1992:002 - CARRICKFERGUS, Antrim

Between April–November 1992, 5 sites were excavated in Carrickfergus. The excavations were directed by the writer on behalf of the DOE Environment Service, in close co-operation with the Carrickfergus Project Development Office. All the excavations took place within the nucleus of the historic town and were in advance of major urban re-development.

Carrickfergus 20
This was an extension to the Carrickfergus 20 site excavated in 1991 (See Excavations 1991, 1991:005). In the second season of digging an area roughly 11 m (north-south) x 8m (east-west) was excavated to subsoil level. A brief summary of the findings of the two seasons of excavation follows.The main features uncovered were a medieval ditch, a post-medieval ditch, the late 16th-century town wall and a 17th-century building.

The earliest feature encountered was a medieval defensive ditch cut into subsoil and running through the site parallel to Essex St. This ditch was approximately 5m wide and 2m deep. It was uncovered for a length of 16m. A square, vertical cut in the north-western edge of this ditch has been interpreted as a drawbridge pit.

Medieval layers were cut by a later, 16th-century, ditch on roughly the same alignment. The post-medieval ditch was approximately 4m wide and 1.3m deep. Close to the corner of West St and Essex St the eastern edges of both ditches were cut by the construction trench of the town wall. The building of the town wall in around AD 1596 made the post-medieval ditch obsolete and it was backfilled soon after.

The town wall survives intact to a height of 2.5m (including its plinth) just below Essex St, and, damaged, to a thickness of 1.5m. A 7m long stretch of the town wall has been uncovered. It is constructed, in courses, of roughly cut and heavily mortared basalt stones with small split stones inserted between them to keep the coursings level. The wall is set on an offset plinth which projects out approximately 0.3m from the wall face.

The 2nd season of excavation commenced with removal of the surface of Essex St southwards in an attempt to expose more of the town wall. Surprisingly, the wall abruptly stopped and what was encountered next were the remains of a rectangular 17th-century stone building butted onto the town wall. Why the town wall stops here is uncertain. It does not appear to have been robbed out and it is possible that at this point the wall may change direction and run diagonally under Essex St, where it would have joined up with the outer defences of Carrickfergus Castle.

Unfortunately, due to the presence of major service cables running the full length of Essex St, we were not able to pursue the wall in this direction.

The 17th-century building was partially sunken. Walls survived to a depth of 2m from just below the level of Essex St. The east wall, 1 m thick, was founded on subsoil. The west wall, 0.7m thick, was set into the backfill layers of the 16th-century ditch. The building was approximately 5m wide and was excavated to a length of 12m. Surviving architectural details include two blocked up windows and a blocked up doorway, all in the west wall. The two earlier defensive ditches, cut into sub-soil, run underneath the occupation layers of the building. These layers consisted of irregularly dumped deposits of mortar, gravel, ash and peat– a rough and ready floor surface. At the southern end of the building was a centrally placed, substantial, stone built fireplace. At the other end, abutting but not bonded to the northern wall, was the remains of a stone buttress, perhaps to give support to a 1st floor fireplace or stairwell. No other internal divisions within the structure were clearly discernible.

The 17th-century building was demolished at some period in the 18th century and backfilled with masonry debris of slate, mortar, brick and stone. The lack of distinctive, domestic internal features, the rubbish, and the large quantities of clay pipe as well as fancy glass and musket balls retrieved, point to the fact that this building was not an ordinary dwelling. It is possible, given its proximity to the Irish Gate and early 17th-century town wall, that it may represent the remains of a guardhouse or barracks.

Thousands of artefacts were uncovered during the 2 seasons of excavation. Pottery and bone was recovered from the medieval ditch and medieval layers. Most of the pottery was locally made, but there was also some from France and England.

Many artefacts were retrieved from the backfill of the post-medieval ditch. These included complete leather shoes, fragments of textile, a gold zoomorphic pin, dozens of dress pins, bronze buckles, slate gaming discs, lead cloth seals, glass (and window leading) from windows, fragments of wine bottles and wine glasses, an iron knife blade and hone stone for sharpening knives, lead musket balls, and roof tiles and slates.

Large amounts of pottery from France, Germany, Holland and especially North Devon were recovered. One of the finest collections of imported Portuguese tin glazed pottery ever discovered on a site in Ireland was also found.

From the post-medieval ditch came a collection of more than 100 base copper Elizabethan pennies and half-pennies. On many of these, the date—either AD 1601 or AD 1602—is still clearly legible.

Out of the occupation layers of the 17th-century building were retrieved 17th-century coins, 2 complete clay pipes, most of a glass wine goblet, iron nails, glass, lead weights and a lead punch for decorating leather. Pottery from Carrickfergus, North Devon and France was also uncovered.

The debris thrown in to backfill the 17th-century building yielded 18th-century pottery, roof tiles, coins, clay pipe fragments and a bronze belt buckle.

Carrickfergus 21
This was a small excavation behind the old DOE works depot on the northern side of Lancasterian St, close to the junction with Albert Rd. A trench, 2.5m x 2m, was opened up adjacent to the 17th-century town wall, below steps (in the wall) leading onto the wall walkway. It was hoped to find some evidence for a ramp or platform that would have assisted access onto the steps. None was discovered.

The foundations of the town wall were cut into a medieval clay layer, just above subsoil, and 1 m below modern ground level. The wall has no plinth at this point and a construction trench for it was not visible.

The earliest finds were medieval pottery, nearly all of local manufacture but also some from England, pointing to activity in this part of Carrickfergus in the 13th-14th centuries. Although some 17th-century clay pipe was discovered, the vast majority of finds and stratigraphy encountered was of 18th–20th-century date.

Carrickfergus 22
This excavation was situated behind the old Post Office sorting depot which stood in the next property along from (and east of) the DOE Works depot. A trench, 4m x 2m, was opened up close to the corner where the 17th-century town wall turns into a bastion.

Earliest deposits encountered were medieval. These took the form of a ditch cut into subsoil and which ran across the eastern side of the trench. A 2.2m stretch of this ditch was excavated. Only the western edge and part of the bottom lay within the trench. The ditch survived to a maximum width of 1.8m and depth of 0.9m. Its function is uncertain. Medieval pottery was recovered from the ditch fills, all of it locally produced and most likely late 13th-/14th-century in date.

The 17th-century town wall was founded on a bank of redeposited subsoil, cast up from the digging of the medieval ditch. The wall sits on an offset plinth 1.3m (including plinth) below modern ground level. The plinth projects out 0.15m from the wall face. This plinth, which is not evident within the CF21 trench further west, would have given added stability at this important point in the wall circuit. No construction trench for the wall was discovered within the excavation trench. The internal quoins, at the junction of the town wall and bastion, were almost totally robbed out in recent centuries.

17th-/18th-century artefacts retrieved include clay pipe as well as pottery types such as North Devon wares, Buckley Blackwares and locally produced glazed red earthenwares.

The area where the excavation was situated had been extensively dumped with soil in the 19th and 20th centuries. A wall from the same period, discovered not far below modern ground level, had robbed out quoin stones in its make up.

Carrickfergus 23
The site was located in an enclosed courtyard behind houses fronting onto Albert Rd, close to the corner with North St. At this point, and built into the 17th-century town wall behind the houses, are the remains of a 17th-century kiln, possibly for iron working. It was hoped to uncover structural remains associated with the kiln and its workings. Unfortunately, 20th-century building activity destroyed any evidence for this.

A trench, 8m x 4m, was opened up adjacent to the town wall. The earliest deposits discovered were medieval. Pottery retrieved from these layers was all of local manufacture and is probably of late 13th-/14th-century date. The only visible medieval feature encountered was a shallow gully cut into subsoil that ran parallel to North St, across the eastern end of the trench. This gully was possibly for drainage. A 4m long stretch of the feature was excavated. It had a maximum depth of 0.45m and was 0.8 m wide.

The 17th-century town wall was cut into medieval layers, just above subsoil. It was not set on a plinth but, as discovered elsewhere in Carrickfergus, was constructed with larger stones in the lower courses to give the wall greater stability. The wall extended down approximately 0.75m below modern ground level.

The 17th–18th-century site layers yielded many artefacts, These included bone, horse shoes, fabric, two 17th-century coins, a brass clothes pin with ear scoop, a slate gaming disc, nails, one half of a set of iron shears and stamped clay pipes. Leather offcuts retrieved included pieces of shoe and belt. Pottery of North Devon, Buckley and Carrickfergus glazed red earthenware manufacture were also discovered. More exotic pottery types found in these layers were those of Delfware and Westerwald.

Many of these layers were extremely organic and had a high moss and straw content. Together with the types of artefacts discovered, it may suggest that there were stables close by in this period.

Carrickfergus 24
This was the final excavation undertaken in Carrickfergus in 1992. It took place, like the previous excavations, within the historic town demarcated by the early 17th-century town wall. A trench, 6m x 2m, was opened up in the middle of the (coal) yard of no. 44 Lancasterian St. It was hoped to retrieve information on the town's expansion from its 16th-century limit (the northern side of Lancasterian St) to its more obvious 17th-century extent (as delimited by the upstanding 17th-century town wall). This was not possible due to the modern insertion of a concrete surface to level the coal yard, which removed all post-medieval strata.

The only undisturbed deposits encountered were medieval. Pottery from these layers was all locally produced, except for one piece from Saintonge, and was late 13th-14th century in date.

5-33 Hill St. Belfast BT1 2LA