County: Meath Site name: TRIM: Commons (4th Division)
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 02E1004
Author: Ian Russell, ACS Ltd.
Site type: Excavation - miscellaneous
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 680336m, N 756537m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.552601, -6.787628
It is proposed to construct a twenty-bedroom apartment block, entranceway, underground car-parking and auxiliary site services on land at Commons (4th Division), Trim, Co. Meath.
A number of archaeological features, most likely medieval, were exposed on the flat part of the site to the south during monitoring of topsoil-stripping. No archaeological features were exposed on the sloping part of the site to the north, where the topsoil was removed directly onto the grey clay, gravel and angular stone.
Six possible cultivation furrows, three possible ditches, three pits, four possible pits, four animal burials, eight areas of oxidised clay, three modern pits and two modern sewer pipes were exposed. The areas of oxidised clay are most likely medieval and may be associated with the pits and possible pits, which may also be medieval. Most of the medieval finds were recovered from the brown/grey clay, but this was clearly a disturbed layer, as pottery fragments from the 17th–20th centuries were also recovered. Later disturbance was also exposed, in the form of possible cultivation furrows, animal burials and modern pits that are likely to be geological test-pits. Two possible ditches also exposed on the site may represent earlier field boundaries.
The construction of the proposed development will involve the bulk excavation of the site to a formation level of c. 4m below the current ground surface. This would have a direct impact on the exposed medieval archaeological features. Consequently, it is recommended that all of the exposed features be fully resolved before any construction or excavation work.
Unit 21, Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co. Louth
