2004:1356 - TRIM: Newtown, Meath

An assessment, including testing, was carried out of a site proposed for development at Newtown, Trim, Co. Meath. The site lies on the northern bank of the River Boyne within the zone of archaeological potential of Newtown, Trim, as defined by the Urban Archaeological Survey.

Thirteen trenches were excavated. Trenches 1 and 2 were located immediately east of and behind a licensed premises that stands on the site. Trench 1 was excavated to a depth of 0.7m. The lower horizon in the trench, 0.3m of dark-brown silty clay, contained modern pottery, blackware and clay pipe. Trench 2 was excavated to a depth of 0.95m. Horizon 2 in this trench contained early modern and medieval pottery and a clay-pipe fragment. A large sherd of medieval pottery was found on the floor of the trench. Trench 3 contained clay pipe, modern pottery, glass and animal bone. Trench 4 was excavated to a depth of 0.5m, at which point water came in from the River Boyne, which flowed 15.6m to the south of the trench. The trench fill consisted ofgarden soil, with seven sherds of medieval pottery and two modern potsherds.

Trench 9 was excavated to a maximum depth of 0.9m. The fill consisted of dark-brown silty clay garden soil, with four sherds of medieval pottery, four modern potsherds, one animal bone fragment, three brick fragments and one piece of iron. Trench 10 was excavated to a depth of 0.55m; it contained two brick fragments and one sherd of earthenware. Trench 13 was excavated to a maximum depth of 0.9m at the western end, where nothing archaeological was observed. At the eastern end, the trench was excavated to a depth of 1.2m. The fill of the trench here consisted of a dump of refuse from a matrix of dark-brown silty clay; animal-bone fragments, modern pottery, two sherds of medieval pottery, two iron objects and some plastic were recovered.

Trench 16 was excavated to a depth of 0.8m. The eastern 6m of the trench contained one modern potsherd, one medieval potsherd and ten animal-bone fragments. The western end of the trench was excavated 0.55m below ground level, where there was a linear masonry feature, 3.09m long and 0.3m high. It ran out of the trench into the north-west corner. There was no visible mortar in the stonework. Two sherds of medieval pottery occurred in the fill immediately south of the wall. Five sherds of modern pottery occurred in the upper fill of the western end of the trench above the masonry feature.

Trenches 5, 7, 8, 14 and 15 contained nothing archaeological. Trenches 6, 11, 12 and 17 were not excavated, due to changes in the development plan.

Umberstown Great, Summerhill, Co. Meath