York Historic Environment Record

An archaeological evaluation, comprising the excavation of three trenches was carried out on behalf of Moorside developments on a large covered site bounded by Micklegate, Priory Street and Dewsbury Terrace. The site was formerly a car showroom and garage with frontage onto Micklegate and rear access from Dewsbury Terrace. It is currently used as vehicle storage by Kennings Car Hire Ltd. This work was undertaken to determine the condition of the archaeological deposits in advance of proposals to demolish the existing buildings and develop the site for dwellings. In addition to the excavation of the three evaluation trenches the existing buildings on the site were the subject of a limited photographic survey. Trench 1 measured 3x3m and was excavated to a depth of 1.40m below ground level. A number of features cut the basal layer including a small mammal burial and two postholes. The remains of a late 19th century outbuilding and an associated brick surface were found. Trench 2 measured 3x3m and was excavated to a depth of 3.56m below ground level. Natural deposits were encountered in the base of the trench. A possible well and a substantial, well-constructed Roman wall foundation were found towards the base of the trench. A series of associated construction and occupation deposits dating to the late 2nd or early 3rd centuries AD were found along with a mortar surface which may be contemporary with the wall foundation. The wall foundation was truncated by a robber trench suggesting that a wall had been robbed out. The pottery assemblages recovered rom the fills of the trench suggest the robbing took place in the 4th century. A gully and a number of pits containing 4th century pottery and residual earlier wares truncated the upper fills of the robber trench. A number of features possibly associated with an 18th century formal garden cut the Roman deposits. Trench 3 measured 2x2m and was excavated to a depth of 1.79m below ground level. A series of garden soil and brick rubble layers were encountered. The lower layers comprised garden soil containing a few fragments of residual Roman pottery. The upper layers dated to the early modern and Victorian periods. Two shallow cut features were identified towards the base of the trench. Two entries for this on NMR. NMR source from 1358253 Britannia : a journal of Romano-British and kindred studies inc. consolidated index for volumes 1-25 (1970-1994) Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies 340 32/2001