York Historic Environment Record

On 6th and 7th July 2015, York Archaeological Trust undertook a watching brief at Patrick Pool, York. The objective was to record any deposits, features or buried structures exposed during works associated with the excavation of a shallow trench in advance of cabling works between Newgate House at the South East end and Church Street and the North West end. The cable trench would commence midway along the SW facade of Newgate House, and turn NW along the line of Patrick Pool, some 0.5m west of and parallel to the stone kerb of the pavement. The trench would terminate where it met an earlier cable trench dug as part of the same scheme, crossing Church Street. Almost all of the deposits exposed in the cable trench are of recent origin, probably 19th or early 20th century. The trench was not deep enough to affect or disturb any archaeological deposits with the exception of the brick lined well. The deposits identified are primarily made ground over the length of Patrick Pool. The lack of finds of more than recent origin suggests this is not up-cast from the digging of services in the area. The cable trench crosses the presumed line of the Roman fortress wall and is less than 2 metres from the current boundary of St Sampsons Church. No finds of early modern or older material were observed in the spoil, nor was any charnel identified which might indicate the disturbance of burials associated with the church. Either the area has been so heavily truncated as to remove such material entirely or more likely, archaeological deposits are buried beneath the made ground.