| Description | 77 Northgate. Wakefield. Stone and timber framed house dating to the late medieval period. Now demolished.
WYAAS archives holds a copy of a report entitled 'The development of Northgate, Wakefield, West Yorkshire' by K.S. Bartlett possibly dating to 1986. The subject of the report primarily relates to the development of Northgate from 1800 up to 1975. Five timber framed buildings are mentioned in the report dating between 1350 and 1600. A survey of 77 Northgate, the excavation of a 14th century oven and an assemblage of late 17th/early 18th century pottery and glassware found in quarry back fill are also described. The report includes extracts from historic maps, sketches of buildings, photographic images of buildings and architectural details, interpretive plans and diagrams and pottery illustrations.
Principal sites mentioned are the medieval Haselden Hall (see PRN 4608), 53 Northgate (PRN 12988 and PRN 12989) and 77 Northgate (the subject of this record)
The report provides details of the survey undertaken in 1968 by members of the Wakefield Archaeological Research Group, led by Bartlett, which investigated 77 Northgate. The text relating to this survey is summarised below:
The building stood on the west side of Northgate at right angles to the road, 60 feet long and 20 feet wide. The east gable fronted on to Northgate. The outer walls were constructed of stone two feet thick up to wall plate level and at the gable ends up to tie beam level. The gable ends were completely timber framed gables comprising tie beam and king post. Two oblique studs, principal rafters and common rafters supported by single purlins. The whole building was divided into two equal halves by a timber framed truss from ground floor to ridge. The centre truss had studs with grooves to accommodate split oak lathes and plaster. The report provides a detailed room by room description of the historic architectural details. Of note is the well which was found in the Inner Room. It was excavated to a depth of three feet and produced small fragments of 15th century pottery.
The report also describes the medieval stone beehive oven which appear as a collapsed mound of burnt stones which still retained the ashes of the last firing. This ashes level contained pottery of a probably 14th century date.
Beneath the demolished 79 Northgate (a late 18th century building) a stone quarry was identified. The back fill of the quarry contained domestic waste, pottery and glass bottles of late 17th to early 18th century date. The report provides a details and illustrations of the pottery and glassware found.
Bartlett suggests that an ancient Gothic chapel in Northgate which was converted to a dwelling by Richard Towne (before the 1770s) was most likely 77 Northgate (Anon, R. 1775. ‘A year in the life of Horbury’)
(Bartlett, K.S. 1986(?). 'The development of Northgate, Wakefield. West Yorkshire'). |