York Historic Environment Record

evaluation, trenches The phase 2 evaluation consisted of two trenches. These encountered a well, domestic pits, and a substantial oven, and a large boundary or defensive ditch/moat, backfilled with domestic and organic waste dating from the 13th to 16th century, with two bridging phases, followed by disuse, levelling and dumping. Problems in phasing this ditch have led to the creation of two models for the site. According to the medieval model, the ditch was constructed in the late 12th century as the southern boundary of the hospital of St. Nicholas. The English Civil War model suggests that the ditch is part of an extensive network of ditch and bank fortifications dating to between 1635 and 1645.