County: Meath Site name: KNOCK, Castletown
Sites and Monuments Record No.: SMR 12:33 and 12:44 Licence number: 00E0528
Author: Ian Russell, Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd.
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 687002m, N 780126m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.763470, -6.680449
An archaeological assessment was carried out on the site of a proposed dwelling-house and wastewater treatment system at Knock Townland, Castletown, Navan, Co. Meath, on 15 August 2000. The site is located close to a church site (SMR 12:33) and a mound (SMR 12:44).
Four trenches were excavated on the site and confirmed the absence of archaeological stratigraphy. A combination of natural, grey gravel and cream-coloured clay was exposed directly below the topsoil, which included sherds of 18th/19th-century pottery. The site had been extensively quarried in the past for clays that were used in the nearby crockery works. Some of the quarry areas are clearly visible along the rear of the proposed house, and mounds of spoil on either side are indicative of topsoil and other non-essential material that was dumped when the clays were quarried. The mound at the south-east edge of the quarry area is entered in the Record of Monuments as site SMR 12:44. It is possible that this mound results from the quarrying operation and may not be of any great antiquity. Owing to the absence of archaeological material no further work was recommended.
15 Trinity Street, Drogheda, Co. Louth
