York Archaeological Trust
A brief scan of archaeological excavations and historical publications relating to sites within and close to the Hungate development area revealed that significant stratified archaeological deposits were known to survive within the vicinity. A detailed desk-top study (Macnab 1999b) has been undertaken as part of the pre-planning site investigation and therefore the following analysis is only a brief summary of the present state of knowledge of the history of the site. For more detailed information the desk-top study should be consulted.
Although no prehistoric archaeological deposits have been located within the immediate vicinity, evidence for prehistoric riverside occupation was located on the Adam’s Hydraulics site in 1991-3 (Finlayson 1997). Roman occupation deposits have also been found close by. The most significant of these were discovered to the south-west of the site and included cobbled surfaces and pits close to the course of the Roman River Foss which is thought to run through the development site. These were located during the construction of the Telephone Exchange Building on Hungate during 1951 and 1952 (Richardson 1961; RCHM 1962, 64).
Significant waterlogged organic deposits of this date have also been found close to the proposed development. These have been located during underpinning work at the Halifax Building Society between The Stonebow and St. Saviourgate (Finlayson 1997) and during two watching briefs on the piled foundations of new buildings at 27 and 30-32 Fossgate in 1983 and 1985 (Finlayson 1997).
In the medieval period a number of major topographical changes occurred in the area. The first was the damming of the River Foss, which was carried out in the 20 years prior to the Domesday Survey of 1086. The purpose of the dam was to create a wet moat around York Castle but the effect was also to flood a large area of land to the east which became known as the King's Fishpool (Hunter-Mann 1991). From 1295 a Carmelite Friary was built in the area between Fossgate and Hungate and would have been enclosed within a precinct wall (Hunter-Mann 1991). The exact position of the friary buildings, the cemetery and, except on one side, the Friary boundary is not known. The medieval church of St. John in the Marsh was also situated in the area although its location is also not precisely known.
In 1538 the Carmelite Friary was surrendered to the King and the area became gardens behind properties on Stonebow Lane and Hungate. Dumping into the King's Fishpool continued throughout the 17th century and the pool progressively shrank in size. During the late 19th century the area became increasingly industrial following the construction of the York Union Gas Works. In the 1930s the area was cleared of slums and the 1936 Ordnance Survey Map shows it as largely clear of buildings. During the 1950’s it was redeveloped for light industry and warehousing including the Telephone Exchange. In 1955 Hungate was bisected by the construction of a new street known as The Stonebow. Small scale redevelopment has taken place in the 1970s and 1980’s with further buildings for light industry, offices, and car parks being constructed