County: Meath Site name: RATOATH: Main Street
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 02E1101 ext.
Author: Rosanne Meenan
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 702069m, N 751882m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.507015, -6.461283
Testing was carried out on the site in 2002 (Excavations 2002, No. 1520). Following from the discovery of a possible medieval ditch in the northeast corner of the site, the proposed location of one of the apartment blocks was moved westwards in order to avoid disturbance to the ditch. In the grant of planning for two apartment blocks, the developer was required to employ an archaeologist to carry out monitoring during ground disturbance. The licence issued to cover the testing in 2002 was extended to cover the monitoring.
A small amount of rubble overburden and sod was removed from the surface of the site. The footings for Block A were excavated first. The depth of topsoil varied between 0.3m and 0.5m. It overlay natural brown boulder clay that contained loose stones.
In the area of Block B, the topsoil was dark-grey and silty, 0.6–0.8m deep. The natural subsoil was stiff grey/brown boulder clay with loose stones. Excavation of the footings here produced evidence for poor drainage in this part of the site. Deposits of grey silt were present throughout, but they were amorphous and could not be interpreted as ditches. It is more likely that they were originally dug as soak holes, as similar soak holes were found by the writer on other sites along Main Street in Ratoath.
Roestown, Drumree, Co. Meath
