Westgate Area 1, Wakefield, West Yorkshire. Archaeological Excavation

Excavation of land between Brick Lane and Westgate, Wakefield, West Yorkshire (centred on NGR SE 328 207) was undertaken by Birmingham Archaeology during November 2008. The excavation was commissioned by Scott Wilson on behalf of Wakefield Metropolitan District Council, in advance of a proposed mixed-use development on the site. A previous archaeological evaluation on the site, undertaken by Birmingham Archaeology in 2006 (Krawiec & Edgeworth 2007) had identified evidence of medieval and post-medieval activity in the form of pits, walls and floor surfaces. The excavation uncovered evidence of three distinct burgage plots, dating from the early medieval period, fronting onto Westgate. Within these burgage plots evidence of small scale industrial activity was present in the form of a number of pits. The presence of later walls dating to the late medieval and post-medieval periods indicates the continued use of these plots. Between the 18th and 20th centuries further activity was seen by the construction of various buildings which fronted onto Westgate, some of which re-used the earlier structures. A wooden roughout of a bowl and a large amount of lower leg bone from roe deer were recovered from an early post-medieval cess pit. The roughout, one of the earliest stages in the making of bowls, suggests that carpentry was taking place in the vicinity. The large amount of lower leg bone from roe deer is indicative of the processing of carcasses and it is likely that the butchery occurred either on site or close by during this phase.