2001:637 - DOWDENSTOWN GREAT, Kildare

An assessment was carried out at Dowdenstown Great, Naas, as part of a detailed EIS for a planning application for a sand and gravel quarry. The assessment concentrated on the testing of three areas within the proposed development site that were near three archaeological sites, all of which lay immediately beyond the application site itself. These included a possible enclosure at Sillagh (SMR 24:25), a motte and bailey at Donore Big (SMR 24:26) and an enclosure at Dowdenstown Great (SMR 24:37). Two areas within the application site adjacent to the latter two monuments were surveyed with a fluxgate gradiometer before the assessment and did not reveal any anomalous responses of archaeological potential.

Features of note within the application site consisted of a square-sectioned scratching-stone which survives on high ground within the south centre of the site, standing approximately 1.7m high, and the remains of a possible esker shown on the third edition Ordnance Survey six-inch map, which was found to survive only as a very marked break in slope in the north-east corner of the site. Though numerous modern quarry pits survived around the perimeter of the site, no evidence for sand or gravel extraction was found within the application area.

Six test-trenches were mechanically excavated, two each near sites 24:25 (Trenches 1 and 2), 24:26 (Trenches 3 and 4) and 24:37 (Trenches 5 and 6). Features and deposits of archaeological potential were revealed only in Trenches 5 and 6.

Trenches 1 and 2 were excavated along the western site boundary adjacent to 24:25 and measured 53m by 1.8m and 48m by 1.8m respectively. Both displayed topsoil 0.25–0.3m deep over orange/brown sandy clay containing frequent stones, 0.5m deep, with orange/brown gravel below the clay at a depth of 0.8m in Trench 1. Trenches 3 and 4 were excavated along the western boundary of the site near 24:26 and measured 85m by 1.8m and 60m by 1.8m respectively. Both trenches displayed topsoil 0.35–0.4m deep over mottled orange/brown gravelly clay containing frequent patches of grey gravel over 0.5m deep.

Trenches 5 and 6 were excavated parallel to each other along the eastern boundary of the site within an area of the field which was water-saturated; they measured 98m by 1.8m and 30m by 1.8m respectively, and were positioned 22m apart. The eastern edge of this area (field 4) was characterised by a shallow but heavily waterlogged ditch some 4m wide running along the eastern field boundary. Trench 5 was excavated to an average depth of 0.5m, displaying topsoil 0.3m deep over mottled orange/brown gravelly subsoil. Numerous features of archaeological potential were revealed. From north to south they were: F1, a spread of dark brown soil, 4m north–south by 0.9m, containing some charcoal and small stones, possibly a filled-in hollow; F2, an elongated feature, a possible gully, 4.5–5m from the north end, surviving as 0.7m long (west–east) by 0.56m and filled with dark brown soil containing numerous flecks of charcoal; F3, a west–east-aligned ditch cut directly into subsoil, 8m from the north end, surviving to 4.9m in width and containing dark brown soil with numerous wood charcoal fragments; F4, a north-west/south-east-aligned linear feature south of F3, surviving to 2.1m in length and 0.5m in width, filled with dark brown clayey soil with charcoal flecks, possibly a discontinued field drain; F5, an irregular-shaped west–east-aligned spread of charcoal-flecked dark brown soil, 17.5m from the north end and surviving to 3.1m in width, overlying subsoil; F6, a west–east-aligned ditch 46.7m from the north end, positioned along the north side of a slight field bank, surviving width 5.8m, cut into subsoil and filled with fairly compact mottled brown clay with numerous lumps of charcoal and occasional stones, suggesting a former drainage ditch; F7, a west–east-aligned ditch 62m from the north end, surviving width 3.3m, filled with grey clay containing numerous water-rolled stones, suggesting a post-medieval drainage feature; F8, a west-north-west/east-south-east-aligned linear feature 65.3m from the north end, cut into orange/brown gravel and filled with grey clay; F9, a west–east-aligned linear feature 77m from the north end, surviving width 1m, filled with compact grey clay, suggesting a post-medieval drain.

Features were also located within the northern 10m of Trench 6: F10, a north-east/south-west-aligned linear feature extending south-west from the north-east corner, surviving area 10m by 0.7m, cut into the mottled orange/brown clay subsoil and filled by grey sandy clay with very occasional charcoal flecks and cut by a possible pit or post-hole, F11; F11, an oval pit or post-hole measuring 0.6m north–south by 0.45m, filled with dark brown soil with no obvious inclusions. A deep deposit of dark brown/grey clay containing much stone extends over the entire test-trench from 10m to the southern end, through which a test-pit was excavated revealing a deposit over 1m deep over orange/brown gravel subsoil. This deposit possibly reflects remains of local gravel extraction.

Finds recovered from the test-trenches were limited to a large flint nodule and a fragment of 18th-century brown ware from topsoil within Trench 5 and a fragment of roof slate from topsoil within Trench 6. The location of the features suggested an area of archaeological potential approximately 44m west–east by at most 80m, containing features of possibly medieval and post-medieval date. A planning decision on this application is pending and may result in further archaeological work to be undertaken at the site.

Unit 22, Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co. Louth