County: Antrim Site name: CARRICKFERGUS: First Presbyterian War Memorial Hall
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: AE/00/44
Author: Audrey Gahan, ADS
Site type: Town defences
Period/Dating: Late Medieval (AD 1100-AD 1599)
ITM: E 741221m, N 887393m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.714767, -5.808160
Prior to proposed alterations and an extension to the First Presbyterian War Memorial Hall, Lancasterian Street, Carrickfergus, Co. Antrim, an archaeological assessment was carried out. Three trenches were mechanically excavated.
Excavation of two trenches showed that the modern overburden directly overlay subsoil. Nothing of archaeological significance was identified within these trenches. The third trench revealed evidence of an archaeological feature containing a soft, dark brown/black organic fill. One edge of the feature was identified, but because it continued beyond the limit of excavation the opposing edge was not located. It was recorded at 8.1m wide as it existed within the trench. At a depth of 1.7m below present ground level the excavation was stopped on health and safety grounds, and the base of the feature was not reached. The mid-16th-century maps of Carrickfergus indicate that the town defensive ditch extended east–west along Lancasterian Street, turning to the north-east near the area under investigation. Pottery of a late medieval/early post-medieval date was recovered from the fill. It is tentatively suggested that the feature may be a portion of the illustrated mid-16th-century ditch.
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