County: Waterford Site name: WATERFORD: Arundel Square, Custom House Ward
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: —
Author: Maurice F Hurley, et. al., City Engineer's Dept
Site type: Historic town
Period/Dating: Late Medieval (AD 1100-AD 1599)
ITM: E 660737m, N 612452m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.260424, -7.110284
An area of c. 3,000 sq. m was excavated between January and September 1990. The excavation was undertaken in conjunction with the development of a multi-storey shopping centre and underground car-park by Sisk Properties Ltd., who financed the project.
As building commenced shortly after the beginning of the excavation, a phased approach was adopted whereby the site was divided into a number of areas; as an area was archaeologically resolved, building then commenced on it.
The earliest features excavated were houses of the late Viking period. Full ground plans of several houses of 11th-and 12th-century date were exposed. Evidence for the earliest levels of Peter Street were uncovered showing a well paved surface associated with 11th-century structures. Close to the street, the houses were of three aisle plan with clay floors and wattle walls. Behind these were a series of smaller houses, paths and property boundaries.
Subsequent styles of housing were represented by well preserved sill beam structures, and a substantial stone building was located in the centre of the Arundel Square block. This building was surrounded by wooden uprights which were associated with the architecture of the building. A complete wooden floor survived within.
Other features included earth-cut pits, wood lined sunken pits and well-built stone-lined pits, which yielded a wealth of artefactual material.
A comprehensive collection of pottery, wooden and bone objects, leather, fabric and metal artefacts is now in the process of being examined.
The Mall, Waterford
