1996:228 - JAMESTOWN, Leitrim

The proposed development is within the zone of archaeological potential for Jamestown. It is located within a stable yard associated with and to the north of Jamestown House. Some of the stables are in a very poor state of preservation. Stable A and the open-sided stable between it and the storage house B to the east of the proposed development were to be partly demolished to accommodate the proposed slatted house; however, following consultation, the proposed slatted house is to be reduced in size and none of the stables will be demolished. The entire development will measure 14.4m east-west x 8.6m north-south.

The western side of the proposed development will be located outside and 3.9m from the outer face of the town wall. Two trial-trenches (T1 and T2) were excavated with a mechanical excavator inside the area of the proposed development. No remains of the town wall exist above present ground level in the vicinity of the proposed slatted house.

T1 was 14.4m long east-west and 3m wide. Overlying the natural orange/light brown daub was a rubble layer up to 0.17m thick. This layer contained small stones, brick, some sherds of nineteenth-century pottery and mortar. Lying directly on the rubble layer was a layer of limestone cobbles. The cobbles were covered in parts with a thin layer of topsoil 0.04m thick. Although T1 was located 3.9m from the outer face of the town wall, no evidence for an external town ditch was uncovered in it.

T2 was located at right angles to T1. It measured 4.4m long north-south and was 2m wide. The stratigraphy within T2 was similar to that in T1.

Except for the cobbled yard and underlying rubble layer, which probably dates from the late eighteenth/nineteenth centuries, no archaeological features or finds were recovered from either of the two trial-trenches. Therefore the proposed development will have no impact on the archaeology of the site.

Rathbawn Rd, Castlebar, Co. Mayo