York Historic Environment Record

The watching brief was undertaken due to the repair to the cobbling of Gray's Court. Previous archaeological and documentary research suggest the at current cobbled surface was created around 1815. In general, the repairs added little to our knowledge of the development of Gray's Court. The exposed remains of the underground chamber were of significance. It was almost certainly an offshoot from the lower floor of the college range a few meters to the NW. NMR: Observation of cobbling repairs N of the Treasurer's House which revealed the remains of an C18th cellar. This was interpreted as being "perhaps a coal store, accessible from the building on the SW of the courtyard (Gray'sCourt), now owned by the college (College of Ripon and York, St John).(This description seems rather obscure since the Treasurer's House itself occupies the south western side of the Court. Possibly the most satisfactory solution is that the building referred to is that of 1 Minster Yard [formerly 'Gray's Court']. This stands along the north western sideof the Court but is, according to the DoE List of Buildings of Special or Historic Interest 1997, now a college of further education).(Whilst National Trust Ann. Arch. Review 6 gives the name of this site as 'Grey's Court' the area is marked as 'Gray's Court' on OS 1:1250 1982) The National Trust annual archaeological review Early issues have title 'Annual Archaeological Abstracts' 70 6/1998