York Historic Environment Record

On 23rd and 24th of April 2012 York Archaeological Trust undertook a watching on works at the former public conveniences, Parliament Street, York. The objective was to record any deposits, features or buried structures exposed during the excavation of three trenches, nominally 1.5m x 1.5m, for drain chambers dug as part of the remodelling works at the south-east end of Parliament Street. Recording was by means of written notes and measured sketches supplemented by a number of colour digital photographs. Representative sections were recorded from Trenches 1 and 3. Although virtually all of the deposits recorded within the three trenches were definitely or probably modern in origin two, Contexts 100 and 1005, may represent true archaeology. The possibly organic Context 1000 was similar to deposits seen below commercial premises to the north of the present site and may indicate that in some places in the vicinity of the current site archaeological deposits of some note survive relatively close to the modern ground surface. The results from Trench 2, however, also show that there has been considerable destruction or disturbance caused by modern services / activity.