County: Waterford Site name: KNOCKHOUSE UPPER (1)
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 03E0343
Author: Linda Clarke, Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd.
Site type: Field boundary and Burnt spread
Period/Dating: Undetermined
ITM: E 655960m, N 611669m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.253886, -7.180382
An excavation was carried out at Knockhouse Upper 1, Knockhouse Upper, Co. Waterford, between 24 and 27 March 2003 on behalf of Waterford City Council in advance of the construction of the new N25 Waterford Bypass. The project was funded by the Irish government and part funded by the European Union under the National Development Plan 2000–2006 and administered through Waterford City Council.
This site was originally identified between 26 February and 11 March 2003 following an assessment carried out during the initial assessment phase of works by Tara O'Neill (Excavations 2002, No. 1798, 02E0249). This assessment involved machine-assisted trial-trenching along the centre-line of the road with offsets at 45º angles at intervals of 30m on alternate sides. This site was assessed as part of Site B, which consisted of six fields and was originally identified as Area 8 within Site B, along the Western Link Road from the N25 bypass. Site B was identified subsequent to the EIS as an area of high archaeological potential after a critical examination of the topographical nature of the scheme.
An area that measured 20m by 20m was stripped of topsoil by machine during the resolution phase of works to establish the significance of a ditch feature exposed during the assessment phase of works. Four sections were excavated across this feature. The fill was sterile. This feature also filled with water upon excavation. It would therefore seem reasonable to suggest that it functioned as a drainage ditch or part of an old field boundary. A small thin charcoal spread was, however, exposed. This spread consisted of a fine sandy clay flecked with charcoal and measured 1.05m by 0.42m and varied in thickness from 0.04 to 0.13m. The archaeological significance of this feature is unknown; it was not substantial, however, and appeared to be an isolated feature. Two stone drains and four areas of decayed stone were also exposed. No finds were recovered from this site.
Unit 21, Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co. Louth
