York Historic Environment Record

watching brief, test-pits Eleven test pits were subject to an archaeological watching brief on this site. The test pits were done to determine the level of pollutants in the surrounding soil on this site. Within the test pits deposits of archaeological importance were recovered and lay between the 19th century deposits and the natural although the spread of deposits were by no means evenly spread across the site. In most if not all of the pits the deposits were waterlogged. Evidence for clay extraction was recorded and relate directly to historically documented brickyards which occupied this site in the 19th century. One pit worthy of note was test pit number 8, where a quantity of Roman material including roof tile was recovered. This appearance of material which was Roman in date appeared to be unique to this pit. Elsewhere material which was post-medieval in date was recovered but was thought to relate to the waterlogging and silting up of the clay pits which lie adjacent to the River Foss.