County: Wexford Site name: FERNS/FERNS DEMESNE/FERNS UPPER/FERNS LOWER
Sites and Monuments Record No.: SMR 15:3 and 15:4 Licence number: 98E0132
Author: Mary Henry
Site type: Habitation site
Period/Dating: Bronze Age (2200 BC-801 BC)
ITM: E 701971m, N 649783m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.589750, -6.495062
During late March and April 1998 a licence was held to undertake pre-construction testing in advance of pipe-laying on the Ferns Sewerage Scheme. Pipe-laying works commenced in February 1999. The purpose of the site testing was to determine the presence or absence of archaeological remains and to establish how the proposed construction works could affect any archaeological remains that might be uncovered.
Several areas were looked at in and around the village of Ferns. No testing was carried out in the centre of the village as the scheme will not go through there. The first area tested was c. 2 miles to the south-east of the village, in a rural setting. Trenches were opened in this area owing to the possible presence of a large, oval enclosure and possible field system (SMR 15:4) that had been identified by aerial photography. The possible enclosure measured c. 100m x 60m. It was identified in the centre of the field. The proposed route for the pipeline was some distance away from the possible site. However, nine test-trenches were opened to establish whether the proposed works could in any way impinge on the site. There was nothing of any archaeological significance found in the test-trenches.
The second area looked at was closer to Ferns, along an approach road into the village and inside the zone of archaeological potential for the village. This part of the pipeline route will sweep around the outside of the perimeter walls of St Aedan's graveyard. It is possible that stray architectural fragments and memorials associated with the graveyard will be encountered along this part of the pipeline route. In addition to St Aedan's graveyard, the Augustinian Abbey is sited c. 80m to the north of the pipeline route. Given the close proximity of this part of the route to the Abbey and to St Aedan's graveyard, it was decided to open sixteen test-trenches. All of the test-trenches were sited on the road. All were opened in sterile ground, and nothing of archaeological significance found in any of them.
A third part of the proposed pipeline route was tested. This area lay about half a mile to the north-east of the village. Though within a rural setting, it was partly within the zone of archaeological potential for the village of Ferns. Six test-trenches were opened in this area. However, testing was abandoned following the uncovering of archaeology. A recommendation was made to reroute the pipeline away from this area.
In one test-trench a relatively modern field drain was uncovered. In another no archaeology was uncovered. In the other four test-trenches archaeological remains were uncovered. They consisted of a series of linear cuts, possible post-holes and burnt spreads. A small amount of Bronze Age pottery was uncovered from the fills within the cuts. The archaeology was not excavated, and testing ceased. It was decided to reroute the pipeline away from this area.
1 Jervis Place, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary
