2006:1398 - WALTERSTOWN, Louth

The site was discovered during monitoring of topsoil-stripping (see AD19, Excavations 2006, 06E0142) along the route of the proposed south–north gas pipeline to be constructed by Bord Gáis Éireann (BGE). The site was located in Fields 3–5 at Road Crossing 36 (36F03–06) in the townland of Walterstown, c. 8km south-west of Dundalk. The site was located c. 350m west of the River Fane, which enters the sea 5km to the east at Dundalk Bay. The site lies directly to the west of the flood-plains and it is central to an area currently used for arable farming.

Three sites, LH012–028, a circular enclosure, LH012–029, a ringfort, and LH012–021, are located within a 500m radius of this site. The remains of a rectangular church and an associated long cist (LH012–019 and LH012–020) are located c. 700m north-east of the site. A possible circular enclosure was noted from a geophysical survey (06R0116) carried out in advance of excavation. It lies c. 50m to the west of the site in Field 5.

The archaeologically sensitive area measured 320m along the pipeline corridor and extended outside of the study area to the east and west. The archaeological remains at the site included a series of intercutting field boundaries, three corn-drying kilns, two floor surfaces, a large rectangular structure and an area of intercutting pits. What remained of the medieval archaeology on site was heavily truncated and disturbed by ongoing agricultural activities. The ploughsoil across the site varied from 0.08 to 0.35m.

Field boundaries and ditches
In total, 36 linear ditches were excavated on the site. Thirteen ditches were of east–west orientation, spaced quite regularly from 25 to 30m apart. On average, these ditches measured 0.5–1m in depth and 0.5–2m in width. All but four of these features terminated within the study area. The remaining ditches were similar in size but were orientated north–south, with a slight variation of north-east/south-west. A large ditch which was located towards the north end of the site and orientated north-east/south-west measured 3.2m wide with a maximum depth of 1.32m. This was the most substantial of all the linear features on the site and may have been defensive in nature. The basal deposits of this ditch produced green-glazed crested ridge tiles and glazed medieval pottery that included decorated strap handles. An entranceway c. 4m wide was identified in the ditch towards the centre of the pipeline corridor. A 100m-long north-west/south-east-orientated ditch passed through the entranceway and partially truncated the south-west terminus.

Kilns
Three kilns were excavated on the site, all three located close to the site limits. Kilns A and B were located at the northern limit of the site, while Kiln C was located at the southern limit. All three were stone-lined and none remained completely intact due to collapse and truncation by later features. All three kilns had associated external hearths and the subsoil and stone lining within the flues displayed evidence of heating. Kilns A and B were orientated north-east/south-west with the chamber located at the latter end. Kiln B was orientated east-north-east/west-south-west with the chamber located at the latter end.

Structures and surfaces
Two sub-oval surfaces were located at the southern end of the site. Surface A consisted of a bowl-shaped cut that was filled with charcoal-rich silts and flat angular stones, which formed a paved surface. The deposit surrounding the upper surface of stone produced worked flint, animal bone and glazed medieval pottery. A rectangular pit was located to the south of the surface. A curvilinear slot feature surrounded the north-west, north and east sides of the surface and may represent a beam or plank slot.

Surface B consisted of a shallow sub-oval bowl-shaped cut. The surface consisted of compacted subsoil underlying a compacted cultural deposit, which produced ten iron artefacts. These include an iron buckle fragment, an iron sickle and iron nails. Also within this deposit were over 70 sherds of medieval glazed pottery, burnt bone, animal bone and flint. A rectangular pit was located to the south of the floor surface. Several medieval pottery sherds were produced from the four deposits within this pit and over fifty undiagnostic heavily corroded iron pieces were discovered in one charcoal-rich deposit to the east of the pit. A single post-hole was discovered in the south-west of the surface. This surface was surrounded on all sides by narrow slot-trenches, one of which exhibited stone packing. A hearth was located to the south-east of the surface.

Surrounding Surface B was a series of rubbish pits, a mettled surface to the south-east and two elongated intercutting stone-filled pits to the north. The later of the two pits produced the top and base portions of two different rotary querns, which were found among the stone deposit of the pit. The quern base was surrounded by carefully placed stones that appeared to hold the quern in place. The second quern, which was broken, appeared to be utilised as part of the stone fill of the pit. This pit also produced iron slag, a spindle whorl and large amounts of medieval pottery.

Towards the centre of the site, a large sunken floor was uncovered. Rectangular in shape and measuring 11m east–west by 9m, it extended outside the corridor to the west. Underlying large amounts of worked flint and glazed and unglazed medieval pottery were the internal structural elements of the feature. These were defined by a series of post-holes, several of which were stone-lined or exhibited stone packing. Post-holes also defined an internal division orientated east–west that separated the larger and lower-lying southern portion of the structure from the northern portion. A line of five heavily truncated post-holes, two of which were partially stone-lined, defined the eastern wall. A shallow depression containing a single course of wall foundation was located in the north-east corner of the west wall. At the northern part of the structure was a patch of scorched subsoil that may have represented a hearth, while a large sub-oval pit was located at the south-west of the structure. This large structure may represent domestic activity or may be a grain store. Post-excavation analysis of the soil samples may help with the interpretation of this feature.

A large irregular paved surface was uncovered c. 30m to the south-east of the above structure. The paving lay directly on subsoil. To the west of the paved area two parallel stone-lined drains, oriented east–west and 3.85m apart, and three courses of a 3m-long drystone wall were truncated by two perpendicular intersecting field boundaries. To the south of the wall lay an elongated subrectangular mettled surface and to the south-east was a second foundation cut containing a wall of similar size. Only one course of the wall remained intact. Other stone was present within the foundation cut where the wall had collapsed. Both the metalled surface and the collapsed wall were orientated north-east to south-west. To the south of these features was a subrectangular surface, which was paved with large flat slabs. This feature was orientated north-west to south-east and pointed towards the gap between the wall and metalled surface 1m to the north-east. Another stone-filled feature similar to that of the wall foundation cut was located directly to the west of the wall but extended outside the pipeline corridor and was orientated north-west–south-east. To the south of these features was a complex of intercutting pits and linear features. One of these pits produced several individual quern fragments. Others produced medieval pottery.

The portion of this site excavated during pipeline works has produced evidence to suggest there was a strong grain-producing industry on the site. A farming community may have exploited the fertile soils associated with the flood-plains of the nearby Fane River or the site may represent agricultural elements associated with the nearby ecclesiastical sites or ringfort.

Post-excavation analysis is currently under way and dates are awaited.

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