2000:0663 - DROGHEDA: 67–69 Narrow West Street, Louth

An archaeological assessment of a proposed commercial development at 67–69 Narrow West Street, Drogheda, Co. Louth, was carried out on 8 March 2000. Following demolition of an existing building, it is proposed to carry out alterations to and extend the existing hardware premises on the site. The proposed extension will be split-level, the southern half of which will be at the existing street level of Narrow West Street.

Following demolition of an existing building in the southern part of the site, two test-trenches were excavated by machine in an east–west direction in the area of the proposed extension. The excavation failed to reveal the presence of archaeological stratigraphy. The grey, sandy clay layer exposed in Trench 1 may have been a late medieval garden soil, but even this has been greatly disturbed, and modern finds are evident in it. The subsoil was exposed at an average depth of 0.7m below the surface in Trench 1 and is present at the same depth in Trench 2. Ground level to the north has been raised by the introduction of approximately 1.6m of rubble fill. This was found to directly overlie the subsoil. The proposed development, which involves the excavation of foundation strips c. 1m in depth, will not have any archaeological impact. Therefore no further archaeological work is required at this site.

15 Trinity Street, Drogheda, Co. Louth