County: Westmeath Site name: HAPSBOROUGH, Ballinea
Sites and Monuments Record No.: SMR 25:21 Licence number: 00E0096
Author: Malachy Conway, Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd.
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 637982m, N 750553m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.503600, -7.427462
An archaeological assessment was carried out on 9 March 2000 at the site of a proposed extension to a house at Habsborough, Ballinea, Co. Westmeath, within the archaeological constraint area of SMR 25:21, a ringfort. The site lies on top of a natural ridge, and the ground falls away sharply to the south-east. The existing dwelling was constructed before 1995, and the area within a 10m radius of the house was landscaped. The present dwelling and the site of the proposed extension lie almost directly over the likely location of the levelled monument. No visible expressions of any archaeological potential could be discerned within the area immediately surrounding the existing dwelling.
Two assessment trenches were excavated using a mechanical excavator, along the proposed foundation lines of the garage extension; they measured 4m long by 0.8m and were excavated to a maximum depth of 0.8m. Removal of sod 0.2m deep revealed grey clay with much angular and shattered limestone 0.25m deep, representing redeposited material associated with the initial construction activity at the dwelling, below which lay natural, orange, sandy clay subsoil. No features, deposits or finds of archaeological significance were encountered.
15 Trinity Street, Drogheda, Co. Louth
