Excavation and repair works will be conducted in the fabled medieval walls of York, United Kingdom, after cracks appeared in one fortification tower.
According to officials, the appearance of cracks that have propagated during a 5-year period in a medieval tower of York city has triggered a series of decisions for the preservation of the historic structures. The future excavation works that will be implemented will also provide archaeologists with the opportunity of making new discoveries.
York's first walls were constructed during the Roman times and it is believed they were made out of wood. Little has been saved from these ancient structures since York was later captured by Anglo-Saxons who did not preserve the fortifications. In 866 AD, York was invaded by Danish Vikings who buried the wall under earth embankments.
The medieval walls that are preserved until today were constructed between the 12th and 14th centuries when the city was wealthy and prosperous. The length of the defensive perimeter was about 3.2 kilometers and incorporated the old city along with its castle. The entire system contained 4 major gates, 6 secondary gates and 44 intermediate towers.
In 1800, an application to demolish the existing walls was filed to the Act of Parliament from the Corporation of York. At that time, the walls were neglected and were mostly ruined. In addition, they prevented the expansion of the city outwards. Nevertheless, the endeavor faced great opposition and was never approved. Currently, the medieval walls are listed as a UK's Scheduled Ancient Monument.
The tower that is now under investigation and where cracks have appeared, was constructed in the 1300s. A walkway was added to the structure during the 18th century, a fact that may have increased the applied load on the structure and has probably resulted in extensively applied stresses.
This walkway was constructed by filling the hollow interior of the tower and will now be excavated in order to release the weight load. The excavation works will also enable detailed archaeological works that may reveal more evidence on medieval York's civilization. “Normally, if we found a crack, we might pin it together, or put mortar in. In this case, the best way is to excavate. That is really exciting. We’ve got this fantastic opportunity, with an excavation and trial pits, to see if we can find out what was there before," Dr. Louisa Hood, bar walls manager at York Council, stated.
In terms of potential findings, historians and engineers believe they can clarify certain details about the construction of the walls including the timeline and the distinct phases of the construction.
The works are planned to commence on October 7, 2020, and will last for at least 4 months. A temporary structure will be erected so that visitors can watch the repair and excavation works.
Sources: HistoryofYork, Dailymail, Yorkshirepost
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