1997:575 - WATERFORD: 9 Arundel Square, Waterford

The site is contained within the late 12th/early 13th-century system of fortifications. The site itself, however, is likely to have been utilised or occupied prior to the enclosure as the town developed westward. The western boundary of No. 9 Arundel Square corresponds with the north–south line of the city defences depicted on Philip’s map of 1685 (Carroll 1982, 33), which was traditionally identified as the western limit of the Hiberno-Norse city. An earlier line of defences dating from the late 11th century lies less than 40m to the east (Hurley 1997b, fig. 5:1). It is now unclear whether the western wall ‘is of Hiberno-Norse construction or was built in the early years of the Anglo-Norman occupation’ (Hurley 1997a, 10).

The site is roughly L-shaped, measuring 1.8m east–west x 6.7m north–south at the western limit, extending to a maximum of 11.7m north–south at the centre. A standing building occupied the entire site.

Three aligned trenches were dug from west to east across the site. A small double-roomed, brick-built cellar (1.43m east–west) occupied the western end of the trench. No evidence for the city wall was uncovered. Beneath the slate floor of the cellar was a thick (0.32–0.8m) layer of yellow, sterile, compact sandy clay which may have been introduced to level up the site. It extended for roughly 5m from the western end of the trench.

Large undressed and unmortared stones were excavated at the base of the clay to the west. Beneath the clay was a layer of organic silt. A small test-pit (0.5m east–west x 0.3m north–south) was hand-dug through the organic silt for a depth of c. 0.38m (6.725m OD). A lens of clay, 30mm thick, was recorded within the pit; several posts varying in diameter from 50m to 70mm were also observed.

At the east the clay layer was abutted by a soft brown humic silt. Beneath the silt was a worked horizontal timber (0.18m x 0.12m), associated with a thin layer of pink/grey clay (30mm thick) which in turn overlay a layer of black organic silt (0.3m thick) containing animal bone and frequent wood-chips. All of these layers were underlain by a fine-grained blue clay with black staining (0.58m in maximum thickness). Beneath this clay was a very compressed layer of organic material which contained straw and wood-chips. A small hand-dug test-pit was sunk to a depth of 0.5m (6.567m OD). It was less compact and the humic material more degraded, but the layer was otherwise unchanged for the entire depth. A sherd of medieval pottery was recovered at a depth of 0.25m.

The lowest layer investigated appeared to be the rapid accumulation of organic material, suggesting a backyard or dump. Above this, however, a worked horizontal timber, possibly structural, was recorded in association with a thin layer of clay. This was repeated at the west, where wooden uprights were found in association with a clay lens.

The eastern end of the site was disturbed by a large cellar, its west wall located 8.5m from the Arundel Square frontage. The base of the cellar was recorded at 6.88m OD.

The highest levels at which possible archaeological layers were recorded were 7.96m OD. Excavation of in situ material will be to a depth of c. 1m at the pile emplacements, which corresponds roughly to 7.78m OD. The development proposes piles in 31 locations. A borehole test in the adjoining area of No. 18 Broad Street indicated that boulder clay occurred at 3.4m below ground level (IGSL).

The site is currently being monitored by an archaeologist during ground disturbance works.

References
Carroll, J.S. 1982 Some notes on Waterford maps and plans. Decies 20, 29–38.
Hurley, M.F. 1997a Topography and development. In M.F. Hurley and O.M.B. Scully (eds), Late Viking Age and medieval Waterford excavations 1986–1992, 7–11. Waterford Corporation, Waterford.
Hurley, M.F. 1997b The defences. In M.F. Hurley and O.M.B. Scully (eds), Late Viking Age and medieval Waterford excavations 1986–1992, 20–33. Waterford Corporation, Waterford.