York Historic Environment Record

The site was known to have been occupied by the medieval church of All Saints, Peasholme Green and it was demonstrated by archaeological interventions that there were other significant and well-preserved multi-period archaeological remains in the area surrounding the former church yard. This report details the archaeological interventions and archives relating to the church and church yard undertaken between 1986-2014. The excavations have provided details of the phases of activity on the site from the medieval period to the noneteenth century. Programmes of excavaiton took place in 1986, 2012 and 2014. 1986 EXCAVATIONS Period 3 This period covers the active use of the medieval church and associated grave yard. It is divided into the following series of phases. Period 3a, the construction and use of the original church structure including a lime kiln which may have been used in the construction or perhaps during a later alteration of the building in Period 3b. Period 3b is described as one of 'major structural developments' consisting primarily of the cobble foundations and robbed-out walls of a substantial buttressed wall added to the north of the building, enlarging it significantly and presumably indicating the addition of an aisle or chantry to the main body of the building. Period 3c saw further alterations within the building when a clay, mortar, tile and cobble deposit was laid down across the new building footprint sealing earlier burials. Period 3d further alterations were made to the structure. A layer of cobbles and tile fragments, L-shaped in plan, 1.5m wide and 3m long was deposited. This is dated by pottery to the 14th/15th century. Cutting these deposits were graves for 12 burials and charnel pits. 2012 EXCAVATIONS Period 2 Roman Evidence consisted of a ditch, Pits, Terracing and an inhumation Period 3 Medieval Construction of All Saints in the Marsh, Peasholme North Aisle addition Levelling episode Stone building north-east of grave yard and deposits and features within building. Subsquent alterations of the building and occupation deposits Rubbish pits Burials in grave yard –organised into 16 separate stratigraphic tiers of burials Activity to north of church Period 4 Post Medieval Demolition of medieval buildings Demolition of All Saints Construction and dumping Period 5 18th and 19th century Hay Market and Leeds Arms Weigh House Late 19th-20th century activity Hostel and Haymarket Car Park 2014 EXCAVATIONS Period 3 Anglo Scandinavian A small amount of probable pre-Conquest deposition was identified during the Ambulance Station excavation in 2010 and again during the watching brief during 2014. Residual Anglo-Scandinavian period pottery has been identified from graves suggesting disturbance of deposition pre-dating the grave yard of All Saints by grave-cutting Period 4 Medieval Burials and evidence for the western end of the church. Boundary ditches were identified relating to the edges of the church yard