County: Louth Site name: ARDEE: Ash Walk
Sites and Monuments Record No.: SMR 17:101(14) Licence number: 03E0005
Author: David J. O'Connor, CRDS Ltd
Site type: Town
Period/Dating: Post Medieval (AD 1600-AD 1750)
ITM: E 695995m, N 790600m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.855978, -6.540841
Monitoring was undertaken of the development of an underground tank with ancillary pipework for slurry washing at Ash Walk, Ardee, Co. Louth. The development was in close proximity to a stone wall on the line of the medieval town wall of Ardee and Ash Walk Gate, as well as lying within the zone of archaeological potential of Ardee town.
The site is located within a cattle mart just north of the site of the Ash Walk Gate. The western boundary wall of the mart is quite possibly the extant medieval town wall of Ardee. This wall has been rendered on the mart side, while an earthen embankment has been created on the other side, possibly a result of refortification during the late 17th century.
Monitoring was carried out on 6 January 2003. The area to be stripped was c. 10m by 6m, to allow for the deep excavation to be stepped in. The ground beneath proved mostly to be fill, comprising soil with brick and bottles.
An assemblage of post-medieval ceramic artefacts was recorded within a post-medieval foundation trench and in a jumble of stones to the south of the existing tank. Two of the sherds consisted of manganese mottled ware dating from the late 17th to early 18th century. The majority of the ceramics consisted of coarse black-glazed earthenware, four of which formed the part of the body, handle, rim and base of a handled storage jar with an everted rim.
Unit 4, Dundrum Business Park, Dublin 14.
