Walmgate open day: archaeologists to shed light on York cattle market

A fortnightly cattle market was held just outside the city walls at Walmgate for hundreds of years – and at least one local butcher is known to have operated inside the walls.

Members of the public who come along to a free York Archaeology open day at the former Willow House care home on Walmgate next Saturday as part of the National Festival of Archaeology will be invited to find out more about that aspect of the area’s past.

Sheep being herded through Walmgate Bar in the 1910s (Image: Explore York Libraries and Archives)

Willow House, just inside Walmgate Bar, is home to two of York Archaeology’s ongoing projects: Archaeology on Prescription (which aims to give local people the chance to get involved in archaeology to improve their health and wellbeing) and a new training dig for the next generation of archaeologists.

Excavations have been ongoing on the site for some time.

Visitors who come along next Saturday between 10am and 3pm will be given tours of the trenches that archaeologists are working on, where the first signs of the Hope Street British School, and possibly earlier buildings, are beginning to emerge.

A previous open day at York Archaeology's Willow House site in Walmgate (Image: York Archaeology)

Visitors will be able to try their hand at some key archaeology skills, including drawing of finds and handling some of the items uncovered on site so far, including fragments of pottery dating as far back as the Roman period.

“We are also encouraging locals, especially those who have lived around this area for a long time, to come and share their memories and any photographs taken around the Long Close Lane and Willow Street area,” said Ian Milsted, York Archaeology’s head of community engagement.

“We are planning opportunities for locals to get involved in future digs here, so it would be great to chat to them about their experiences and our plans.”

Ian Milsted in one of the trenches at York Archaeology's Willow House site in Walmgate (Image: York Archaeology)

The key focus of the open day, however, will be Walmgate’s association with the livestock trade.

“This part of York hosted a fortnightly cattle market from the late 16th century until 1970, so long-standing residents will probably remember the old stalls set up just outside the city walls from Fishergate to Walmgate Bar,” Ian said.

“We know of a local butcher – Mary-Ann Crow – who traded just inside the walls, probably taking livestock directly from the livestock markets and butchering it here.

Horses at York Cattle Market, 1914. The animals were being readied for use in the First World War (Image: Explore York Libraries and Archives)

“We have found many pieces of animal bone on this site, probably discarded by butchers and their customers over the years, and will be challenging visitors to guess which animals they came from.”

The Willow House site has been provided to York Archaeology for the Archaeology on Prescription project by City of York Council.

The initiative is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, NHS and Shared Prosperity Fund. Participants often have no background in archaeology, but have been referred to the project by local GPs and charities such as Converge, The Hut and Blueberry Academy to have a positive impact on their wellbeing and mental health.

For more information, visit yorkarchaeology.co.uk/community