Buildings U, W and Y were renovated, and all three buildings continued to be used for metalworking.
 

Phase 9.4 (early to mid 15th century)

To the west of the screens passage, within the northern room of Building U, a series of trampled floors (2314) was laid down. These were isolated within the north-eastern corner of the room, perhaps indicating the position of a doorway from the Walmgate street frontage into the building. The front wall of Building U was then renovated. A large rectangular post-hole (2379) was inserted to support the frontage wall, but it was swiftly backfilled and a linear slot (2371) was inserted parallel to the northern wall. The slot was probably used to aid the rebuilding of the sill wall. Once the renovation work was completed the linear slot was backfilled.

Within the northern room of Building U a sequence of stake- and post-holes (including 1933, 1935, 1937, 1939, 1941, 1943, 2313, 3294, 3322–3329, 3370–3372 and 3374) were then inserted. These appear to convert the Phase 9.3 hall into a shop unit again, the room being subdivided into four small areas of unknown function. There may have been a door or entrance in the north-east corner of the room.

In the southern room of Building U, on its eastern side, a levelling layer (1998) was laid down. A shallow cut (not on plan) was dug on its south side, and was backfilled with building debris and clay, the top of which appeared burnt and scorched. This was then sealed by a sequence of industrial deposits (including 2006). On the western side of the room a layer of ash (2309) and a hearth (1563) sealed an initial levelling deposit (2494). The new hearth was a large brick-built structure that had a long life span within this part of the building. Both deposit 2309 and hearth 1563 contained slag, suggesting that the hearth was being used for metalworking. In the middle of Building U all the deposits were removed by the insertion of a modern floor; only an isolated stake-hole was located in this area.

In Building W, a levelling deposit (1896) was laid down for a new hearth (1859) on the southern side of the building. Hearth 1859 contained metalworking waste suggesting that copper alloy and possibly iron was worked there. To the south of this there were several brick floor fragments (1860 and 1862). These may originally have formed a coherent floor across the whole of Building W, the majority of which was robbed away at a later date (see Phase 9.6).

To the south, within Building Y, a series of stake-holes, including 2024 and 2227, truncated the earlier floors and metalworking use deposits (see Phase 9.3). Several of these formed short alignments orientated north-west to south-east and north-east to south-west. They may have been partitions, subdividing Building Y, but their form or function could not be defined further. The partitions within the east room of Building Y (see Phase 9.3 for the Building Y layout) went rapidly out of use and were sealed by several deposits of industrial character, indicating the continuation of metalworking within this part of the building.

Adjacent to the eastern wall of the building a rubble-lined structure (1534) was inserted within a deep construction cut. This may be interpreted as a garderobe or cess-pit, which measured 1.5m long by 1.4m wide by over 0.70m deep. A fragment of stone mortar (SF00929) dated to the 14th or the 15th century was re-used as part of the rubble lining (see the artefacts report). The only trace of timber was from the lowest excavated fill, although there may have been further timbers at a lower level, as the base of the structure was not excavated. The timber was the preserved remains of an oak stake that may have been dumped into the feature during backfilling. The lowest fill was sampled for environmental evidence, but no conclusive evidence for use as a garderobe (such as intestinal parasites) was recovered. Twelve contexts within the feature contained pottery of the 15th or 16th century, implying the backfilling may have taken place over a long period of time (see Phase 9.9 for its final infilling).

Stone mortar SF00929

Victorian example of a stone mortar

Timbers insitu within deposit 1522

After the construction of the well or garderobe on the eastern side of Building Y, subsidence of the fills of an earlier pit (1692, see Phase 8) caused damage to the north-eastern corner of the building. This may have been sudden as a large deposit of peg or plain tile appears to have fallen from the roof of Building Y. Not only the roof of the building, but also the foundations for the north-eastern corner of the building, required repair. The northern end of wall 1678 was rebuilt utilising some of the roof slip material (1674) as well as a new levelling layer (1630). Deposit 1630 contained a copper alloy lace tag (SF00714) as well as a re-used architectural fragment (AF00015) and pottery of the 15th century.

Phase 9.5 (mid to late 15th century)

Post-dating one of the stake-hole partitions in the south-west corner of the room was a second rubble footing (2157). The stratigraphy suggests the dismantling of the shop unit partitions (see Phase 9.4 above) at this point. The footing may have formed the base for a further anvil or for an internal structure (such as a partition or upright post within the northern room of Building U). An ashy occupation layer (1767) built up to the south-east of this, close to the doorway between the northern and southern rooms of Building U.

In the southern room of Building U two cobble footings (2207–2208) were constructed. These may have supported a scaffold during internal alterations to this part of the building. A large construction cut (2458), which was aligned north-east to south-west, was then inserted. This took up three-quarters of the length of the southern room. Its similarity to a furnace on the Bedern Foundry site suggests that this construction cut may have been a large furnace and flue. The furnace, which may have been waist high, would have been situated at the northern end of the construction cut, with the flue positioned to the south of it. However, all the original structure had been demolished and robbed for useful materials, so it is impossible to define further the form or function of the furnace.

A large pit (2489) was dug in the north-western corner of Building Y. This may have had a primary industrial function, but was subsequently backfilled with rubbish. This included a fragment of floor tile with a dark green glaze, a possible casting riser from copper alloy casting (SF01125), a copper alloy pin (SF01015), a domed copper alloy mount (SF01017) with concentric rings probably dating from the 14th or the 15th century (see the artefacts report), and a fragment of unfinished copper alloy vessel (SF01127). The backfill also contained some butchery waste (see the environmental report) and pottery dating to the 15th century.