2003:0210 - CORK: Cork Main Drainage Scheme, Contract II, Cork

Monitoring of service trenches for this phase of the Main Drainage Scheme began in November 2001 and has been ongoing since. The monitoring programme is expected to continue until April 2004. To date, several archaeological features have been recorded, all of which date to the post-medieval period (Excavations 2002, No. 269). Monitoring has also provided geographical information significant to the interpretation of the development of the city and an overview of the extent of destruction of archaeological stratigraphy and features within the historic city during the post-medieval period.

Monitoring during 2003 was mainly concentrated in the South Mall, the side streets off Oliver Plunkett Street and Washington Street. The works involved the laying of sewer pipes and storm drainpipes and water mains in trenches (measuring 1.2m in width) varying in depth from 1–3m.

South Mall
Today South Mall is the commercial centre of the city, but during the medieval times it was an open channel located to the south-east of the medieval city and bounded by marshland to the north (Dunscombe’s Marsh) and south (Dunbar’s Marsh). The entire area was developed on reclaimed marshes from the late 17th century onwards. Oliver Plunkett Street was the main street on the former Dunscombe’s Marsh and the Mall was a canal until it was partially filled in and culverted in 1801. The north side of the Mall developed initially when the first buildings were erected during the early 18th century. They were constructed from Dutch brick, which had been used as ballast in ships coming into Cork. The first physical development to take place on the south side of the street occurred c. 1760 (Cooke 1999). Most of the stratigraphy exposed was identified as backfill material from the reclamation. The stratigraphy is all post-18th century. The fill consisted mainly of silts and gravel.

The features noted in the trenches along the South Mall and side streets consisted of stone walls, culverts and drains, as well as railway tracks and associated cobbled surfaces. The walls were built of limestone and red sandstone and were generally mortar-bonded; they may represent houses, boundary walls or other buildings. It is likely that the foundation courses of many 18th-century red-brick buildings were of stone (Hurley 2003). Evidence for stone-lined drains was also commonly found. Associated artefacts consist of post-medieval and early modern pottery, glass, clay pipes and some animal bone.

Washington Street
Work on Washington Street in the historic city (SMR 74:34(01)) involved the installation of four water mains and associated ducting within an existing culvert. In 1824 the Wide Street Commissioners constructed a long broad thoroughfare, now known as Washington Street (formerly Great George’s Street), through the historic city. Prior to the Cork Main Drainage works in Washington Street, the extent of damage to medieval strata caused during the construction of the street was unknown.

A large stone culvert orientated east–west, extending the full length of Washington Street (c. 400m), was uncovered on the north side. As expected, a section of the east and west city wall (SMR 74:34(02)) was removed in the course of the early 19th-century construction. Some stone appears to have been reused in the construction of the culvert. Recording of the culvert commenced 6m west of the junction of the Grand Parade and Washington Street and is ongoing. The depth to the base of the culvert varies between 2 and 3m below ground level. A number of masonry styles indicating different construction phases were recorded throughout the length of this culvert.

The initial 50m of culvert, as recorded from the east to west along Washington Street uncovered 1.2m below the road surface, was of sandstone and arched. The arch of the culvert was covered by modern road build-up and supported by two side walls. It has an external width of 3.4m (north–south) and an internal width of 2m; the internal height measured 1.6m. Several small openings were noted along the side walls. The masonry was comprised of red and green sandstone bonded with lime mortar and a distinctive arch, which was removed during excavation. Adjacent to the Courthouse it was necessary to remove the rubble base of the culvert and, as a result, a row of timber piles supporting the south wall of the culvert was evident.

The next section recorded consisted of a box culvert roofed with stone lintels laid horizontally, supported by two stone walls constructed of random stonework and mortar joints with a silt and rubble floor. The culvert measured 1m high by 0.8m in width. Further west, a third section was of stone and arched, with a paved base representing the later stages of construction as the culvert extends westwards.

References
Cooke, R. 1999 My home by the Lee. Irish Millennium Publications.
Hurley, M.F. 2003 A review of domestic architecture in Cork. In R.M. Cleary and M.F. Hurley, Excavations in Cork city 1984–2000. Cork.

Navigation House, Albert Quay, Cork