County: Kildare Site name: BISHOPSLAND
Sites and Monuments Record No.: SMR 29:12, 29:39 Licence number: 00E0909
Author: Paul Stevens, for Margaret Gowen & Co. Ltd.
Site type: Enclosure and Linear earthwork
Period/Dating: Late Medieval (AD 1100-AD 1599)
ITM: E 672756m, N 713505m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.167061, -6.911889
An archaeological assessment was carried out in January 2001 for a proposed redevelopment of the Water Treatment Works in Bishopsland townland, Ballymore Eustace, Co. Kildare. The development site contains two recorded archaeological monuments — an enclosure and the Pale Ditch — and is close to the medieval town of Ballymore Eustace (SMR 29:11). The Ballymore Eustace Water Treatment Work is an existing c. 37.5ha site, 750m by 500m, and the proposed development involves the construction of large storage and treatment tanks, administration buildings, access roads and pipelines. The assessment consisted of nine test-trenches opened by mechanical excavator in areas of proposed development and affected known monuments.
The site of the enclosure was within an area of recent truncation. This site contains an upstanding mound, with a deep hollow, a semicircular low raised bank and a stream extending to the north. The mound was irregular in plan and appears to have been reshaped by machine and subject to landslide to the west. Both ditch and enclosing bank were also either of modern origin or a recent artificially altered natural feature. Trenches 1 to 4 were opened around the outer circumference of the mound to determine the extent of truncation of the enclosure monument and to assess any surviving outer enclosure ditch. This also corresponded with the western limit of impact of the proposed new settling tank complex and access road. However, substantial modern truncation through quarrying was revealed, removing any features of archaeological significance.
The Pale Ditch survives in the field boundary immediately east of the plant site main access road. The Ditch measures 380m in length and survives as two low banks on either side of a ditch, 2.2m in width and 0.5m in depth. It is truncated by a minor road and becomes less distinct along its northern extent. Further south (within the plant site) the ditch has been completely removed by the installation of a water tower and inner access roads. Trenches 6 and 8 were located in the area of the proposed access road and sediment tanks, 11m west of the Pale Ditch and field boundary. Modern truncation was revealed, from the construction of the compound and main road. No features of archaeological significance were uncovered.
Trench 5 was opened to determine the archaeological impact of the proposed reservoir. This trench revealed partial truncation from pipelines laid in 1987 and a natural soil profile elsewhere. Trenches 9 and 10 were also opened to determine impact of the proposed settling tank compound. However, this area was revealed to be made-up ground dating from 1980–7.
In conclusion, trenching revealed that the plant site was subject to massive truncation during the past twenty years. This affected much of the area around the enclosure and part of the Pale Ditch. Despite this, no evidence of residual archaeological material was noted in testing, whilst undisturbed areas were found to be void of archaeological material. However, as this large-scale development will affect a significant area of undisturbed or semi-truncated land, monitoring is recommended.
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