York Historic Environment Record

NMR information:

[SE 600516] A Roman civil town, later a Colonia, situated S.W. of the Ouse, the defences followed in part by the mediaeval wall. Remains of massive walling have been found at 5968 5162, 5973 5173 and 5981 5180, and numerous buildings have been excavated.(1)

The civilian settlement at York was built on the South East bank of the River Ouse, probably from the early C2nd, and a probable visit by Hadrian in AD 122 may have provided the stimulus for rapid growth and the construction of public buildings and private houses.

The promotion of York to Colonial status probably occured under Caracalla in the early C3rd and certainly by AD 237. York may already have possessed the rank of Municipium prior to its promotion.

After the middle of the C4th archaeological evidence indicates a period of decline as buildings and streets fell into disrepair, possibly caused by civil unrest and the continuous demands of Imperial usurpers for garrisoned troops. (2-3)

RCHE: Old Station, Public Baths, York/survey
RCHME: Colonia Defences, Old Station Yard, York
RCHME: Colonia, Building Remains under St Mary's Church, Bishophill Senior, York
RCHME: Colonia, Building with Mosaic, York
RCHME: Colonia, Buildings in Micklegate, York
RCHME: Colonia, Diagram showing structural finds, York
RCHME: Colonia, Fetter Lane Bath House, York
RCHME: Colonia, Roman Buildings and other Finds in Toft Green, York
RCHME: Colonia, Roman Buildings and other remains, Toft Green, York
RCHME: Colonia, Roman Buildings in Toft Green, York
RCHME: Colonia: House in Toft Green with three mosaics, York
RCHME: Old Station Yard Baths and earlier remains, York
RCHME: Old Station Yard, Baths and Earlier Remains, York
RCHME: Old Station Yard, Public Baths, York
1 The City of York. Volume 1: Eboracum: Roman York: Addendum 42-58 Royal Commission on Historical Monuments, England
2 VIRTUAL CATALOGUE ENTRY TO SUPPORT NAR MIGRATION Roman and Anglian York, Historical Map and Guide 1988 YAT RCHME OS
3 The towns of Roman Britain 167-188 by J S Wacher

Related Objects:

901478 RCHME: Colonia, Diagram showing structural finds, York
901489 RCHME: Old Station Yard Baths and earlier remains, York
901490 RCHME: Colonia: House in Toft Green with three mosaics, York
901493 RCHME: Colonia, Roman Buildings and other remains, Toft Green, York
901494 RCHE: Old Station, Public Baths, York/survey
901496 RCHME: Old Station Yard, Baths and Earlier Remains, York
901570 RCHME: Old Station Yard, Public Baths, York
901575 RCHME: Colonia, Building with Mosaic, York
901580 RCHME: Colonia, Fetter Lane Bath House, York
901586 RCHME: Colonia, Buildings in Micklegate, York
901592 RCHME: Colonia, Building Remains under St Mary's Church, Bishophill Senior, York
901601 RCHME: Colonia Defences, Old Station Yard, York
901617 RCHME: Colonia, Roman Buildings and other Finds in Toft Green, York
901707 RCHME: Colonia, Roman Buildings in Toft Green, York
901934 RCHME: Colonia, Buildings in Micklegate, York
902156 RCHME: Old Station Yard, Baths and Earlier Remains, York

Patrick Ottaway, 2015, Commercial Archaeology and the Study of Roman York 1990-2013 (Article in monograph). SYO2902.

NMR, 2019, NMR data (Digital archive). SYO2214.