1986:75 - WATERFORD: St Peter's Church, Custom House B Ward, Waterford

Waterford Corporation has maintained an active programme of urban archaeological projects since 1984.

During 1986, two large city centre lots adjacent to Peter Street were acquired by compulsory purchase, for redevelopment under the terms of the Urban Areas Renewal Act (1986).

The site of St Peter's Church, located from documentary and cartographic records, lies in the southwestern lot, in St Peter's Parish, close to the western margin of the pre-Norman city. In view of its apparent archaeological potential it was chosen as the opening project of the present excavation campaign. Excavation began in October 1986, with funding from Waterford Corporation and National Manpower Service.

Historical background
St Peter's Church is mentioned in a reference of AD 1314. In the early 17th century the rather decayed property was granted to the Jesuits who commenced the demolition of the church before their expulsion in 1651.

The Ryland Map, 'Waterford as it was in 1673', depicts a roofless structure consisting of an integral nave and chancel with a small western outshot and possibly a porch. Later maps depict a vacant lot labelled variously as a graveyard or the site of St Peter's Church.

The excavation
Cutting 1 occupies an area of 100 sq. metres. The intention has been to locate the remains of the church and then to expand over its perimeters when adjacent premises can be vacated and demolished.

At 0.35m below ground surface the 19th-century graveyard was encountered. Below the grave-earth, removal of demolition rubble and occupation refuse revealed various buildings of 17th- and 18th-century date.

The first 17th-century phase consisted of a row of conjoined buildings over the southern half of the trench, seemingly houses with integral service-yards. At a later date, the floor levels were raised and repaved. One yard was replaced by a floor of more domestic appearance and another was covered with rubble from the adjacent stone fences. Through the rubble a deep, stone-lined pit had been excavated. This possibly functioned with a garderobe shaft in the adjacent partition wall, via a breach cut into the side of the shaft.

Over the northern half of the site, the ground was also raised and a broad metalled laneway running E-W (parallel to Peter Street) was constructed. This could not have functioned for long since some flimsy stone walls running out towards the street were constructed on its surface and these themselves were soon sealed by 18th-century refuse.

Removal of the 17th-century structures revealed a slightly earlier graveyard straddling the remains of the church. This is still being excavated.

From what can be seen in the edges of the graves, the nave of the church was paved with dressed limestone flags and the chancel with ceramic tiles (a mixture of medieval and post-medieval types). Several fragments of moulded sandstone and limestone have been retrieved from later deposits. Current dating on these suggests that the church was built before AD 1250 and refurbished in the 15th century.

Below the paved floors, further archaeological layers, exposed in intrusions, suggest the possibility of pre-Norman remains.

The finds
The majority of the post-medieval and the few residual medieval finds are of a fairly routine nature. The most interesting finds are probably the building materials derived from the church.

The medieval tiles bear three main designs, all well known from earlier excavations in Waterford, i.e. fleur-de-lys, lion rampant and cross with florets. One unusual fragment has just come to light. In addition, a few fragments of crested ridge-tiles have been recorded. These are richly ornamented with raised, thumbed strips and slashed decoration in the intervening panels, possibly a skeuomorph of thatch-work (Michael Moore, pers. comm.).

The sandstone fragments (probably all earlier 13th century) include two identical fleurs-de-lys, probably gable-finials, and a stone ornamented with dog-tooth and cable-moulding (function uncertain as yet). The grey limestone fragments are mainly from arched lights and mullions; several display glazing-grooves and they are provisionally dated to the 15th century.

Planning Office, City Engineers Dept, The Mall, Waterford