This document reports on a buildings assessment and metric survey undertaken by
the Historic Buildings Section of Field Archaeology Specialists Ltd on behalf of
Mike Griffiths and Associates for Crosby Homes. The work aimed to identify and record
all evidence for the original function and subsequent adaptation of this group of
buildings. The fieldwork was carried out between the 6th and 22nd March 2002.
Location & Land Use
The subject of this buildings investigation covers an area of approximately 577
square metres, centred on NGR SE 6079 5178 (location figure: JPEG/DWF).
The site is located to the east of Hungate itself, being bounded to the south by
the River Foss, to the north by Palmer Lane and to the east by Dundas Street. The
site includes four structures, distinguished by both visual appearance and function.
Building A is the northernmost structure on the site, and is, in essence, a yard
which has been roofed over in recent times. Building B, to the south of A, comprises
a two-storey sawmill office with a single storey extension to the east. Building
C, laying to the south of B, is a predominantly timber-framed structure used for
storing and seasoning timbers, while the southernmost building, D, consists of a
two-storey workshop.
Archaeological & Historical Background
The wider Hungate area is significant in terms of its historical and archaeological
background, known to have been settled from at least the Roman period onwards. There
may have been a building on the gas works site itself since the seventeenth century,
and a dwelling house and associated buildings seem to have existed into the early
nineteenth century. The site was later described as an orchard, until a gas works
was established there in the nineteenth century. These works were succeeded by a
saw mill, which remained until the 1930s, when most of the buildings on the site
were demolished as part of a large-scale clearance of the area.
Some prehistoric activity is known from the area to the east, but the evidence
is fragmentary (YAT 2000, 5). The Hungate
area is later known to have been within the Roman canabae, the extra-mural settlement
which would have developed after the establishment of the fortress, and which would
have been home to many craftsmen and traders (Ottoway
1993, 67).
Much of the early medieval archaeological evidence found within York has come from
riverside locations, and it is expected that the Hungate area may reveal further
material from this period. Anglian material recovered from Hungate in 1999 included
cobbled surfaces, and Anglo-Scandinavian activity has been located archaeologically
off of Dundas Street, Carmelite Street, and to the north of Stonebow, and has included
evidence for timber buildings and domestic occupation (YAT
2000, 92). To the east, on the Adams Hydraulics site, finds of clench bolts have
been interpreted as evidence of boat building (YAT
1990, 5), and at Layerthorpe Bridge, evidence for both a pre-Conquest mill leat,
as well as further riverside structures, was found (MAP
1998).
During the medieval period, the area was greatly affected by the damming of the
Foss in the 1060s, intended to provide a moat for the castle, and creating the King’s
Fishpool. Carmelite Street is known to have been partly under water, and presumably
the gas works site would have been affected, being so close to the river. One of
the three landing points around the King’s Fishpool is known to have been in
the Hungate area, at the Carmelite Friary.
From the late thirteenth century, the Carmelite Friars became dominant landowners
in the area, with the establishment of the Friary on Stonebow Lane in 1295. Activity
in the Hungate area is relatively well-documented throughout the following centuries,
although little is known of the precise layout of the house. The friary was dissolved
in 1538, and it’s site seems to have been given over to gardens associated with
various properties in the area.
The Hungate area is known to have been used as a rubbish dump, and records describe
the deposition of offal and cuts of meat by the butchers from the Shambles, as well
as a manure midden which continued in use into the eighteenth century. The ‘Hungate
Midden’ is still mentioned in deeds of 1770 (YCA B43/461). Conditions in the
area attracted vermin and stray dogs, probably a factor in the founding of the City
Dog Kennel in Hungate in 1754 (YCA B43/461).
From the 1820s, considerable development occurred in the area, with the construction
of a network of streets built up with terraced housing. The Stonebow had yet to be
constructed (built in 1955), so that the nineteenth century street layout differed
somewhat to that shown on modern maps. Leetham’s Flour Mill, located to the
west of the site, dominated the area with its towering silos. Overcrowding became
a problem during the nineteenth century, and poverty was rife (Smith
1908). Throughout the 1930s, a programme of large-scale slum clearance occurred
throughout York, and Hungate was one of the targeted areas. Compulsory purchase of
most of the terraced properties occurred in 1936 (YCA Acc 191/PH600/10842). A majority
of buildings in the area were demolished between 1931 and 1937, and the area was
rebuilt with the warehouses and works which survive today.
The Cordwainer’s Hall
Although the general area is relatively well-documented from the medieval period
onwards, there is little evidence for activity on this site prior to the establishment
of the Gas Works in 1836. However, a structure to the northwest of the gas works
site has been tentatively associated with the Guild of Cordwainers, which is known
to have been located in the area.
The main building known to have been located in the immediate vicinity is the Cordwainer’s
(Shoemaker’s) Hall. Speed’s 1610 map of York shows little activity on the
banks of the Foss at that date. Hungate is depicted, and a lane leading off to the
east appears to correspond with Palmer Lane. To the southeast of this junction, a
large building (or two buildings) is depicted. This would have been located within
the site, but no label is provided to identify it. However, Horsley’s map of
1694 shows the hall to be to the north of the site, along Palmer Lane, and depicts
the area as ornate gardens. The Hall is marked in a similar position on the 1852
OS map, immediately to the north of the junction of Hungate and Palmer Lane. This
suggests that there were, in fact, two Cordwainer’s Halls, the second hall replacing
an earlier, medieval hall to the south of Palmer Lane.
Little information has been recovered concerning the Cordwainer’s Hall, although
the Guild itself appears to have been well-documented. Knight (1951)
states that the later Shoemaker’s Hall stood on the corner of Palmer Lane, and
the ‘Ancient Guild of Cordwainers’ continued in existence until 1808. The
decline of the Guild meant that their hall passed into other hands, and the building
north of Palmer Lane was taken down around 1935. According to Knight, it was a plain
brick building ‘most probably of eighteenth century construction and ... [with]
no architectural pretensions whatever’, part of the premises having ‘long
been converted into cottages and the remainder into a workshop (Knight
1951, 102). Given that documentary evidence survives for the presence of a Cordwainer’s
Hall which predates this eighteenth century structure, it is possible that below-ground
remain exist for this earlier hall.
The
off-set alignment, and apparent truncation, of a large building at the northwest
corner site on the 1852 OS map (see Plate 1, left) suggests that the road layout
changed between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries, and that the building predates
this alteration. A more detailed plan of the building is depicted on the auction
plan of the Gas Works, showing a buttressed building with parlour, kitchen, office,
and a yard (1850, National Gas Archives) (see Fig.2). The 1889 OS map suggests that
although the outer plan of the building may have been preserved within later developments,
the building had been divided into three properties. The same situation is shown
on the 1909 and 1931 editions. It appears, therefore, that the final remains of the
medieval Cordwainer’s Hall were demolished following a compulsory purchase order
of 1936, and the site is shown to have been mostly cleared by 1937. A recent site
investigation carried out by the York Archaeological Trust, however, identified structural
remains to the north of Palmer Lane which may be associated with this building.
York Union Gas Works
On the 17th May 1836, a meeting was held at the Merchant’s Hall, resulting
in the creation of the York Union Gas Company, established in competition with the
York Gas Light Company (est. 1822), whose works were situated in Monkgate. In the
following week, the directors of the company were elected, and in addition to the
chairman, Robert Cattle, and deputy chairman, Charles S. Elsley, the board included
such notable figures as George Hudson and Thomas Pickersgill (York
Gas Company 1924, 14).
In July 1836, the company purchased land on Hungate from Thomas Arthur, who had
bought the land from Reverend Richard Lucas only two months previously. The bounds
of the land are described in the contract of sale of 16th July 1836 (National Gas
Archives):
‘All that piece or parcel of ground situated in or near the
street of Hungate in the Parish of St Saviour in the said City of York, bounded on
or towards the North by a street or lane called Palmer Lane, on or towards the west
by a land or road called Foss Lane on or towards the south by the River Foss and
on the east by premises belonging to Mr Smith Mr Matthew Arthur and others..’
(National Gas Archives)
The 1852 OS map (Plate 1) does not label a ‘Foss Lane,’ although it seems
likely that the road extending south from Hungate towards the river is the street
being described. The various premises listed on the eastern boundary seem to correspond
with terraced housing on the western side of Dundas Street.
The first annual report of the Gas Company, presumably in 1837, describes the choice
of the site, and the benefits that it provided:
‘After inspecting various places, the Directors purchased a
large Orchard adjoining the river Foss at the bottom of Hungate, which appears to
them the most desirable situation for Gas Works in the whole of the City, not only
on account of its contiguity to a navigable river which affords great facilities
for landing and warehousing Coals and other Goods, but also for its central position
in the City, thereby decreasing the length of the larger mains. In addition to this,
the lowness of its situation which is peculiarly desirable for Gas Works, rendered
the site above still more eligible. In this opinion, the Directors have been fully
corroborated by their talented engineer Mr Hutchinson, of the Vauxhall Gas Works,
whose able assistance they were fortunate enough to obtain on fair and moderate terms.
(York Union Gas Light Company Director’s Minute Book 1836-1843)
Following purchase of the land in 1836, construction of the gas works proceeded
at a rapid pace. Contracts survive for the construction of a water wall (6th August
1836), and for the employment of masons (10th August 1836), plumbers (17th August
1836), and bricklayers (13th August 1836) (National Gas Archives). The first Annual
Report describes the building of the Retort House, Coal and Coke sheds and interior
works as being in progress. Two brick tanks had been erected, and the foundations
of the gasometer were already established. The condensers and purifiers were also
likewise being dispatched.’
A deed dated the 11th August 1837 details the contract for the construction of
one gasometer, to be supplied by Thomas Mees of Staffordshire, ‘Gasometer and
Gas Tube manufacturer,’ at a cost of £270. The contract provides detailed
instructions concerning the construction of the gasometer, which was to be:
‘...forty four feet ten inches in diameter and eighteen feet
deep, the top to rise eighteen inches and to be supported by three 4 inch bars and
fifteen 3 inch bars, three rows of Bracket (?) Bars 2 1/4 inches by 1/4 inch - thick
well secured together with sufficient screw bolts - with centre pipe and three diagonal
rods 1 inch diameter. The Sheet Iron in the top to be No. 14 and the side of No.
15. Wire Gauge with Chains, Pulley Wheels and Carriages and one bottom Balance Weight
and Pin - The whole properly erected and the Gasometer properly painted with good
and sufficient paint and in working order to the entire satisfaction of the engineer
on the first day of October...’
The
OS map shows two gasometers on the site, with a large central structure, shown on
later plans to be the Retort House (see Fig.2 below). An engraving presents the view
of the Gas Works from the river, showing the central Retort House, with its chimneys
and gasometers, and structures built up along the eastern and western boundaries
of the site (Plate 2, right).
Competition between the York Union Gas Works Company, and the York Gas Light Company
was fierce, and the Annual Report suggests that relations between the two companies
were not good. ‘The Proprietors are no doubt aware that the Directors have had
many difficulties to contend with, and considerable obstructions have been thrown
their way by the Old Gas Company, and altho’ the most unfair attempts were made
to stop the works in their progress, and to prevail that honorable competition at
which the Company aims, yet every such attempt has been most equally defeated’
(York Union Gas Light Company Director’s Minute Book 1836-1843).
This competition, accompanied by the rising demand for gas, led to a meeting on
the 19th July 1844, when it was decided to amalgamate the companies to form the York
Gas Company (York Gas Company 1924,
16). Works continued on both the Hungate and the Monkgate works until expansion of
the latter meant that all the work could be transferred to the Monkgate premises.
The Hungate works were closed on the 26th January 1850, and the plant dismantled.
The Retort House chimney remained standing and in use until at least the 1920s, forming
part of Bellerby’s Saw Mill. The chimney is depicted on plans of 1851 (YCL)
and may be visible behind mill buildings on Nathaniel Whittock’s ‘Bird’s
Eye View of York’.
The initial intention of the Directors was to sell the property off in nine plots
described in a document of 26th April 1850 (National Gas Archive) and depicted on
a plan of the same date (Fig.2). Three proposed streets are shown crossing the site.
This plan was never carried out, and it was resolved later the same year to sell
the whole of the property to William Bellerby, who used the premises for his saw
mill.
Bellerby’s Saw Mill
On 22nd May 1850, William Bellerby bought the property from the York Union Gas
Works. Extant plans of the saw mill date to 1851 (York Central Library). One of the
proposed streets was constructed running from Hungate (part way across the site),
with a yard at the end. This later became Sawmill lane. To the north of Sawmill Lane,
a number of buildings, presumably houses, were constructed, and a small plot to the
south of the lane became the property of neighbouring Leetham’s Mills. The mill
buildings are seen to dominate the site on the 1889 map, with a timber yard fronting
onto the Foss.
By 1909, the timber yard is shown to have been built up, and the same ground plan
continued relatively unaltered until 1931.
Between
1931 and 1937, there was a general period of clearance, when many of the slum terraces
in the Hungate area were demolished. OS maps from the 1930s (see Plate 3, left) show
that much of the site of Bellerby’s Saw Mill had also been cleared. A long range
of buildings along the western edge of the property remained standing, as did a building
fronting onto Palmer Lane and the property belonging to Leetham’s Mills. The
lower part of Hungate, below the junction with Palmer Lane, is no longer shown.
By 1963, further clearance had occurred. All but the range of buildings running
northwest had been demolished and new ‘works’ had been constructed.
The
off-set alignment, and apparent truncation, of a large building at the northwest
corner site on the 1852 OS map (see Plate 1, left) suggests that the road layout
changed between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries, and that the building predates
this alteration. A more detailed plan of the building is depicted on the auction
plan of the Gas Works, showing a buttressed building with parlour, kitchen, office,
and a yard (1850, National Gas Archives) (see Fig.2). The 1889 OS map suggests that
although the outer plan of the building may have been preserved within later developments,
the building had been divided into three properties. The same situation is shown
on the 1909 and 1931 editions. It appears, therefore, that the final remains of the
medieval Cordwainer’s Hall were demolished following a compulsory purchase order
of 1936, and the site is shown to have been mostly cleared by 1937. A recent site
investigation carried out by the York Archaeological Trust, however, identified structural
remains to the north of Palmer Lane which may be associated with this building.
