York Historic Environment Record

AOC Archaeology Group was commissioned by City of York Council to undertake an archaeological watching brief during roadworks on St Leonard’s Place, York, adjacent to the York Theatre Royal. The watching brief involved monitoring during groundworks to repair a sinkhole that appeared on the carriageway of St Leonard’s Place. The watching brief was carried out in two stages covering the western and eastern sides of the road which were excavated separately (Trenches 1 and 2) to allow one lane to remain open. The groundworks involved the excavation of a trench to investigate the cause of the sinkhole, the removal of rubble and unstable material, consolidation of the ground and repair to the road surface. The archaeological watching brief was designed to record any structures, features, deposits and finds of archaeological significance. On the eastern side of the road in Trench 1 and below modern tarmac, concrete and rubble, a surface made up of large limestone blocks was found which was thought to have formed the foundation or original base for St Leonard’s Place which was constructed in the 1830s. The stone may have derived from demolition material from St Leonard’s Hospital and the city walls or other structures which were demolished during historic development of this part of York. On the western side of the road in Trench 2 the footings or remains of two limestone structures were found which may relate to a medieval building known to exist in this area, possibly St Leonard’s Hospital or an associated structure.