2000:0071 - ENNIS, Clare

Test excavations were carried out on this site between 8 and 11 May 2000 to ascertain the nature of potential archaeology, prior to the construction of a multi-storey carpark. The site is located within the recognised archaeologically sensitive area of the medieval town. Test-trenches were machine-dug with a flat bucket. Two large, modern warehouses were assessed and their demolition monitored. Three walls formed the southern boundary of the site, for which permission was granted to demolish a relatively modern gable wall under licensed monitoring. This wall had been identified during the initial assessment as post-dating 1840.

Removal of Building 1 (the easternmost warehouse) revealed sections of east–west-running walls. Wall 2 (a gable wall) consisted of two sections. All sections of Wall 4 were composed of angular to sub-angular limestone and bonded with mortar.

During test excavations, debris from the removal of Building 2 on the southern side of the site had not been removed and thus impeded testing. The test-trenches did not reveal artefacts or structures of an archaeological nature. All extant walls that impeded the development were relatively modern. These were removed under archaeological supervision after recording.