1997:602 - NEW ROSS: Trinity Place, Priory Street, Wexford

Archaeological test-trenching was carried out at Trinity Place, Priory Street, New Ross, Co. Wexford, between 22 and 24 July 1997. The site is located within the southern portion of the late 12th/early 13th-century manorial port town. Five church sites and one hospital were within the town of New Ross. The first recorded use of the site was the establishment of St Saviour’s Chapel, which was founded in 1257 and was described as a chantry in 1566. St Saviour’s was close to the site of the Hospital of the Holy Trinity, which was founded by Thomas Gregory in the mid-16th century on the site of the Trinity Houses, which form the western boundary of the site under assessment. The Trinity Houses were built as part of the charity in 1772. The OS maps show the site as open land with an orchard. The eastern side of the site was scarped away in the construction of a previous development.

The topography of the site, which is relatively level at the eastern portion, is in contrast with the steeply sloping street (Cross Lane) to the south, the elevated ground of the present church of SS Mary and Michael to the east, and Priory Street at the western perimeter of the site.

Five trenches were mechanically excavated. Trench 1 was located at the north-western corner of the site, parallel to the northern perimeter wall, was oriented east–west and measured 15m. Two areas of steel-reinforced concrete flooring were encountered during the excavation of the trench. The trench produced no material of archaeological significance. The area had been heavily infilled since the mid-19th century with modern debris.

Trench 2 was located at the north-eastern corner of the site, was oriented east–west and measured 20m. The excavation of the trench revealed a U-shaped pit cut into natural slate, the base of which was at a depth of 2.2m below the present ground surface (6.38m OD). The upper fill of the pit consisted of a compact clay with several boulders, the largest measuring 0.9m in length. The base of the pit consisted of a heavy brown clay which produced sherds of medieval pottery.

Trench 3 was located at the south-western corner of the site, was oriented east–west and measured 20m. It consisted of a compact stony clay with modern debris overlying a coarse sandy clay which contained a sherd of post-medieval gravel-tempered ware and fragments of clay pipes.

Trench 4 was located along the present sloping laneway, was oriented east–west and measured 17m. The stratigraphy of the trench was similar to that of Trench 3 and it contained a modern cross-wall, oriented north–south, with an associated concrete floor. Underlying this was a natural matrix of tan-coloured sand and slate. The trench was excavated to a depth of 1.4m below the level of the concrete floor. Several sherds of post-medieval pottery were recovered.

Trench 5 was located along the entrance laneway to the rear of the line of the present Trinity Houses. It was oriented east–west and measured 10m. The trench was unable to be extended further towards Priory Street owing to the presence of services for the Trinity Houses. No features of archaeological significance were identified.

The excavated trenches did not reveal the remains of the medieval structures, of either a chapel or hospital, which were recorded as having been located on the site. The only feature of archaeological significance was the pit located in Trench 2, which on the basis of the artefacts recovered can be dated to the medieval period. The artefactual evidence uncovered during the excavation of the test-trenches indicates that both medieval and post-medieval activity occurred across the entire site. On the basis of the presence of the medieval pit in Trench 2 and the dispersed sherds of post-medieval pottery across the site, it would appear that the scarping of the site, which produced the level surface at the eastern end, occurred prior to the medieval period. Since the mid-19th century the north-western portion of the site was infilled and it would appear that any archaeological deposits were removed or disturbed during these activities.

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