York

Cambridge History of the Book in Britain: Chapter 8 - Urban production of manuscript books and the role of the university towns
By M. A. Michael
Edited by Nigel J. Morgan, University of Cambridge, Rodney M. Thomson, University of Tasmania
Book: The Cambridge History of the Book in Britain, 2008, pp 168-194

This article examines the development of allotment gardens in the northern English city of York at the start of the twentieth century. Using archive material and newspaper reports, the role of the allotment gardens within wider issues of urban social reform is explored. Through Giddens’s theory of structuration, the manner in which relationships between citizens and the City Corporation of York developed is investigated. In this manner, the place of allotment gardens as a means of understanding wider urban life in Britain can be reexamined. Although allotment gardens have only partially featured in studies of civic reform, identity and governmentality, their place as a central feature of working-class life in Britain demands that a greater focus of attention be placed on these plots of land.

There are hints of Roman and early medieval buildings in the area, although these might have been dumped on the site from elsewhere. Much of the medieval material shows signs of reuse. However, the sample should be retained for further study. It would be useful to ascertain the source of the nib tiles, which may help to date the use of this type of tile in York. Also the slop moulded bricks are amongst the earliest dated of their type in York, and should be studied further. The fabrics of the peg and plain tile will give a useful contribution to the study of ceramic building materials within the City of York.