1995:273 - CASTLELAND, Ferns, Wexford

Archaeological assessment was carried out on the site of a proposed private residence at Castleland, Ferns, Co. Wexford, to fulfil a condition in the planning decision. The site lies c. 100 metres south-east of Ferns Castle, which was excavated by P. David Sweetman for the Office of Public Works between 1972 and 1975. The OPW excavation yielded a very large amount of pottery, much of which dated to the 13th century; the majority was locally made but imported wares were also represented. Similar locally made pottery was recovered during this assessment.

Seven trenches were opened by mechanical excavator. In general the topsoil/sod was 200mm deep across the site, with approximately 100mm of cultivated soil between this and a sterile orange/brown stony boulder-clay subsoil. The site was very disturbed where a previous building had been demolished and cleared away. Other areas were disturbed, with spreads of relatively modern rubbish including clinker, bottles and other debris.

The first trench was aligned north-east/south-west along the back of the site and was almost 50m long. In it the fill of an archaeological feature (what was at first interpreted as a possible 'slot-trench') was noted. On preliminary examination and partial excavation within Trench 1, the fill of the feature yielded a quantity of coarse, friable pottery which was identified as 13th-century, hand-built cooking ware. The trench was widened into an open area roughly 3m x 3m in order to follow the archaeological feature exposed; the full extent of the feature was revealed to be just 2.6m in length and it provided no further evidence for any associated features or for related archaeological activity. The feature was seen as a parallel-sided area of archaeologically enriched earth before excavation, with stones breaking the surface in the portion exposed in Trench 1.

During excavation the stones in the fill were found to be concentrated at the western end and not to extend eastwards. The angular uncut stones (with one exception) ranged in size from 0.1m to 0.23m, and included a spud-stone. The fill was a dark brown earth with dispersed, oxidised clay inclusions across the full length of the exposed surface and in the upper fill. Pottery was found in intense concentrations throughout the profile in the deepest portion of the feature which had a maximum depth of 0.3m. After excavation the base of the feature was found to rise to and run out onto the subsoil surface at both ends. The deepest portion, which measured over 1m in length, had a steep-sided and gently round-bottomed profile. The pottery, almost 800 sherds, represented at least eight vessels; there were no other medieval artefacts recovered.

The feature defied interpretation during excavation and an interpretation continues to be problematic. It could be the remains of a slot-trench belonging to a domestic structure, all trace of the remains of which have been obliterated elsewhere. The presence of the spud-stone strengthens this possibility. While the site lacked any further archaeological features, a very thin spread of archaeological soil did extend south-west along Trench 1. However, this appeared to represent soil 'dragged' some 4–5m from the feature described above.

The pottery retrieved is almost all domestic cooking ware, some of which was sooted as a result of use in a domestic situation. There were no wasters in the pottery recovered and, while the feature could be part of a drafting flue, there was no evidence for intense burning or even of light burning in the areas opened.

The feature, yielding so much pottery, is apparently all that remains of archaeological activity on the site dating to the 13th century. The remainder of the site investigated was either without archaeological soils and features or was significantly disturbed. The site does not have any further archaeological potential. The proposed development was, therefore, not in danger of causing any damage to archaeological remains and was allowed to proceed.

Rath House, Ferndale Rd, Rathmichael, Co. Dublin