York Historic Environment Record

During the Test Pits excavated to locate the sewer, no direct evidence for either its definite course or construction method was observed. It appears that at least two of the pits may not have been located directly over the line of the existing sewer. These pits and the additional pits excavated along the line of the proposed sewer diversion all showed that there had been considerable dumping of material, probably in the period from the 16th century to the present, which sealed extensive alluvium deposits, which appeared undisturbed, associated with either the former course of the River Foss or deposited within the King's Fishpool. In Trench 4 a cobbled surface, possibly associated with an earlier surface of Dundas Street was observed and walls associated with late 19th century buildings were observed in Trench 1. From these interventions it was impossible to determine whether the existing sewers were trench built or tunnelled. There is therefore the potential for any alteration to the existing or excavation for the new sewer will encounter stratified archaeological deposits. These will range from the 19` h and 20`h century use of the site through to the medieval and earlier river regimes. The make up material and alluvial deposits are of great archaeological importance for furthering our understanding of land reclamation in the last four hundred years and the earlier river regime and the King's Fishpool in this area