| Description | A watching brief was carried out by On Site Archaeology between July and November 2002 during groundworks for the construction of a temporary medical centre and the new medical centre at Northgate Surgery, Northgate, Pontefract. The development area comprises a roughly rectangular plot measuring c.57m by 28m.
The watching brief comprised the observation of ground reduction and pile position excavation by mechanical excavator prior to construction of the temporary medical centre. The excavation of foundation trenches and related groundworks prior to the construction of the new medical centre were also observed. The foundations of both structures were excavated by a 360 degree tracked excavator fitted with a toothed bucket. These were excavated to varying depths the deepest foundations (along Northgate street frontage) were excavated to a depth of 2.8m, while the shallowest foundations (for the temporary structure) were excavated to a depth of 0.30m. Two areas of ground reduction were monitored. These were a strip along the northern margin of the site and an area in the centre of the site near an electrical sub station.
A large number of archaeologically significant features were revealed during the works. Pits, ditches, structural features and deposits of probable medieval and post medieval date were recorded, and pottery, building material, animal bone and assorted finds were recovered (see file).
72 sherds of pottery were recovered. 70 of these were medieval in date and represented two phases of activity; the earliest of these dated to between the later 11th and early 13th century, while the later dated to the 14th and 15th centuries. |