2006:99 - LISBURN: Lisburn Castle Gardens, Antrim

The second phase of archaeological excavations at Lisburn Castle Gardens was carried out during the summer of 2006 as part of a joint Heritage Lottery/Lisburn City Council-funded restoration of the gardens, scheduled for completion and reopening in the summer of 2007. This second phase intended to complete and add to the findings of the initial assessment carried out by Ruairí Ó Baoill in 2003, which identified the major structures within the terrace gardens, as well as more ephemeral elements such as the gardens paths, flowerbeds and drains (Excavations 2003, No. 19, AE/03/57).

Three main areas were investigated during this season, focusing on the three integral structures within the 17th-century castle gardens. These structures comprise the perron, the gazebo and the turret, all of which are of red-brick construction and thought to have been established during the late 17th century as part of improvements to the garden. These areas were fully excavated in order to obtain further information regarding their nature and function, which was to be fundamental in the restoration design.

The perron is a high-status garden feature, which was essentially a staircase and viewing platform. At Lisburn Castle Gardens, the perron comprised a platform supported by three vaulted chambers. Access was gained to the platform by stairs at either end of the structure. A balustrade constructed of stone or wood may have flanked both the steps and platform. The front of the structure was faced with brick. This structure was fully exposed through excavation, to enable conservation.

Finds recovered reflected the use of the structure; the vaulted chambers below produced sherds of highly decorative plant pots, which perhaps were once stored there. Once the structure had gone out of use, presumably in the early 18th century after the destruction of the castle in the fire of 1707, the perron appears to have been modified, the staircase abandoned and adapted solely as a viewing platform. Material was dumped above the roof of the perron to create a level platform, and this material contained artefacts possibly directly relating to the castle: remnants of building material and also high-quality glazed pottery fragments.

The gazebo comprised four red-brick walls, 0.48m in thickness, located within the south-east corner of the bowling green. The building is roughly 5m2 internally and survives as the basement level of the structure. The walls of this basement level survive to an average height of 2m. The basement was a single room, accessed by steps at the south-west corner leading down from the bowling green.

This was the apparent service room of the structure, used for preparing food, etc., to serve in the private room on the first floor. Constructed at the north-east corner of the room was an oven. This had a domed top and straight sides and was also constructed of red brick. Adjacent to this main oven was the remains of the source of heat which serviced it, a rectangular structure which resembles a range, comprising a central fire and two opposing small niches, also used for cooking and perhaps keeping food warm.

Once the gazebo went out of use, probably also in the early 18th century, the upper level appears to have been demolished and the tumbled masonry used to infill the basement room. Sherds of possible 17th–18th century pottery and glass were found located directly above the tiled floor. Other interesting finds included 17th-century trade tokens, which were in good condition, as well as a pin brooch and a carved bone gaming piece.

The third structure, the turret, is located at the eastern corner of Terrace 1 and is thought to have been used as a lookout—a vantage point across the gardens—and accessed at the end of a path across Terrace 1. The turret was built on to the already existing main east boundary wall (stone) and has a base of stone and mortar, circular in plan, which can be partially seen from the eastern area outside the main east wall. It forms the base for the main structure, constructed from red brick, surviving to 1m in height. The brick construction is semicircular in plan, with a doorway providing access from Terrace 1.

No definite floor surface was detected above the stone base, which is a fairly rough surface in itself. Above the stone base was infilled material, up to 2m in depth, which produced quite a large quantity of dressed sandstone fragments, sherds of fine 17th-century glassware and glazed wall tile.

In addition to the three main structures discussed above, other areas of the site have been investigated to some extent, as a result of monitoring of groundworks. The narrowing of the tarmac paths within the park at the northern end of the site has exposed in situ remains of stone foundations relating to the 17th-century castle and its outbuildings. Additionally, the stabilisation of the red-brick terrace walls has provided further evidence of the original landscaping.

The archaeological excavation finished formally in July 2006, though an archaeological presence has been retained to monitor groundworks.

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