1997:126 - DUBLIN: Blazes Restaurant, No.s 11 and 12 Exchange Street Lower, Dublin

Nos 11 and 12 Exchange Street Lower are two adjoining buildings (including a rear yard) located on the west side of the street, situated within the 13th-century walled town but just outside, to the north of, the earlier (c. 1100) Viking wall. When this area of the medieval town was reclaimed from the River Liffey in the 13th century, this street was known as Scarlet Lane, and in the 17th century it was known as the Blind Quay. Prior to excavation inside both buildings and at the rear, the buildings were registered as Historic Monuments as they exhibited features associated with late 17th/early 18th-century Dutch Billy-type houses.

Three phases of activity were uncovered during the excavation. Phase 1 related to the reclaimed 13th-century medieval silt. This deposit contained few inclusions and is thought to have been derived from the side of the River Liffey as opposed to being a redeposited occupation deposit.

Phase 2 related to the first building on the site identified during the excavation. This building is of probable mid-17th-century date and its dimensions may have equalled the combined width of both buildings. It seems initially to have been the focus of some sort of industrial activity as foundations of a substantial kiln-type feature were uncovered. A wall drain, constructed as an integral part of this structure, was also uncovered. A large fireplace with built-in wall oven marked a change of use related to the same building.

Phase 3 related to the late 17th/early 18th century, when the Phase 2 building was divided in two and two houses of Dutch Billy style were constructed. Corner fireplaces in both buildings and rear dog-legged stairwells in No. 12 (giving access to basement and ground-floor levels) are the main features of this period still extant. The centrally located dog-legged stairwell in No. 11 may also date from this time. In the later 18th, 19th and 20th centuries both buildings were extensively refurbished and the first to third floors in No. 12 were demolished. A photographic and measured survey of the individual walls in both basements was undertaken.