2000:0976 - PUBBLE CHURCH, Pubble, Newtownstewart, Tyrone

Trial-trenching was carried out in that part of the proposed Newtownstewart Bypass route that was to pass through the area just south of Pubble Church, Newtownstewart, Co. Tyrone. This graveyard is now a stone-walled, rectangular enclosure, measuring 31m by 21m. This had been the site of a third order Franciscan friary and contained gravestones dating from at least the 18th century. It lies north of the village of Newtownstewart in Pubble townland. This proposed stretch of the road was to follow the existing disused railway line until it reached the area of the graveyard. It was then to turn south-west on a road embankment and cross the Strule River by a proposed bridge south-west of the site.

Trial-trenching was carried out between 9 and 13 October 2000. The six trenches were laid out along the line of the proposed roadway. The purpose of one trench was to ascertain whether the graveyard or friary once extended south of its present wall and to check whether there was an enclosing element associated with the church. Nothing of this nature was located. Another trench was excavated to cut through a possible circular, 40m-diameter ‘ring-ditch’ cropmark site. There was no sign of any archaeological features or finds in this trench, but the ‘site’ coincided with a slightly raised, dry area, where the gravel subsoil rose and the topsoil was very thin.

Another trench was excavated to examine the relationship between a lens of ‘soft, brown, silty peat’ and ‘sand with some silt’ noted above and below this peaty material in a trial-pit. In fact, the probable explanation for this came from the farmer, who notified us that there had been soil-moving operations a few decades ago. This had involved the moving of soil from the old railway line area down to the wetter area to the south, nearer the river. Another possible explanation for the stratigraphy was river flood deposits (in which modern pottery was found), which were located in the parts of the site nearest the river. Our findings suggest that the peat noted was simply one of many localised patches along the river.

Part of the area seems to be partly buried under riverine flood deposits. This should always be taken into account during monitoring of sites in this type of environment. There may be a ‘sandwich effect’ of seasonal settlement traces (temporary camps?) alternating with sterile, seasonal flood deposits. Only when the glacial subsoil is reached can a site of this type be said to have been fully monitored or declared archaeologically sterile.

Unit 6, Farset Enterprise Park, 638 Springfield Road, Belfast