2005:1674 - STRANDFIELD, Wexford

Excavations carried out in advance of industrial development within the townland of Strandfield/Kerlogue confirmed the remains of a probable Bronze Age house structure and associated activity identified during testing carried out by Emmet Stafford (see No. 1673, Excavations 2005). The site was located c. 2km to the south of Wexford town. In consultation with the authorities, it was agreed that the area covered by the footprint of proposed development buildings would necessitate full excavation, while archaeological remains within a carpark area would be preserved in situ. Subsequent excavation of the site confirmed the existence of four discrete areas of archaeological activity.

Area 1 consisted of a 70m by 17m-wide strip of land within the western half of the proposed development site. Archaeological activity in this area consisted of a large pit of uncertain date, a series of post-medieval plough furrows and two large field boundary ditches.

Area 2 was located 10m to the east of Area 1, being 15m by 22m in size. This area represented the main concentration of archaeological activity uncovered on the site: a 10.2m-diameter circular house structure of probable Bronze Age date. The house consisted of the badly truncated remains of a wall slot containing numerous stake-holes, with associated internal support post-holes. Due to the level of truncation at the site, no evidence for an entrance to the structure remained. An area of possible industrial/storage activity was uncovered to the south of the structure in the form of a large pit and circular stake-hole structure, while a number of randomly scattered post- and stake-holes were to the east and north of the structure. Additionally a post-medieval stone drain associated with a disused road was uncovered truncating the west of the house structure, while a large post-medieval field boundary ditch and modern plough furrows cut through the centre of the structure.

Area 3 was 16m to the north of the circular house structure in Area 2 and consisted of a scatter of pits and post-holes over an area 7m by 10m. Although apparently randomly scattered, closer inspection of the position of the post-holes suggests the remains of a possible structure constructed of ten post-holes and a number of small stake-holes. The structure was roughly oval in shape, c. 5.14m long and 4.12m wide, orientated north-west/south-east.

The fourth area of activity was located between 8 and 15m to the south and south-east of the house structure within Area 2. Activity in this area was confined to the remains of an erratically linear boundary ditch which meandered across the site from east to west and which had been cut through by a later possible ring-ditch. The boundary ditch extended from the southern limit of the development site for a distance of c. 31m before being truncated by a post-medieval roadside drain. The ditch was narrow in relation to its depth, with an average width of c. 0.66m. The remains of a small circular ring-ditch were uncovered along the southern boundary of the development site, truncating a portion of the linear boundary ditch and extending beyond the limit of excavation. Only half of the feature was uncovered and excavated. The ring-ditch survived as a shallow curving subsoil-cut ditch, 4.22m in diameter.

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