York Historic Environment Record

Between 16 October 2006 and 19 January 2007, York Archaeological Trust maintained a watching brief during the machine excavation of two trenches (Trenches 1 and 3) and caissons (Trenches 2 and 4), for the realignment of a sewer main. The sewer main was diverted to avoid the foundation footprint of, mainly, blocks A, B and C of the Hungate (York) Regeneration Ltd (HYR) development. Part of this work also included the diversion of a brick sewer (Trench 5) located beneath a former access road of the Northern Electric depot, the previous occupant of the site. The watching brief was to be upgraded to archaeological hand excavation and recording when deposits and features of archaeological importance were encountered. In this case, only Trench 3 warranted upgrading. In Trench 3 significant archaeological remains were encountered. These were in the form of a Roman surface followed by a complex sequence of timber or wicker revetted water fronts and their associated levelling deposits. These were dated to between the 11th-14th centuries and ran parallel to the north bank of the River Foss suggesting that, in this location, its course had changed little over the preceding centuries. In Trenches 1, 2 and 4 the archaeological remains were of a minor significance and comprised pond silts of the former King’s Fishpool sealed by later Post-medieval land reclamation deposits, culminating in the 19th/20th Centuries. In Trench five the pond silts were absent and the natural subsoils, as well as being much higher than elsewhere, were sealed directly beneath the Post–medieval land reclamation deposits.