County: Wexford Site name: Townparks, Waterloo Road, Wexford
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 02E1806
Author: Emmet Stafford, Stafford McLoughlin Archaeology, Unit 4, Enniscorthy Enterprise Centre, Milehouse Road, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford.
Site type: Ditch
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 704524m, N 621679m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.336755, -6.466198
Monitoring of geotechnical test-pit excavation was undertaken at the site of a proposed development at Waterloo Road, Wexford, in December 2002 (Excavations 2002, No. 1941). The site is within Wexford town's zone of archaeological potential immediately to the south and west of a proposed development site that was tested and subsequently monitored under licence (Excavations 2002, 1940, 02E1684).
Little of archaeological significance was uncovered in the majority of the test-pits excavated. The fill of one large subsoil-cut feature was, however, uncovered towards the northern limit of the site. It is possible that the brown humic material uncovered represents the fill of a linear feature uncovered during the testing of the adjacent site (C11, 02E1684). The feature, which appears to run in a south-east to north-west direction, may represent an enclosing ditch, possibly associated with the site of a Franciscan priory (SMR 37:32(19)) located immediately north-east of the proposed development site. The priory was established in 1230 and was described at the suppression as consisting of a house, chapter house, belfry, dormitory, hall and kitchen with other buildings.
Further monitoring undertaken at the site in 2003 revealed no further features of archaeological significance. The utilisation of a pad and ground-beam substructure beneath the apartment block constructed on the site ensured the preservation in situ of the ditch feature uncovered towards the northern boundary of the site.
