Huge medieval hospital no one knew was there found in 'void' of UK city
A recently opened sinkhole in Yorkshire has revealed the remnants of what is believed to be one of the largest medieval hospitals in Northern England
A discovery on the site of a former Roman legionary fortress saw archaeologists move in to investigate a stunning new find, located in the middle of the road outside the York Theatre Royal.
The void was opened after workers tried to repair a sinkhole on St Leonard’s Place and is said to contain what is believed to be part of a 12th-13th century hospital.
The site stretched from the modern-day Museum Gardens to the Theatre Royal and post-reformation, the location was used as the Royal Mint.
It was given the medieval name of Mint Yard and was demolished several hundred years ago before a road was built on top of it.
The area was made safe before contractors and archaeology teams began conducting investigation works. As part of this process, a lane closure was facilitated to keep workers, traffic and the public safe.
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York Council confirmed findings have been recorded in line with CIFA standards and images have been taken and also recorded with further analysis expected to take place.
Councillor Kate Ravilious, Executive Member for Transport said: "We thank people for their patience and we know these emergency works have caused disruption to residents, visitors and bus operators.
"We knew that there is a lot of complex archaeology in the area dating back to the Roman legionary fortress. Throughout the works, we have been live to this while doing all we can to get off-site as quickly as possible. However these finds, while fascinating, have set our timescales back a bit.
“We will continue to share updates as the work progresses. At peak times the inner ring road is very busy so we're asking people to plan ahead, use the outer ring road to traverse the city where possible and consider other ways to travel to the city centre. That includes getting the bus, walking or cycling. While some buses are being diverted they will continue to serve communities across the city."
Dedicated travel information is available here.
The area became a new Georgian streetscape in 1836 and was soon one of the most fashionable parts of the city at the time.
The demolished parts of the city walls were then used to create a base for their new road, which is now known as St Leonard’s Place.
Nowadays, the road which sits atop of the former St Leonard's Hospital is a major thoroughfare for commuters and is known for its elegant architecture.
