1994:002 - ANTRIM: 11 Market Sq., Antrim

Trial excavations were carried out at 11 Market Sq., Antrim, in advance of development of the site as a shop and office complex together with the construction of a footbridge across the Six Mile Water. The excavation was carried out from October 31-December 7.

The main purpose of the excavation was to evaluate the archaeological potential of an area in the centre of Antrim in the hope of discovering remains of the medieval settlement mentioned in 13th- and 14th-century documents but as yet unlocated (no excavations had taken place within the town, but the site of Massereene Friary, on the south side of the Six Mile Water, had been excavated in 1973). Two trenches, 3m x 1.5m, were opened up on the main site (later extended), with one, 2m x 2m, opened up on the north bank of the river, and another 1.5m x 2m, on the south bank.

Neither of the trenches on the river banks revealed any features of archaeological interest and all of the artefacts recovered were post-medieval, with most being very modern in date. The trenches on the main site revealed a succession of buildings ranging in date from the 20th century back to the 13th century. Indeed, the medieval remains proved to be more numerous and better preserved than at first suspected. The medieval deposits lay only 0.5-0.7m below the modern ground surface. They had been cut through by modern wall foundations (20th century), truncated by 17th-18th-century wall foundations, but were well preserved between the later wall foundations. A large number of medieval pottery sherds, roof tile fragments, and iron objects were recovered from well sealed contexts. The pottery is of 13th-14th-century date, with a few sherds of possible late medieval date, and is mostly of local manufacture.

13 Christine Gardens, Newtownabbey, Co. Antrim