York Historic Environment Record

Available archaeological data suggests that the development site of Parkside, Terry Avenue, York, has formed open ground until the later post-medieval period. Land use within the historic periods appears to have been as pasture or meadow with the considerable build-up of soils in this area relating to flooding events of the adjacent River Ouse. Although Speed’s map of 1610 indicates the presence of a track and a small number of buildings, within the general vicinity, it cannot be conclusively stated that these lay within the development area. No buildings are evident on succeeding 17th and 18th century maps. In the 19th century firm evidence for buildings on the development site appear, namely a dye works. Since that time parts of the site have been subject to changes of use though the further construction of buildings appears to have been limited to earlier 20th century warehouses. Beyond the site, the wider study area has been subject to far greater degrees of development. This includes a Roman townhouse, St Clements Nunnery, burial grounds and in the 19th century high density terraced housing. The reason for the increased levels of development beyond the study area relates simply to the bulk of this occurring on the higher ground to the west of the development site and beyond the risk of flooding.