2002:0022 - DUNSILLY: Kilbegs Road, Antrim

The site lies c. 2km south-east of Antrim town at c. 14–16m OD. There is a slight fall of land from north to south. The ‘Ferguson’s Water’ stream forms the western boundary, while the railway line is to the north. The Ballymena Road and the Kilbegs Road form the eastern and southern boundaries respectively. A ringfort survives in the south-east corner of the site. An early 19th-century single-storey house fronted the Kilbegs Road. The site area measured c. 550m by 390m, although in the current phase only half of this was to be developed.

The monitoring results indicated a largely sterile site, with scatterings of 19th- and 20th-century pottery sherds, clay pipes and glass. A stone- built rectangular feature, measuring 1.65m by 1m, was noted. Excavation suggested a modern construction, possibly related to agricultural activity on the site.

An area surrounding the 19th-century house was monitored. During excavation the boundary of a possible yard was noted. This survived as a pebbled surface, 0.5m wide, over disturbed subsoil, creating an ‘enclosure’ of c. 17m by 22m. After the demolition of the house, excavation revealed several phases of construction. The western end began as a two-room dwelling, with a single-room addition to the west. The westernmost wall was unique in its construction: it was c. 1.2m deep, of robust construction, on a stone-filled foundation trench, c. 1m wide. All other walls were built directly onto the subsoil. The remainder of the house, to the east of the first phase, was of later construction. A construction date of c. 1830 is suggested based on a combination of the associated pottery and map evidence.

Monitoring of the second phase of development will start in 2003.

19 Irwin Drive, Belfast BT4 3AR