County: Meath Site name: NOBBER
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 04E0989
Author: Rosanne Meenan
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 682337m, N 786702m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.823302, -6.749433
Planning permission was granted to demolish a stone house and to build two townhouses on this site on the west side of Nobber village just behind Main Street. An assessment was required in advance of demolition.
Gilbert de Angulo built a motte in Nobber, having been granted the lands by Hugh de Lacy. The lands reverted to the de Lacys in 1196. Shortly before 1243 the manor of Nobber was granted to the archbishops of Armagh, who retained it until the end of the Middle Ages. The site is located south-east of SMR 5:71, marked as 'Monastery in ruins', inside the existing graveyard.
A single trial-trench, 10m long, was excavated in the back garden. Topsoil/overburden, 0.7–0.9m deep, comprised black garden soil mixed with much modern rubbish and disturbed by many tree roots. Orange/brown natural subsoil was exposed underneath. In the northern half of the trench, orange/brown natural subsoil appeared to have been scarped and terraced so that it was at a slightly lower level than at the southern end.
A further test-trench is to be excavated when the standing building is demolished and monitoring is to be carried out during site development works.
Roestown, Drumree, Co. Meath
