County: Wicklow Site name: WICKLOW: Wentworth House, Church Street
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 97E0118
Author: James Eogan, Archaeological Development Services Ltd.
Site type: Excavation - miscellaneous
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 731222m, N 694034m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.980977, -6.045863
Excavations, following on from an assessment by Cia McConway under the same licence (Excavations 1997, No. 620) in advance of the construction of a mixed commercial and residential development on this site at the western end of Wicklow town, uncovered a series of medieval features. At least three phases of activity were identified.
The earliest phase is represented by a series of pits, at least nine in number. These ranged from 0.9m to 3m in maximum diameter (averaging 1.98m) and from 0.12m to 1.6m in maximum depth (averaging 0.85m). The pits were filled with a variety of deposits, but owing to the gravelly natural subsoil organic preservation was not good. However, preliminary macrofossil analysis has shown the presence of burnt and unburnt grains, other seeds and hazelnut kernels. Artefactual evidence dates these features to the late 12th/13th century—locally made glazed pottery (hand-built and wheel-turned) and South Leinster cooking ware were found, as well as imported pottery including Ham Green A and B, Redcliff ware, Minety ware and Saintonge, the latter being the most common imported pottery.
Two shallow ditches were dug across a number of the filled-in pits. One ran south-west/north-east, varied in width from 0.8m to 1.2m, and was 0.43m in maximum depth; the other was laid out perpendicularly to it, varied in width from 0.9m to 1.1m, and was 0.44m in maximum depth. A halved and clipped silver short-cross penny (probably minted in the reign of Henry II) was found in the former. Subsequently they were filled in and a third ditch was dug across them on a north–south alignment. It was between 0.8m and 1.5m wide and 0.24m in maximum depth.
Medieval pottery was found in the fills of each of the ditches and in a number of the pits. This pottery included locally made wares, wheel-thrown and hand-built, and imports from south-west England and France; French imports predominated. Iron slag was found in the fills of each of the ditches. Intriguingly, a number of prehistoric worked stones (including a scraper) were found in some of the medieval features.
Windsor House, 11 Fairview Strand, Fairview, Dublin 3
