1998:116 - CASTLE MILL GARDENS, Newtownards, Down

On 15–18 June 1998 a watching brief was undertaken of a geotechnical and contaminant survey of the walled Castle Mill Gardens at Newtownards and of land to the south of the walled garden. Twenty-six trial-pits were excavated within the walled area of the former 17th-century gardens. The trial-pits were positioned across the Castle Garden site so that a complete cross-section could be attained along both axes of the garden. A further sixteen pits were excavated across the land to the south of the walled garden.

A small trench had been excavated in 1992 by Declan Hurl in front of one of the pre-existing blocked gateways into the northern part of the Castle Gardens (Excavations 1992, 13), which uncovered evidence of two phases of path and gateway. The earlier path sealed a post-medieval ditch with a stone-lined drain at the bottom, thought to be related to the initial reclaiming of the area of the gardens. In addition medieval pits and gullies were found, which were possibly associated with the priory to the north. The drain and early path were thought to be associated with the Montgomery garden (early 17th century), and the later path and gate were thought to be related to the Colville period (late 17th century).

During the watching brief, no identifiable medieval deposits were found in any of the test-pits. In general the post-medieval deposits occurred c. 0.3–0.5m below the modern topsoil/disturbance and were c. 0.6–1m deep in the north of the Castle Gardens and shallower in the south-east of the walled area-c. 0.2–0.5m, although these depths did vary. The post-medieval deposits represented the build-up of soils for the reclamation of the area and garden soils. In the east of the site, where a series of 19th-century factory buildings had been constructed, survival of the post-medieval deposits was variable, with truncation occurring in areas disturbed by these later foundations. A number of drainage channels were discovered (similar to the stone-lined drain found in 1992) associated with the original reclamation of the walled area. The area of the former pond, first indicated on the 1830 map, was uncovered, although this proved to be of simple construction with no stone lining or clay lining evident.

Unfortunately no finds were recovered that could produce a definitive date for the creation of the garden and the redeposited layers of made ground. However, it was clear from the uniformity across the garden that it was created in a single event. This probably included the construction of the canal, walls and the underground drainage channel parallel to the northern wall. Even so, it does not solve the question of whether the garden was in existence during the Montgomery period or was created by Colville, as has been assumed in the past.

No medieval or easily identifiable post-medieval deposits were encountered in the test-pits outside the Castle Gardens. Later build-up on top of the natural was encountered in some of the test-pits, but these deposits appeared to be 19th–20th century in date. The average depth of these deposits was c. 1.8m (from below the topsoil), and they contained waste material such as broken bricks, rubble, ash and coal. Only Victorian willow pattern pottery was recovered from these layers. Most of the test-pits, however, showed only the topsoil (0.2–0.3m) lying straight on top of the natural silts/sands.

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