York Historic Environment Record

The six evaluation trenches excavated within the footprint of the proposed new building did not reveal any archaeological features. The trench located within the area of ridge and furrow earthworks revealed the presence of a ditch, corresponding with the linear feature recorded by the geophysics. The fill of the ditch contained a small assemblage of Romano-British pottery and animal bone, suggestive of the disposal of domestic refuse. This may imply some form of settlement in the vicinity, probably to the west of the site, along the fringes of the known Roman road. The ditch was probably backfilled in the late 3rd or early 4th century AD. The only archaeological feature identified during the evaluation was the single ditch. The area of ridge and furrow earthworks is to be preserved in-situ beneath a sensory garden, with only very limited development impact being proposed. An archaeological watching brief will be carried out during these limited development works. The Romano-British ditch is unlikely to be impacted upon by the development proposal.