034) which was up to 0.14m thick and formed the furnace base and contained a sherd of residual 14th century pottery. Sealing this was a scorch deposit consisting of dark brown to bright red silty sand (context 24025) which was recorded on the base and sides of the furnace, was up to 0.05m thick, and would have been formed by its firing. Lead alloy manufacturing debris (small find 3) was recovered from this deposit. Covering the base of the furnace, above context 24025, was a layer of loose small to large fragments of grey to black ashy clinker (context 24024). This was up to 0.07m thick and contained carbonised plant matter, including tree bark from hazel, silver birch or cherry trees, which was probably used as kindling (spot sample 69). This residue would have been left after the last firing of the furnace. Once the furnace had been fired for the last time, it was filled with compact pale grey brown silty sand (context 24023), the top of which was at 10.12m AOD.
To the south of the furnace, a small feature (context 24038) was dug, which was not fully revealed within the trench. This had a near vertical side, an uneven base and measured up to 0.31m deep. It was filled with compact orangey brown sand (context 24037) with frequent iron pan mineralisation. This feature may be associated with the furnace but its exact purpose is unknown.
Once the furnace and its associated features had been backfilled and levelled a line of shallow post-holes (contexts 24027, 24029, 24031, 24033 and a fifth unnumbered possible post-base (mostly truncated by service pipe 24018)) was inserted, aligned roughly parallel to wall 24007. The post-holes were all sub-circular in plan and had a saucer like appearance upon excavation. Two of them (contexts 24029 and 24031) (the unumbered post-hole can be added to this group) were generally smaller - up to 0.20m in diameter and between 0.06m and 0.09m deep. Post-holes 24027 and 24033 were larger, being between 0.25m and 0.36m in diameter and between 0.13m and 0.15m deep. The latter may have formed major structural posts within the building, whereas the former may have simply been part of a screen, partition or other wooden structure.
Wall rebuild (context 24048) was demolished and the wooden structure dismantled. The post-holes were backfilled with friable grey sand (contexts 24026, 24028, 24030 and 24032) which contained occasional tile (possibly remnants of the post packing), shell and bone fragments and cobbles. The tile was dated to between the 13th and the 16th century and a sherd of residual 11th century pottery came from backfill 24026.
A linear construction cut (context 24124) truncated the wall rebuild 24048 and dump 24008 on the western side of the trench. This had moderately steep sides, a flattish base and measured up to 1.13m wide and 0.19m deep. Its primary fill consisted of a compact layer of medium to large cobbles in dark grey clay silt (context 24020). This was up to 0.11m thick (the top of which was situated at 9.89m AOD). It was sealed by a layer (context 24016) which consisted of similar sized cobbles bonded together with a light brownish yellow sandy mortar. The layer was up to 0.12m wide and, combined with context 24020, may have formed an area of hard-standing, perhaps within a backyard. A thin layer of friable dark greenish brownish grey gritty clay silt (context 24109) accumulated over the hard-standing, maybe as a result of trampling.
A series of dump deposits was laid down in the northern half of the trench. These consisted of friable dark brownish grey and mottled greenish grey gritty clay silt (contexts 24005 and 24123) and compact mid greyish green silty clay (contexts 24118 and 24122). They contained limestone, shell and bone fragments, mortar, orange sand and charcoal flecks and pebbles in varying densities and concentrations. The dumps raised the ground level to c.10.15m AOD and appear to have contained mainly redeposited material, including 10th to 13th century pottery and 13th to 16th century tile, as the deposits were probably laid down in the 17th century. In the north-eastern section compact mid grey clay (context 24117) sealed dump deposit 24118. This may represent levelling prior to further construction on the site.
An odd feature (context 24121) was visible in section on the north side of the trench. Its eastern side was truncated but its western side was near vertical to steep sided, with a rounded base. The feature measured over 0.25m wide and up to 0.15m deep. It was filled with two deposits which consisted of compact light creamy brown clay (context 24120) and plastic mottled light greenish grey clay (context 24119). These backfills are suggestive of the footing for a simple timber-framed building such as that found during recent evaluation work in George Street, York (Macnab 1998, 17). So little of the possible sill beam footing was observed however that it was difficult to be certain of this interpretation.
Truncating the eastern side of 24121 was a post-hole (context 24116). This had steeply sloping sides and an inclined base which sloped from west to east. It measured 0.40m wide and 0.29m deep. The post-hole may indicate a replacement of the possible sill beam wall to the west with a new structure. Both sill beam and post-hole may indicate the presence of a roughly built timber building in this area. Eventually the post was removed and the post-hole was backfilled with two separate deposits. These included mid to dark mottled greenish grey silty clay (context 24115) and tile packing (context 24114) which was sealed by mottled rust brown and greenish grey sandy silt.
The backfilled post-hole was covered by a thin lens of friable fine creamy clay (context 24111) with frequent mortar fragments. In the north-western corner of the trench mixed dark grey gritty silty sand (context 24108) was laid down at a similar level (c.10.23m AOD). These may have formed floors of 17th or early 18th century date.
A further three post-holes (contexts 24011, 24014 and 24113) truncated these deposits. These had steep sides and inclined bases (apart from 24011 - which was flat), context 24014 sloping from north-east to south-west, context 24113 from west to east. They measured between 0.25m and 0.40m in diameter and were c.0.30m deep. Once the structure was dismantled, the post-voids were backfilled with mottled greenish grey silty clay and dark grey gritty sand (contexts 24010 and 24114) and mid orangey brown silty clay (context 24013).
Three possible floor deposits sealed the north end of the trench. These consisted of mixed creamy brown to orange brown crumbly clay with dark grey and grey brown gritty sandy silt (context 24110), friable orange brown sand (context 24107) and friable dark grey and purplish red ashy silty sand (context 24106). The top of these deposits was at c.10.36m AOD. A piece of 17th or 18th century slipware pottery was observed in section, contained within floor 24110. These floor deposits may be industrial in character and indicate that there may have been an early post-medieval workshop here.
A linear construction cut (context 24006) truncated the Phase 9 deposits. This was aligned north-west to south-east, had steep sides and a flat base and measured c.1.33m wide and 0.48m deep. Within the construction cut a wall foundation (context 24003 and 24086) was built with large re-used blocks of limestone and brick and tile packing. Several architectural fragments, including a piece of window moulding and two chamfered stones were recovered from the foundation. The typical block size was 0.28m x 0.25m x 0.21m and the foundation was laid as a single course in the base of the construction trench, c.0.65m wide and 0.33m high. On top of this foundation was a brick wall. This stood two courses high (c.0.16m) and was c.0.30m wide. The bricks are dated to between the 16th and the 19th century. The foundation and the brick wall probably represent the front wall of a narrow property that fronted onto Hungate (as seen on the 1852 map). This was probably constructed in the late 18th or early 19th century. Friable pale grey gritty clay (context 24105) filled the southern edge of the construction cut on the extreme western side of the trench. The northern edge was filled with loose mortar in pale brown sand (context 24104).
To the south of wall 24007, two parallel north-west to south-east aligned cuts (contexts 24002 and 24018) for gas pipes were encountered. These partially truncated the levelling deposits and the furnace described above. The service trenches were filled with similar material to the levelling materials (contexts 24001, 24004 and 24019). A series of modern hard-core deposits (contexts 24096, 24098 and 24102) and modern surfaces including concrete (context 24097), cobbles (context 24095) and ashy clinker in pitch (context 24103) sealed the gas pipe trenches. These were subsequently truncated by further modern construction trenches (contexts 24092, 24094 and 24101) which carried services to the diesel tank of the petrol station. These had been filled with concrete (contexts 24091, 24093 and 24100) when the petrol station became a car sales outlet. Modern concrete (context 24088 and 24089) and tarmac (contexts 24087 and 24099) surfaces sealed the top of the trench at 10.50m AOD.
The archaeological deposits in Group 7 consisted of highly complex well-stratified occupation deposits relating to the continuous use of the Hungate area from the Anglo-Scandinavian through to the post-medieval periods.
Anglo-Scandinavian deposits were only located at the northern end of the trench and consisted of three phases of activity. Phase 1 involved the laying of a cobbled surface, which may represent a street or yard of early to mid 9th century date. The area then changed function (Phase 2) and was used for dumping and pit digging activities. These probably date from the mid to the late 9th century. Following this a series of levelling deposits were laid down (Phase 3) which contained waste and debris from butchery, craft working and the clearance of Roman buildings. These formed a firm surface for the construction of a low drystone wall, which may have been the footing for a building, aligned east to west and was dated to the 10th century. It was later demolished and sealed by several levelling deposits. Phase 4 deposits marked a reversion to dumping and pit digging activities and were formed in the period between the 11th and the 12th centuries.
A large terracing cut truncated the southern end of the trench. This contained a substantial limestone wall, which had been built into the side of the terracing cut. To the south of this, a series of occupation deposits built up including a thick, well compacted, cobbled surface of uncertain function. The character of the wall and the effort necessary to construct it and terrace the hillside suggests that this must have been carried out by a wealthy land owner or institution in the vicinity. The most obvious candidates are the Carmelite Friars who were given land in the vicinity in 1295 to construct a Friary. Although it is believed that the Friary buildings were situated at the northern end of their endowment (Daniel 1991, 32; RCHM 1981, 50) close to the former Stonebow Lane, it is not known if the wall located here was part of a precinct wall, the north wall of a claustral building or part of a building owned by the Friary and positioned on the north side of Hungate. Indeed even the relationship between Hungate and the Friary is not precisely understood. Once the wall/building fell out of use, perhaps in the mid 15th century, a dump of highly organic material was laid down over the cobbled surface. This contained evidence for skinning, butchery, primary and secondary hide processing, shoe-making, cobbling, copper and silver working as well as food waste, animal bedding and manure. It is not known whether these manufacturing and processing activities were being carried out by the Friars themselves or by tenants in buildings sub-let from the Friary.
The wall appears to have been demolished to its present height and robbed for stone. To the south of the wall a massive levelling deposit was laid down to raise the ground level (Phase 6). This may have occurred in the 16th century. The demolished wall was rebuilt and formed a rougher wider footing or foundation for a new building. A furnace truncated the levelling deposits to the south of the wall. This contained deposits which were associated with its final firing. A second feature of unknown function also truncated the levelling deposit.
Once the furnace had been backfilled and levelled off, a wooden structure indicated by a line of post-holes was erected (Phase 7). This may have been inserted to support the phase 6 rebuild or have formed part of a screen or other wooden structure within the building. The phase 6 rebuild was demolished to ground level and the wooden structure dismantled.
Over the demolished wall, on the western side of the trench, an area of hard-standing was laid down in a shallow construction cut (Phase 8). A series of levelling dumps were laid down to the north of this, using redeposited material. A complex of post-holes, possible sill beam supports and thin occupation and floor deposits were laid down at the northern end of the trench (Phase 9). These suggest the presence of a timber-framed building possibly dating to the 17th or early 18th centuries. This was replaced by a brick structure in the late 18th or early 19th century (Phase 10), which reused architectural fragments, presumably originally from the Carmelite Friary buildings, for its foundations. Victorian and modern services truncated the trench area, prior to the laying of modern tarmac and concrete surfaces (Phase 11).
The archaeological deposits identified in Trench 24 consist of highly complex well-stratified occupation deposits relating to the continuous occupation of this area from the Anglo-Scandinavian through to the early modern period. It is highly likely that well preserved earlier deposits also exist below the present excavation depth limit. No waterlogged deposits were located at the depth of this excavation but an extremely organic deposit, context 24057, of 14th or 15th century date was preserved to the south of the substantial limestone wall, context 24007. This provided a glimpse at the nature of activities being carried out in the vicinity.
In the former petrol station area archaeological deposits were a mere 0.14m below the present ground surface. Probe-holes in the area showed similar results, with stratified archaeological deposits predicted at between 0.28m and 0.75m below the present ground level (ph1-3 and ws1-2 in Macnab 1999a and 1999c). Clearly modern truncation to form the petrol station forecourt has removed the majority of the Victorian and early modern deposits, rendering the earlier deposits in the area especially vulnerable to redevelopment.
Group 1 | Group 2 | Group 3 | Group 4 | Group 5 | Group 6 | Group 7 | Group 8
