The friary was surrendered to the king in 1538 and the site seems to have become gardens behind properties on Haver Land (destroyed in the nineteenth century), Stonebow Lane, Hungate and Peasholme Green. The site then passed into the hands of John Thorpe for two years. The land was leased to Ralph Beckwith, merchant, for a period of twenty-one years (YC E26, 58b) and remained with the Beckwith family until 1614.
The reference to rubbish dumping against the wall in 1573 indicates that it was at least partially standing some years after being surrendered and a document of 1586/7 mentioned the site with buildings, houses, orchards, stables, dovecotes and fishponds (YCA E26, 58b) but is probably generalised (Hunter-Mann, 1991, 4). Reclamation of the fishpool continued through the seventeenth century and the land became gardens, leased by wealthy and notable individuals, although the use of the area as a dump is well documented and parts of the area described as 'Hungate Midden'.
Speed's map of 1610 shows streets that can be equated with St Saviourgate, Hungate, Pound Lane and possibly Stonebow Lane. St Saviour's church to the north is labelled, and the streets surrounding it to the west is shown to be built up. Further south, towards the river, the land is generally shown to be open, although a building is shown on the north side of Pound Lane, possibly where the church of St John the Baptist had stood previously. A larger building is shown to the south, of which nothing is known.
Horseley, (1694) shows the site as shaded and shows no detail of building. The Cordwainers' Hall is marked and gardens are shown leading down to the river to the east. Cossin's map of 1748 is based largely on Horseley's, and shows little change.
Drake (1736) describes the site of the friary as a garden, which had previously belonged to Alderman Hutton, and then by John Tomlinson. Drake mentions that he had seen some of the foundations of the old buildings removed a few years earlier. The gardens were probably maintained until Carmelite Street was constructed in the 1830s as part of general developments in the area. In 1711, William Dobson, apothecary, is recorded to have leased a garden and garden house in Hungate (YCA E101/42) and in 1729/30 William Dobson, Lord Mayor, leased a garden adjacent to Hungate Midden (YCA E101/118). In January, 1747, Theophilus Garencieres leased a garden and garden house between Hungate and Peasholme Green, renewed in 1766 and similar descriptions of property are made in the leases to George Birkenshaw in 1785 (YCA E101/306) and to George Watson in February 1808 (YCA E101/393).
A document of 1711 says that 'manure from the midden had not been laid on Tang Hall farms' (YCA E101/42), suggesting that the area still formed part of a dump for dung and waste. 'Hungate Midden' is mentioned in deeds of 1729 and 1754 (YCA E101/118; B43/461).
In December, 1748, Reverend Mr Forster complained about the kennel of the city hounds behind his house (YCA B43/292) and in October, 1754, Thomas Siddall was to build a kennel for the city hounds near Hungate Midden (YCA B43/461).
In July, 1770, Francis Hudson offered £3 p.a. for the Dog Kennel, Stable and Yard in Hungate, land which was then leased to John Hunt in 1792, by which time the kennel had become a casting foundry (YCA E101/218, 219, 339). The 1852 Ordnance Survey map shows the City Foundry to the north of Hungate, which might refer to the same property.
The Foss was a river which was very winding and particularly sluggish. In dry seasons it would often become stagnant.
An Act was passed in 1793 'for making and maintaining a navigable communication from the junction of the Foss and Ouse to Stillington Mill' (Pugh, 1961, 475). This resulted in the setting up of a body of trustees who undertook the building of a lock at Castle Mills and the making of the short branch known as Wormald's Cut (Pugh, 1961, 475). The canal engineer, William Jessop, planned the canalisation of the river and the construction of a lock on Oulston Moor and a Mr Moon was employed to carry them out (Pugh, 1961, 475). However, after the opening of the navigation in November 1794 and the building of six locks between the confluence with the Ouse and Sheriff Hutton, an inspection was carried out by John Rennie, an engineer and bridge builder, who informed the trustees that 'the work had been badly done and that the trustees had spent a great deal more money than was necessary' (Pugh, 1961, 475). Work was stopped and Moon fired.
The trustees were now short of money and the building works were stopped for five years. After an Act of 1801 which allowed the trustees to borrow more money the navigation was completed to Sherriff Hutton and the first dividend was paid in 1810, with the tolls reaching £1,384 by 1809 (Pugh, 1961, 475). Despite this, the navigation failed due to competition from the railway and the effect of the early mismanagement and over expenditure. By 1845 it was silted up and the corporation wanted it cleansed. An Act authorising them to do so was passed in 1853.
The navigation was renewed when an agreement was made with Henry Leetham and Sons in 1888, and the Castle Mills lock was rebuilt and the canal improved so that it was now possible to reach the Mills situated on Hungate. In 1920, the boats belonging to the Leetham Mill constituted five-sixths of the traffic on the river (Pugh, 1961, 475). The agreement with Leetham was eventually replaced by a new 'preferential scale' and the navigation was retained and still served factories and warehouses in the Hungate area in 1961 (Pugh, 1961, 475).
