County: Kildare Site name: BREWEL HILL, Brewel West
Sites and Monuments Record No.: SMR 32:022 Licence number: 94E0029
Author: Hilary Opie
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 683532m, N 701133m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.054312, -6.753976
Archaeological trial trenching was carried out at Brewel Hill, Brewel West townland, Crookstown, Co. Kildare on March 12, 1994. This preceded a planning application to build a house. The site of the proposed house lies within an area of high archaeological potential. In the immediate vicinity is the site of a ringbarrow. This still appeared on aerial photographs taken in 1973, but within the last thirty years the area has been bulldozed (pers. comm.) leaving no visible sign of the feature. The barrow was circular, approx. 17m in diameter, and was surrounded by a wide, shallow fosse. The site of the proposed house lies just to the south of this feature and would not encroach upon it. This was one of four ringbarrows/ditches located in the area and another important site, "The Piper's Stones" is located approx. 500m to the south-west of the site. A burial ground and the site of a castle also lie to the north of the site, hence the need to archaeologically investigate the site in advance of building work.
Eight investigative trenches were opened up, covering the area of the proposed house, gardens, garage and septic tank. There were no visible features prior to investigation. No finds or features of archaeological importance were uncovered during investigations. A modern lens of burning and a silted-up drainage feature containing modern pottery were noted but there was no sign of a fosse or any other features associated with the ringbarrow.
16 Ormond Sq., Dublin 7
