Archaeological Building Recording of 13-15 Chancery Lane, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire.

ARCUS were commissioned in March 2006, by Brantwood Design and Build, to undertake a programme of archaeological building recording of two former wool warehouses at 13-15 Chancery Lane, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire (SE 1443 1667). The owners have obtained planning consent to convert the premises to ground floor/basement retail units, with apartments on the upper floors. The present programme of recording has been specified by West Yorkshire Archaeology Service (WYAS), under an archaeological condition which has been placed on the consent. The aims of the recording programme, as specified in the WYAS brief, were: * To identify and objectively record by means of photographs and annotated measured drawings, any significant evidence for the original and subsequent historical form and functions of the buildings. * To analyse and interpret the buildings as an integrated system intended to perform a specialised function; analysing historical plan form, technical layout and process flow. The fieldwork and archive research was undertaken in March 2006, and included the compilation of room sheets, a detailed photographic survey, and the production of annotated scaled floor plans of both warehouses at 1: 100 and a representative section of the older property at 1: 50. Archive research and an analysis of available map evidence were also undertaken. The recording revealed evidence that the older warehouse had originally faced a courtyard, with cart access at the rear, and had been heightened by two storeys. Later alterations included internal re-working and the addition of an infill structure in the courtyard, to provide office premises. Deposited architects plans show that the newer warehouse was purpose-designed to act as both warehouse and show-room for an established manufacturer of woollen goods. The Chancery Lane frontage was decorated in restrained gothic style, to make a statement about the status of the owners and their product. The warehouse made full use of an existing and constricted urban plot, moving cart access to the rear, via Brooks Yard, off which an external light well was provided, within which wool could be hoisted to taking-in doors on three elevations, serving different areas of the warehouse. An innovative feature was the provision of an internal light well at the rear, to maximise the light reaching the centre sections of the building, thus assisting in showing the high quality wares being displayed. Originally planned as a ground floor feature, archaeological and _ historic photographic evidence show that this skylight was latterly raised to roof level, before being truncated by the 1960s.