York Historic Environment Record

An embanked road-way, surfaced with timber railway sleepers which are still visible in places on the surface, runs from the north-eastern edge of the Imphal Barracks to the bottom strip of land between Low Moor Allotments and The Retreat, the location of the assault course. The road-way is visible on the ground as a low bank, about 5m wide. It appears newly constructed on aerial photographs taken in April 1942 so probably dates to the early years of the Second World War (RAF 1942).

NMR Information
Summary description
Embanked trackway surfaced with timber railway sleepers, now overgrown with grass, leading from the rear of Imphal Barracks onto Walmgate Stray and crossing an area of boggy ground. The track appears to be newly constructed on aerial photographs of April 1942 and was probably constructed across a boggy strip of ground to allow military vehicles to be dispersed from the barracks and hidden under trees.

Full description
(SE 6146 5048) Second World war temporary trackway.
In 2004, English Heritage carried out an investigation and field survey at Level 3 standard of Walmgate Stray, as part of a national project to examine the heritage of England's urban commons (Event Record 1376159) (1).

A report including a full textual description and analysis accompanied by maps, plans and photographs is available from the National Monuments Record, together with the rest of the project archive material (reference number SE 65 SW 500). (1)

Source
1 Field Investigators Comments English Heritage: Urban Commons Project: Walmgate Stray survey

NMR, NMR data (Unassigned). SYO2214.