2002:1030 - KILKENNY: Bishop’s Palace, Troy’s Gate/Vicar Street, Kilkenny

An assessment was carried out, as part of a request for further information on foot of an application for planning permission to Kilkenny Corporation, at a development site off Vicar Street and Troy’s Lane in Kilkenny, in the north of the grounds of the present Bishop’s Palace. Test-trenches were opened across the site of the proposed new See House, its associated services and a new access route in May 2002. Significant archaeological remains were identified at the site.

John Rocque’s (1758) plan of Kilkenny and the first-edition OS map of the city indicate that the original boundary of the grounds of the Bishop’s Palace was formed by the south side of Drysdale’s Lane. The present development site is in the area that formed the rear gardens of properties fronting onto the north side of Drysdale’s Lane and the south side of Troy’s Lane. It has been suggested that the original boundary wall of the grounds of the Bishop’s Palace, which ran along Drysdale’s Lane, represents the line of the original enclosing wall of Irishtown. It has also been theorised that the original curvature of Drysdale’s Lane may relate to the early ecclesiastical enclosure of St Canice’s.

Four test-trenches were opened in the location of the proposed new See House, and a fifth was dug along the line of the proposed new access road and services, at what would have been the Drysdale’s Lane street frontage.

The features identified in Trenches 1 and 2 suggest that ironworking took place in this area during the medieval period. The evidence from Trench 1 also suggests that, potentially, several phases of activity are represented. Between 4m and 10m from the northern end of Trench 1 a series of soil layers was encountered, sealed beneath topsoil, which may represent a series of old ground surfaces or artificial surfaces. C16 was a layer of redeposited natural clay sealed by a deep topsoil layer. It extended for several metres along the trench and sealed a layer of mid-brown sandy clay (C17) that appears to be consistent with an old topsoil horizon. Again, this layer was identified extending for several metres along the trench. This old topsoil layer sealed a more compact layer of charcoal-flecked, sandy clay (C18). This may be an old surface or occupation layer. No diagnostic material was recovered directly from these layers to indicate a definite date.

However, C18 was truncated on the south by a large subcircular pit (C5), which extended beyond the limits of the trench, to the west. C5 was c. 2.5m in diameter, with a minimum depth of 0.8m. However, it was not possible to carry out a full excavation of the slot-section through the feature, and it may be considerably deeper. The lowest fill in C5 was a charcoal-flecked, yellow/grey, sandy clay, which appears to be consistent with a primary silt. The second fill encountered was very loose and composed mainly of small rounded stones (C4). This context produced two sherds of medieval pottery and a range of metalworking detritus, including some possible furnace bottoms. C4 was sealed by a layer of grey/brown sandy clay with occasional charcoal flecks.

Trench 2 extended north-east from the northern terminal of Trench 1. Approximately 3.5m from the western end of the trench was a subcircular area of charcoal-rich clay with evidence of in situ burning. This deposit produced a number of pieces of furnace bloom, indicating that it is probably the remains of an ironworking furnace. A number of other possible features were noted surrounding it, which may be the remains of related activity or an associated structure. A single sherd of coarse medieval pottery and a small iron object were recovered during the cleaning back of this section of the trench.

The evidence recovered during this investigation suggests that C5 is of medieval date, and probably C18 also, with a possible medieval date for C17 and C16. The metalworking detritus recovered from C4 suggests a direct link between C5 and the archaeological features identified in Trench 2.

There was evidence from Trenches 1, 3 and 4 of considerable post-medieval activity, mainly the presence of several pits. There was also evidence, in the different depths and layers of topsoil present in the various trenches, of extensive landscaping of the site. This may relate to the incorporation of this area in the grounds of the Bishop’s Palace.

No evidence was uncovered relating either to the town wall or to the original early medieval enclosure of St Canice’s, although it is possible that such material still survives at the site.

Trench 5 was situated roughly parallel to the boundary wall between the present grounds of the Bishop’s Palace and Bambricks pub, on Troy’s Gate. The trench did not reveal any clear evidence of structures relating to Drysdale’s Lane or any material relating to the city defences. However, it is likely that a deposit of rubble noted in the northern end of the trench relates to the demolition of Drysdale’s Lane and its associated structures. Certainly, a cursory examination of the boundary wall in this part of the palace grounds indicates that it is a composite structure and may incorporate parts of earlier structures, possibly relating to Drysdale’s Lane.

2 Killiney View, Albert Road Lower, Glenageary, Co. Dublin