County: Meath Site name: TOWNPARKS/COMMONS OF LLOYD/WHITECOMMONS/ARCHDEACONRY GLEBE/CAKESTOWN GLEBE (Testing Area 14)
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 04E0913
Author: Jo Ronayne, Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd.
Site type: Burnt spread, and Habitation site
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 673103m, N 776423m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.732333, -6.892081
An assessment was carried out in advance of the planned M3 Clonee–North of Kells PPP scheme, Co. Meath, on the Navan–Kells and N52 Kells bypass (Contract 4) between July and October 2004. This section of the scheme is c. 11km long from the townland of Ardbraccan, north of Navan, to the townland of Cakestown Glebe, north of Kells. The EIS recommended testing any known or possible sites identified and Meath County Council further proposed to test the whole of the remainder of the route. For the purposes of testing, this section was divided into fourteen testing areas. The assessment methodology generally consisted of mechanically excavating 2mwide test-trenches along the centre-line and perpendicular to the centre-line to the edge of the land-take every 20m. The work was carried out on behalf of Meath County Council, the National Roads Design Office and the National Roads Authority.
Testing Area 14 is located in the townlands of Townparks, Commons of Lloyd, Whitecommons, Archdeaconry Glebe and Cakestown Glebe between Chainage 1800 and 3800; 11,926m2 of the total 106,635m2 within this area was test-trenched, providing a testing coverage of 11.2%.
Three areas of archaeological potential were uncovered. Three burnt spreads/mounds located in Townsparks/Commons of Lloyd have been designated as being part of one site. These deposits measured 16m by 3.5m, 5m by 4m and 17m by 14m and were situated in a relatively low-lying area between two hillsides and to the north of the existing N3.
A fourth burnt spread/mound has been designated Commons of Lloyd 1. This site was located on a low ridge between two small hillocks at the western end of Plot 3085 and was an oval-shaped burnt mound measuring 12m by 9m.
A possible habitation area located in the townland of Cakestown Glebe was designated Cakestown Glebe 1. This site consisted of a number of pits and possible post-holes and an area of fire-reddened clay. These features were identified on an area of elevated dry ground and are confined to an area c. 15–20m in diameter.
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