| Catalogue Finding Number | WYHER/7405 |
| Office record is held at | Historical Environment Record, West Yorkshire Archaeology Advisory Service |
| Held Outside WYAS | THE RECORD DESCRIBED IS HELD AND ADMINISTERED BY THE WEST YORKSHIRE HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT RECORD PLEASE CONTACT THEM ON 0113 535 0157 IF YOU WISH TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO VIEW THIS RECORD |
| Title | Watching Brief, Cloth Hall Street, Leeds |
| Description | A watching brief was carried out by Lindsey Archaeological Services between August and September 2002 after completion of continuous piling during the lowering of the site interior at Cloth Hall Street, Leeds. The development site comprises and area of land c.1900 square meters in extent, bounded to the north by Cloth Hall Street, to the east by Crown Street and to the south by a viaduct. A subdivision of the Carboniferous Lower Coal Measures underlies the proposed development site, and shallow mine workings are thought to be extensive in the area.
The watching brief was carried out during the groundworks preparation of the site for construction of the new building. c.80% of the construction area was excavated to a depth of 3 4m below existing ground level using a tracked 360 degree excavator fitted with a toothed bucket. Prior to the general reduction of ground levels three test pits were excavated close to the south west perimeter of the construction area to investigate the nature of the existing rear wall foundations.
The remains of 33 bell pits were recorded, confirming that there was extensive mining activity within the development site. Bell pit 320 (located at the north west of the site, 5m south of the Cloth Hall Street site boundary) was sealed below a cellar wall. The feature was unstable, but the loose fill falling from the face of the pit exposed linear tool marks up to 0.3m long and 0.02m wide. The marks appeared to have been made by a chisel or pick axe.
The only direct dating evidence found was a brick within the fill of one of the bell pits suggesting that it may have been backfilled in the 17th 18th century. The size of the bell pits varied from 6.09 to 7.62m deep and 3.65m in diameter at the top and 0.91m in diameter at the bottom. |
| Date | 21st century |
| Extent | contact the West Yorkshire Archaeology Advisory Service for information on what is available |
| Level | Item |