1996:276 - DROGHEDA: Grammar School, St Laurence Street, Louth

Archaeological testing of a proposed commercial development at a site fronting onto William Street, St Laurence Street, Palace Street and incorporating part of Free School Lane, Drogheda, was carried out in June 1996. The site is on the north side of Laurence Street, which was known to be in existence in the early part of the thirteenth century. It is located to the west of the barbican of St Laurence and is inside the walls of the medieval town.

Five cuttings were opened on the site in an area to the north of the demolished grammar school, four on the east side of Free School Lane and one on the west. The cuttings were excavated by machine to the top of archaeological deposits and eleven trenches were then dug by hand. Nine of these trenches were within the larger cuttings.

Testing revealed that significant archaeological deposits existed on this site. Basements exist in the north-west corner of the site, the only area where medieval deposits did not survive. The medieval deposits exist directly above the natural sand and boulder clay and in places are up to 1m thick. Fairly substantial post-medieval stratigraphy also survived on the site, particularly next to William Street. The majority of deposits uncovered on the site probably represent medieval garden soil, but a number of pits and at least one medieval wall are present. This wall is a drystone structure and was uncovered running east-west; it may represent the foundation of a house or similar structure along Free School Lane. There would appear to be an absence of significant late medieval layers on the site and it is possible that these were destroyed by later, post-medieval gardens.