1989:031 - DUBLIN: Bridge Street Lower, Wood Quay Ward, Dublin

NMI Burial Excavation Records

County: Dublin Site name: DUBLIN: Bridge Street Lower, Wood Quay Ward

Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number:

Author: Mary McMahon

Site type: Historic town

Period/Dating: Late Medieval (AD 1100-AD 1599)

ITM: E 714726m, N 734126m

Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.344908, -6.277025

An area 8m x 3m was excavated in advance of a private development west of Bridge Street Lower. The developer had taken the archaeology of the site into consideration at a very early stage in the preparation of plans for the proposed development. An archaeological assessment of the site was prepared by the author, based on ten trial bores (see No. 30 above) and four trial trenches. Building plans were altered to enable the substructure to span the town wall, the line of which had been located, and the number of piles was reduced to minimise disturbance of deposits. An archaeological excavation around the area of a proposed lift shaft in the north-east corner of the site was agreed between the developer and the National Monuments Advisory Council.

Evidence of 13th-century activity including habitation, land reclamation and the construction of a piped water supply was revealed. Three post-and-wattle walls were built almost on the estuarine gravels. Two of these formed the side of a building with a rounded corner. They were encased within a compacted clay which appears to have formed part of the wall. The third post-and-wattle wall delimited what must have been the backyard. Two wicker mats were laid down to provide stable foundations for these structures. Finds from associated deposits included Dublin hand-built ware. Minety-type ware together with other late 12th- and 13th-century south-west English and north French imported pottery.

This activity was sealed by deposits, c.0.7m thick, of naturally accumulated silts which contained a high proportion of preserved vegetation. Following the development of this marshland habitat, reclamation works began, consisting of the dumping of gravels in on top of the marsh, buttressed by redeposited silts and clays.

An oak pipe, which crossed the site from east to west, was laid at the north end of the site on top of the reclaimed land. It is most likely part of the town piped water supply initiated in 1244 by Maurice Fitzgerald, Justiciar of Dublin. Owing to insufficient rings it was not possible to obtain a dendrochronological analysis of the oak pipe. However, the evidence from associated pottery suggests a date for the pipe of late in the 13th or early in the 14th century.

All the archaeological work, including trial bores, trenches, archaeological excavation and the complete archaeological report, was funded by the developer. Tools and surveying equipment were provided by the Office of Public Works. All site facilities were provided by the developer, including accommodation, fencing and security, and provision was made for the archaeological work within the structure of the construction programme. This, together with the help which was forthcoming throughout the excavation, ensured the completion of the excavation within the projected time limit.

77 Brian Road, Mario, Dublin 3