The proposed archaeological “dig” as part of the ‘Roman Quarter’ proposals for Rougier Street has brought debate over the pros and cons of such large-scale excavations given the city’s world-class archaeological deposits – essentially: heritage knowledge gained, verses historic material lost.

While that debate is for another day, are we overlooking the city’s other much smaller, less glamorous, but numerous and varied subterranean heritage: its historic basements, tunnels, bathhouses, and shelters? And is it at risk from incremental loss?

Over the centuries workmen especially have dug down and stumbled across a wealth of subterranean treasures. These now feature prominently in our city’s museums.

The Yorkshire Museum proudly displays both the ‘Four Seasons’ Roman mosaic, found under Tanners Row when digging drainage trenches in 1853; it features jewels (and human hair!) of a former Roman cemetery discovered in the 1870s when building York Railway Station; and the exquisite Coppergate Helmet of an Anglo-Saxon warrior, discovered in 1982 during excavations for today’s shopping centre, in what was then the bottom of a well.

Nestled in the Vale of York and with a high-water table, it is easy to think of York as essentially low-lying and flat, and therefore impractical for stores or living below ground level.

But there are countless historic structures under our feet in the city; not just treasures – basements, cellars, shelters and tunnels.

Rumours persist of a warren of late medieval tunnels under the city, said to have been accessed from historic pubs; Bella Italia on Petergate, itself a late 17th century property, is built on an extensive series of basements, so perhaps there’s more to it than myth? Even earlier than this, a Roman network of sewers under the city was discovered by accident in 1972 during road works on Church Street. With such rich history there are fascinating stories, too – some known, some still to be told.

York’s tunnels also offered sanctuary. An 18th century passage from the Bar Convent allowed Catholic Priests to flee the religious site should government inquisitors come hunting for ‘Papists’ hidden within.

In more recent times, the tunnel that ran under the football pitch at Bootham Crescent allowing fans to ‘change ends’ at half time, was used an air-raid shelter during WW2, as were various other commercial basements in the city centre.

Even the City Walls were put to such use, allowing for robust, brick shelters, concrete-lined trenches, and underground shelters burrowed into the ramparts; extending the defensive aspect the walls have offered York since 71AD into the 20th century, even if the threat then was from the sky rather than ‘barbarians at the gates’.

The military connection of tunnels and shelters is continued in the Cold War Bunker off Acomb Road, where the effects of nuclear fallout were to be monitored by the poor souls sealed within.

With so many of these subterranean discoveries have come about by chance, who knows what will be discovered in the future?

But will they still be intact?

Ongoing repaving work for City of York Council in Stonegate, Colliergate and Church Street is routinely revealing damaged historic basements and cellars of fine historic shops - occasionally extensively so. The cause of the damage is understood to be the result of modern HGV delivery vehicles. We witness them often cutting across footpaths as they jostle past one another. Even if there’s less of them in the city nowadays, they’re larger and heavier than delivery trucks used to be.

Damage to the Pyramid Gallery’s oriel window on Stonegate in 2015, and the ornate lamppost on Minster Gate, destroyed only last week, demonstrate the impact such vehicles can do to our standing heritage. But the impact on the ground and what is below largely goes unseen.

Pavement lights for basements and cellars, as well as coal holes – capped iron shoots into which coal deliveries were poured – embedded in the paving are routinely being crushed by vehicles. Some of the paving lights are only 70 odd years old, and with concrete frames are likely not to be considered especially attractive features by many. They are, however, visual evidence of where the city’s basements are. Keep an eye out for them; you’ll be surprised just how many York has!

If we lose them, our footpaths would be flagged over like any other town or city in the UK. The future uses of these cellars and basements would also be compromised if denied natural light and ventilation.

In York, most of us look up and out at the city’s wonders; perhaps we need to remember to look down, too.

Dr Duncan Marks is the Civic Society Manager at York Civic Trust