York Historic Environment Record

A parent record for all York Archaeology (YAT) works at Guildhall during 2020. Between the 11th May 2020 and the 26th November 2020 York Archaeological Trust conducted an archaeological excavation at the North Annex of the City of York Guildhall. A watching brief took place on initial ground reductions for the new construction within the North Annexe area of the Guildhall redevelopment. The area was upgraded to an excavation once it was established that groundworks would affect a significant sequence of archaeological deposition, dating from the 2nd century to the modern period. Activity at the site begins with the remodelling of land dropping down to the north-eastern bank of the River Ouse, here by the early 2nd century the natural slope was cut back into a series of terraces onto which a succession of domestic buildings were constructed and periodically replaced during the course of the 2nd and 3rd centuries. Very little evidence was forthcoming for continued activity at the site after the 3rd century into the early medieval period beyond a small selection of 4th and 5th century pottery. Intensive activity on the site was not re-established until the late 11th or 12th century when the last remaining Roman buildings were dismantled to foundation level. The site appears to have remained fairly marginal throughout the 12th and into the early 13th century, with activity largely focused on waste disposal. The effect, whether deliberate or not, was to raise and consolidate the ground level by the mid- 13th century. Documentary sources show that an Augustinian friary was established at the site by AD 1272. Re-occupation of the site in the mid-13th century is reflected by a substantial structure incorporating a large edge-set tile hearth. The appearance of large rubbish disposal pits demonstrates that waste disposal had become a more closely-managed activity by the 14th century. It was also around this time that zonal activity becomes more clearly defined, for example a large stone-built wall bisected the site from north-east to south-west. This was perhaps part of a building that also incorporated a second limestone wall on the same northeast/south-west alignment that was found a short distance to the north-west. A graveyard was established south-east of these structures and appears to have remained in use until the 16th century. Following the Dissolution, the friary buildings were dismantled down to foundation level. Soil accumulation predominated from the late 16th through to the 18th century, presumably relating to gardens at the rear of 10-14 Lendal, a pair of town houses built around AD 1714. Buildings again encroached onto the site from the 19th into the 20th century with the construction of the Guildhall’s North Annex and the Hutments.