County: Waterford Site name: WATERFORD: Anne Street
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 03E1923
Author: Linda Hegarty and Colm Moloney, Headland Archaeology Ltd.
Site type: Structure and Furnace
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 660153m, N 612667m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.262421, -7.118793
A desk-based assessment was undertaken in support of a planning application for permission to construct a mixed development at Anne Street, Waterford. The proposed development is on the edge of the historic core of Waterford city. Monitoring of groundworks associated with the development identified a number of brick-built structures.
A rectangular brick-and-mortar structure was located at the west side of the development site. It measured 3.9m by 3.2m, was 1.5m high at maximum and was roofed with a brick-and-mortar arch. A square access hole was located centrally in the roof and an L-shaped stone conduit was located at the north-west edge. The floor was constructed of large stone flags. A cast-iron pipe was noted entering through the roof, but it was not clear if this related to the structure or if it was a later insertion.
A second rectangular brick-and-mortar structure was located to the north of the other structure. It measured 3.8m by 4.1m, was 1.5m high at maximum and was roofed with a brick-and-mortar arch. The roof was largely destroyed in the past. The floor was also constructed of large stone flags.
A stone-built box culvert ran the entire length of the site from north-west to south-east. It had internal dimensions of 0.3m wide by 0.25m high. It was floored and capped by large flagstones, with squared stones forming the side walls, and continued under James Street.
These brick structures may have related to glassworking, which was the traditional industry in this part of Waterford. The conduit entering/leaving the first structure could have carried water or air. No evidence was recovered for extreme heat, which would rule out the structure's use as a kiln. The metal pipe entering through the roof may have related to some kind of pumping mechanism. This would suggest that the structure served as a reservoir for air or water that was pumped out through the conduit, probably for cooling. The fact that both structures were full of water when discovered (pumped out in order to record) may indicate that they served as water reservoirs, although this may be coincidental.
A glass furnace would have received air from an elaborate system of flues and ash tunnels that ran beneath the floor of the glasswork cone (Rynne 1999) and the brick structures may have formed part of this elaborate system. The culvert most probably served as a drain.
Reference
Rynne, C. 1999 The industrial archaeology of Cork city and its environs.
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