2005:357 - BANGOR: ‘Malachy's Wall’, Bangor Abbey, Down

An excavation was carried out in advance of conservation work planned for a stretch of rubble wall, of possible 13th-century date, known as ‘Malachy’s Wall’. Malachy’s Wall is thought to be the earliest extant remnant of Bangor Abbey, which was an important monastic site from as early as the 6th century through to the later medieval period. In recent years, concerns have arisen about the stability of Malachy’s Wall. It now leans noticeably to the north and overhangs a public footpath. The objective of the excavation was to locate the foundation of the wall and to assess its condition.

Two small test-pits were excavated at the base of the south face of Malachy’s Wall, in a position where the overhang of the wall was most prominent. Test-Pit 1 measured 1.5m (east–west) by 0.5 m. Test-pit 2 measured 1m (east–west) by 0.8m.

The most recent deposit in Test-Pit 1 was a deep layer of dark clay loam which contained an assemblage of modern glass, ceramics and metalwork. The nature and contents of this deposit suggested that it was of relatively recent date, possibly formed as a result of the development in the 1950s of the nearby Bangor Parish Hall and carpark. The base of the wall was exposed during removal of the dark clay loam deposit. A number of large stones had been removed from the base, creating an uneven profile along the base of the wall. Underlying the layer of modern material in Test-Pit 1 was a layer of firm loamy soil. Although this deposit was initially noted at a depth 0.1m below the base of the wall, inspection of voids beneath the base revealed that the wall had been constructed on the surface of this layer. The uppermost portion of this material to the south of the wall had been truncated, probably by the construction activity represented by the overlying modern deposit. The excavation of Test-Pit 1 was discontinued at a depth of 1.1m.

Test-Pit 2 was opened c. 2m to the west of Test-Pit 1. The stratigraphy recorded in Test-Pit 2 broadly replicated that of Test-Pit 1; the base of the wall was exposed during removal of a dark clay loam which contained modern glass, ceramics and metalwork. The section of the base of the wall exposed in Test-Pit 2 was again uneven, with evidence that some of the larger basal stones had been removed, potentially undermining the stability of the wall. As in Test-Pit 1, inspection of voids created by the removal of the basal stones confirmed that the wall had been constructed on a firm loamy soil, although the surface of this layer was not exposed in Test-Pit 2. The excavation in Test-Pit 2 was discontinued at a depth of 0.8m.

The excavation yielded no obvious evidence of ecclesiastical activity in either the Early Christian or medieval periods. A quantity of fragmented human bone was sampled from the relatively recent dark clay loam deposit in both test-pits. This suggested that a phase of burials might have been among the material that was destroyed by the later building activity. The only other feature of potential archaeological interest was a slate-lined cut in the westernmost portion of the excavated area in Test-Pit 1, which was initially identified as a possible grave but was probably a modern services conduit.

The excavation showed that the stability of Malachy’s Wall has been undermined by the removal of material from around its base, most likely during the modern construction work. The layer of modern material that was deposited as a result of this work abutted the south of the wall and probably now represents the only support for the wall on its southern side.

This excavation is described in McHugh, R. 2004 Excavations at Malachy’s Wall, Bangor Abbey, County Down, Ulster Journal of Archaeology 63, 65–75.

School of Geography, Archaeology and Palaeoecology, Queen’s University, Belfast, BT7 1NN