St Mary's Water Tower and Boat House, York: Archaeological Assessment

AOC Archaeology Group was commissioned by York St John University to undertake an archaeological assessment of St Mary's Water Tower and the adjacent university boat house (centred at SE 59758 52047), prior to the proposed construction of a new boat house on the site. The Water Tower dates to the early 14th century, and forms the south-western end of the precinct walls of the former St Mary's Abbey, the site of which is now occupied by Museum Gardens. The boat house occupies a small plot of land on the southwestern corner of Museum Gardens, and consists of a single storey concrete building, constructed in the 1960s. The archaeological assessment comprised a desk-based assessment of the site, to determine the potential for unrecorded archaeological remains in the area, a laser scan survey and building assessment of the Water Tower, and the excavation of a trial pit within the Water Tower to determine the depth and nature of any surviving archaeological features or deposits. An impact assessment was undertaken, informed by the results of these investigations. This highlighted the potential for sub-surface archaeological remains to survive within the area of the proposed boat house development and within the interior of the Water Tower, as well as potential for an alteration to the historical setting of the Scheduled Monument area of the abbey precinct walls, the Museum Gardens Registered Park and Garden, and the Central Historic Core Conservation Area of York. Recommendations were made for further evaluation on the site of the proposed boat house and a watching brief during any construction work within the Water Tower.