In this phase a number of changes occurred within the buildings that had been constructed in Phase 9.2 (Buildings U, V and W). In addition, a new building was constructed (Building Y), attached to the southern side of Buildings U and W.
 

There were several modifications within the northern room of Building U. All the partition walls were removed and the resultant holes backfilled. The backfill of corner post 2391 (see plan Phase 9.2) contained a curious lead alloy object (SF01002) (see the artefacts report). This may be a weight for use with a steelyard. The interior of the room was then levelled (including 2338 and 2389).

A north-east to south-west slot (not shown on the plan) was inserted on the eastern side of the room, forming a new eastern wall. This may suggest that the room had been enlarged to c.5.5m long by c.4m wide, taking in a small area on the western side of Building V. To the north of the slot a post-hole (not shown on the plan), with stake-hole piles in its base, was also inserted. This may have held a post-pad for a post upright to support the new eastern wall.

A large rectangular hearth (2285), constructed of edge-set tiles, was then built. This insertion suggests the conversion of the northern room to a hall on the street frontage. How this fitted in with the rest of Building U is not clearly understood. Perhaps a shop outlet was not required and therefore this part of the building was converted to a hall for the use of the artisans, or the northern room may have been sublet as a hall. The lack of a shop on the frontage is unusual because metalworking continued in the rear rooms of Building U. It is unclear where the metal goods being produced in Building U were being sold.

Within the northern room a number of floor and use deposits built up (including 1772, 2132, 2146 and 2187). Context 2187 had a high slag content, implying that metalworking was still being carried out. Its significance is unclear, however, as no other evidence for metalworking was recovered from the room in this phase. Use deposit 2146, sealing the northern side of hearth 2285, indicates the hearth's final use.

The southern part of Building U underwent extensive alterations. A new north-east to south-west aligned wall (1624) was built on the eastern side of the building. This was constructed due to the subsidence of wall 1689 (see Phase 9.2). At the northern end of wall 1624 a brick sill wall (1269) was added, as well as the masonry (1267) to support a door frame. This suggests the existence of a doorway into the yard area to the east from Building U.

The beam slot or foundation (2603 - see Phase 9.2) was removed, and therefore the middle and southern rooms of Building U from Phase 9.2 were amalgamated into a single southern room which measured c.8.35m x c.5m.

A spread of industrial material (2539) which contained a piece of plain tile that was covered in iron waste (SF01176) as well as over-fired and blown tile, was laid down at the southern end of the new room. On top of this a new hearth of bricks (2505) was constructed. Only a remnant of this survived due to subsequent robbing. In the south-east corner of the building, several dumps and levelling deposits were laid down before the construction of a small post-pad of tile and brick adjacent to wall 2604. One of the levelling deposits contained a finger-smoothed tile. A series of industrial use deposits then built up (including 2066, 2081, 2112 and 2219). A shallow pit (2113) which contained laminated ash and sand truncated deposits on the eastern side of the building. This may have been used to dispose of industrial deposits from some metalworking process. It suggests that the southern part of Building U was being used for metalworking at this time. No features, apart from the rebuilt eastern wall, were recovered in the area of the former middle room, as this was truncated by later activity.

Within Building V the central hearth (1677) and post-hole (1697) (see Phase 9.2) went out of use and were sealed by levelling material. The whole of the western side of the building was covered by a spread of charcoal (1657) which was laid as a deliberate purifying agent before renovation work. It contained a sterling type penny (SF00949) which post-dated 1272, and late 14th century pottery, as well as barnacle goose bones suggesting the exploitation of wild species for food. A well-constructed central hearth (1628) was then built, and was aligned parallel to Building V (unlike the earlier hearth 1677 which was at an angle to the building). On the western and northern sides of the hearth a levelling deposit (1627) was laid down, which contained mould fragments from the casting of copper alloy vessels. This was subsequently sealed by an occupation deposit which contained animal bone and oyster shell as well as metalworking debris, perhaps brought in as levelling material from buildings close by.

The wall between Buildings U and V was removed and its slot backfilled, and a new sill wall (2101) aligned north-east to south-west was then constructed. This formed the new wall between Buildings U and V, c.0.75m west of the earlier slot foundation. Within Building V a stake-built partition (3297–3301) aligned parallel to 2101 was inserted c.1.85m to the east of it. Together these two partition walls formed a screens passage between the two buildings. Within the passage a series of deposits (including 2055 and 2380–2382) was laid down which contained high densities of metalworking debris. These were interpreted as compact floor surfaces for the passage. To the west, within the northern room of Building U, a small clay floor patch was laid down after the construction of the passage.

On the western side of the yard after the construction of wall 1624 (see above), a second parallel stretch of sill wall (1266) was built, c.1.3m to the east. This would have extended the screens passage between Buildings U and V southwards to Building W, suggesting that as well as protecting against draughts within Building V, the passage would have also been used for access from the street to the workshops within the southern room of Building U and within Building W. As with the screens passage to the north, industrial deposits (including 1622 and 1682) were used to form a rough surface within this part of the passageway.

The extension of the passageway down the western side of the yard and the presence of Building W reduced the size of the yard considerably. It now measured c.6.4m by 5.2m. In the yard, to the south of wall 1829, a mixed accumulation deposit (1828) built up. This contained metalworking debris including mould fragments (SF00932) amongst other domestic rubbish.

Within Building W, the original southern wall 2616 was subsiding at its eastern end, and therefore had to be rebuilt (1784). The new sill wall was built on top of several pieces of timber and was positioned slightly further to the north than wall 2616. On the western side of Building W a series of industrial dumps were laid down (including 1946, 1993 and 2027). These were rich in metalworking evidence, especially iron smithing waste, and confirm Building W as the centre of this activity in this phase. A new internal post was inserted upon a post-pad base inside Building W, the construction cut for which was numbered 2018. The post-pad itself was not located and may have been robbed out at a later date. To the west of this, within Building W, a series of floors (including 1903) built up. Several of these were rich in metalworking debris including both iron and copper alloy working waste, and showed signs of burning, suggesting that hot waste was dumped or worked on top of these floors. Building W can be strongly linked to the working of both metals, and therefore was not just used for iron smithing. The deposits from Building W and the backfill of a tank to the east of it (see below) suggest coal continued to be used as fuel for the metalworking industry.

A rubble footing of vertically set limestone blocks (2200) was constructed in the south-eastern corner of Building W. This may have formed the support for a waist-high corner furnace for metalworking, but too little was recorded for any certain interpretation to be made. The overall dimensions of the corner furnace may have been c.2m long (east to west) by c.1m wide (north to south). Footing 2200 was later altered, the western half of the original furnace being robbed out. The robbing cut backfill (not on plan) contained slag and vitrified furnace lining. A series of floors then sealed the backfilled robbing cut, including 2164 and 2199. These deposits were rich in metalworking evidence.

To the east of Building W and the yard a second section of rubble footing (2011) was constructed. This appeared to flank the southern side of the large garderobe or tank 2142, which was dug in Phase 9.2. This footing probably supported a timber sill beam for a timber framework or cover over the top of the feature. During the 15th century the large garderobe or tank appears to have been slowly infilled with a multi-lensed deposit (1910). This was rich in metalworking waste, containing tile which was concreted with iron and copper alloy, as well as four crucible fragments and a possible copper alloy bell fragment (SF01226). The deposit was environmentally sampled: the bone assemblage was well preserved and included fish (predominantly herring with haddock, cod, plaice and flat fish), cattle (some heavily butchered), pig, chicken and goose. Oyster shell was also recovered in significant quantities. This assemblage consisted of food consumption and carcass preparation waste, and the large volume of material in comparison to that from Buildings U, V, W and Y suggests that the buildings were swept clean and the waste was deposited in convenient holes when they became available. The density of urban buildings at this time suggests that the disposal of this type of waste was becoming an increasing problem. The bone assemblage also revealed evidence for pig breeding within this part of the city.

Rubble footing 2011 on the south side of garderobe or tank 2142

Plain tile with copper slag concretion, from context 1910

Copper alloy bell fragment SF01226

During this phase Building X remained unchanged, but to the east of it, and to the south of Buildings U and W, a new building, Building Y, was constructed. The new building utilised walls 2616 and 1784 for its northern side, and a new sill wall (1678) for its eastern side. The new wall was set within a construction cut and built on top of an initial levelling layer, which contained a re-used architectural fragment. The southern wall of the building was beyond the limit of excavation and the western wall may have been removed by later landscaping. Building Y measured up to c.7.5m long by over 3.5m wide. An internal partition wall comprising two limestone post-pads (3828 and 3829) divided Building Y into two rooms, east and west, measuring 3.5m by 3.5m and 4m by 3.5m respectively.

Initially, in the western room of Building Y a clay floor (2541) was laid down. Several use deposits suggestive of metalworking then built up. Finds from the use deposits included copper alloy working waste and pottery dating to the 15th century. A similar sequence was recorded in the eastern room. Firstly a clay floor (2144 and 1665) was laid, which was subsequently sealed by use deposits (including 1653, 1663, 2077, 2103, 2160 and 3331). Some of these may have resulted from the spreading around of spent casting debris, perhaps from the manufacture of copper alloy objects, but the presence of ironworking waste may suggest a mixed metalworking industry utilising both metals. A brick setting (2153) was inserted, perhaps to support a timber upright, on the southern side of the room and a shallow cut (2099) may have been used for the disposal of waste. A decorative copper alloy trefoil terminal (SF01470) came from one of its backfills. The construction of Building Y is believed to represent an expansion southwards of the metalworking industry located within Buildings U and W.

To the east of Building Y was a small pit (1710). It was backfilled with rubbish including ironworking waste. This area was waste ground throughout this phase.