York Historic Environment Record

A watching brief was observed during excavation of strip-footings for an extension to the property at 2 Albemarle Road, on the 9th September 2009. The trench was 0.60m wide and L-shaped, with the south-east – north-west axis measuring 2m long and the south-west – north-east axis measuring 8m long. The earliest observed deposit was a very compact, lightly pink, brown sandy clay with marbled grey sandy streaks, interpreted as a natural geological deposit. This was encountered at 0.60m below ground level (BGL) and continued to the depth limit of 0.90m BGL. The natural appeared to have been exposed and levelled off during the construction of the standing building as its concrete footings sat on top of the clay and were overlain by a make-up deposit up to 0.60m thick. This was a compact, slightly orange, brown sandy clay which contained modern brick, fragments of late postmedieval pottery and pieces of plastic rubbish. This deposit had been cut by a modern foul water drain and by electric and gas service pipes, and the whole was sealed by a 0.20m thick topsoil of soft, dark brown, sandy silt. In conclusion, no significant archaeological deposits were encountered. It may well be that such remains were removed during the initial construction of the house, or during earlier activity associated with the hotel.