Fears that building of pumping station near site of Yorkshire battle fought in 1066 could 'damage archaeology'

The flood-prone Germany Beck close to the A64/A19 interchange on the outskirts of York is where the Battle of Fulford took place shortly before England was invaded in 1066. A Viking army captured York, forcing King Harold of England to march his forces north to defeat them before he had to return south again to fight the Battle of Hastings, which resulted in the Norman Conquest.

In 2018, Persimmon began construction of a large new housing development at Germany Beck, and City of York Council have now submitted plans for a pumping station to protect the area from flooding.

The proposed site is just 80 metres from where archaeological digs that took place on the battlefield in 2014 and 2022 uncovered items such as sword fragments and arrowheads linked to the Saxon and Viking armies.

Local campaigner Chas Jones, who set up the community history group to protect and recognise the area’s significance over 20 years ago, has raised concerns that the chance of further discoveries could be lost if the development goes ahead.

City of York Council delayed a decision on their application at a planning committee meeting earlier this week, and it will be discussed again in the new year.

Mr Jones: “I hoped that York City Council would get the process right this time. Instead they have pressed ahead without discussing the justification for selecting this location when other seemingly more economic sites less damaging to the environment and our heritage suggest themselves.

“This site could soon be recognised as an archaeological site of international importance attracting many visitors so visual damage must be minimised. York City’s archaeologist notes that a plan showing how the site can be enjoyed using 5km of existing public paths was submitted in 2019, addressing one of the overlooked planning conditions attached to the original Germany Beck planning approval. This has yet to be discharged as the mandated Battle of Fulford Trail has not been provided. Because the proposed pumping station is at the very centre of the battle action it is vital that its siting and construction respect this historic setting.”

Historic England are currently reviewing an application to designate Fulford as a heritage battlefield site, and Ordnance Survey now include it on maps, around 30 metres from the boundary of the proposed pumping station.

The planning documents state that the flood alleviation scheme for Fulford Ings would also include a control kiosk, access track, parking area, culvert underneath Selby Road, earth embankments and a temporary construction compound.

Although Historic England have not formally objected to the application, their ancient monument inspector Keith Emerick recommended that care be taken to adhere to

suggestions for preservation of the site made by the council’s own archaeologist, Claire MacRae.

Ms MacRae’s report concurs that the area is of ‘national’ significance despite previous failed attempts to have it included on a register of battlefields prior to the current Historic England review. Historic England confirmed that their decision, which is still pending, would not be affected by the decision on whether to proceed with the pumping station.

The archaeologist’s report states: “ The proposed infrastructure for this scheme is located within the heart of the assumed battlefield. The proposal will not significantly harm the setting or legibility of the battlefield site. The preferred proposal acknowledges potential harm to any surviving archaeological features or finds. However, overall, the

preferred option scored low-medium in terms of adverse impact. Given the other constraints to be considered and the actual adverse impact that this scheme would have on the legibility of the battlefield I do not object to the siting of the station in this area.

"The assessments describe the potential for battlefield archaeology to survive within this location as moderate. The area of the proposed pumping station is close to the location on the riverbank where the Fulford Battlefield Society found ferrous material between 2013-2019 likely related to the battlefield. This material is currently under assessment by various specialists. There is the potential to locate more of this material if it survives here during archaeological investigation ahead of construction."

She added that it was ‘not possible’ to include a visitor trail on the scale suggested by the Fulford Battlefield Society as part of the current application, though an ‘interpretation scheme’ featuring information boards could be developed in future if Historic England designation is granted.

The report concludes: “No development or archaeological investigation should take place until a written scheme of investigation for all outlined archaeological works has been submitted to and approved by the local planning authority. A programme of post-determination archaeological mitigation, specifically an archaeological watching brief, metal detecting survey and excavation is required on this site.”