2004:0044 - DUNADRY: 2 Islandreagh Road, Antrim

NMI Burial Excavation Records

County: Antrim Site name: DUNADRY: 2 Islandreagh Road

Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: AE/04/28

Author: Peter Bowen, Archaeological Development Services Ltd.

Site type: Industrial site

Period/Dating: Modern (AD 1750-AD 2000)

ITM: E 720077m, N 885527m

Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.703497, -6.136891

Monitoring of the removal of topsoil for a new housing development commenced on 22 April and continued until 4 May 2004. A paper mill, founded by Daniel Blow in 1747, lay directly to the east of the site. This mill was closed down and subsequently converted to a bleach works and the area encompassed by the development site became the bleach green. Prior to the commencement of work there were two standing buildings on the site. An early 20th-century building, known as the Bleach House, stood on the southeastern side of the site, while a modern single-storey garage was located on the southern side. As part of the archaeological mitigation an industrial heritage survey covering the historical background was undertaken and details of Bleach House were recorded before it was demolished. The topsoil was removed from across the site using a mechanical digger fitted with a toothless bucket revealing an orange clay subsoil. There were no archaeological deposits uncovered during the investigations on the site.

Unit 48, Westlink Enterprise Centre, 30-50 Distillery Street, Belfast, BT12 5BJ