2005:354 - BANBRIDGE: Edenderry Road, Down

Excavations of two areas of interest were undertaken at Old Donard School, Edenderry Road, Banbridge, Co. Down, on 19–22 December 2005 and 9–13 January 2006. The two areas are located c. 48m from each other in the extreme north-east and south-east corners of the development site, which lies within the grounds of Banbridge hospital. In the north-east area, Site A, a prehistoric ring-ditch measuring almost 4m in diameter yielded cremated bone, flint tools and pottery. In the south-east area, Site B, a post-medieval grave pit produced the remains of eight individuals and three coffins.

Excavations at Site A in the north-east corner of the development revealed an annular oval U-shaped ring-ditch measuring c. 3.92m east–west by 3.32m, with a maximum depth of 0.34m and measuring 0.23–0.61m in width. The upper fill contained burnt bone and the secondary fill flints, including a burnt hollow scraper, whilst both contained sherds of coarse ware pottery. Inside the ring-ditch was a shallow subcircular pit measuring 0.16m north–south by 0.23m, with a depth of 0.05m. This pit was filled with a friable dark-grey/brown deposit containing burnt bone, sherds of coarse ware pottery, flint debitage and quartz pebbles.

Excavations at Site B revealed the remains of three interconnected features, representing three phases of activity. The earliest and main feature of interest was a subrectangular grave pit containing the remains of eight skeletons in varying degrees of poor preservation, representing a juvenile, an infant and six adults. All were found in a supine extended position with arms by their side and aligned east–west, with heads at the west. Iron coffin nails were present around the skeletons within the main fill and at the base the waterlogged conditions preserved remnants of three wooden coffins. Post-medieval glass, crockery, coal, roof slate and red-brick fragments were also found within.

Of the two other features, a deep trench cuts the grave pit on the southern end of the site and is in turn cut by the wall on the west side. The presence of red brick and modern crockery suggests a relatively recent date for what may be a pipe trench. The rubble-built wall cuts through the trench but just misses the grave pit. One of the red-brick walls associated with the Old Donard School abutted this wall outside the area of interest. The fact that the wall cuts the trench and that it contains red brick within its fabric points to a fairly modern date for construction.

The annular oval ring-ditch would appear to be prehistoric in date and ritual in nature. Based on this and other comparative evidence, a Late Bronze Age date can be tentatively suggested for the ring-ditch. The evidence from the grave pit points to a single interment of at least eight bodies within coffins. The absence of grave goods and orientation of the bodies east–west with heads resting at the west is indicative of Christian burial and the presence of modern artefacts within the fill confirms a post-medieval date. The presence of the burials within the grounds of Banbridge hospital points to a connection with the old union workhouse, possibly the unfortunate result of an epidemic/infectious disease.

All archaeological features on the site have now been resolved and no further investigations are required. Post-excavation analysis is ongoing.

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