York Historic Environment Record

An excavation at 28-40 Blossom Street conducted between 30th June and 14th August 2009 encountered natural glacial deposits overlain by six phases of Roman acdvity dating from the late Ist to the late 4th centuries AD, 3 phases of medieval deposits and 2 phases of post-medieval and modem activity. Roman activity consisted of Ist-2nd century ditches and a small road, mid 2nd / early 3rd century levelling and possible industrial and funerary activity, major 3rd century levelling and possible structures and a mid-late 4th century clearance and building. Of specific interest are the early ditches which have potential parallels nearby, the possibility of mid 2nd / early 3rd century funerary features given the proximity of the site to known cemeteries, and the apparent lack of any trace of the main road from Eboracum to Calcaria, thought to lie immediately north-west of the excavation. Post-Roman, medieval and modem activity was limited to evidence of llth-13th century 'back-land' agricuftural activity, overlain by 1m of medieval ploughsoil and the remains of nineteenth century buildings demolished in the 1960s.