2006:1656 - TRIM: New Street, Meath

Monitoring of groundworks for the construction of two large buildings on either side of New Street was carried out between 27 September and 14 November 2006.

The site was the subject of an assessment and impact statement carried out by Alan Hayden (Excavations 2001, No. 1061, 01E1029). The assessment found no archaeological material on the southern side of New Street. Monitoring of groundworks on the south side of the street was carried out, but no archaeological material was disclosed by the monitor.

On the northern side of New Street, the testing revealed that the town wall was extant below ground level and that outside, or south of, the wall, there was a substantial ditch, which was dated to the medieval period, with a recut in the post-medieval period. Alan Hayden prepared a document, on behalf of the developer, entitled ‘Treatment of town wall at a proposed site to the east of Emmet Street, Trim, Co. Meath’, in response to a request for further information from the planning authority. The strategy proposed that: (i) the buildings should not come closer to the line of the town wall than 3m; (ii) the wall surviving above ground level to the east of the site be stabilised and finished off with stone matching that in the wall, bonded by lime mortar to the same thickness as the wall, and capping it with stone at roughly the same height as the standing part, this work to be carried out under supervision by a licensed archaeologist. A ‘Method statement for protection of town wall remains and upstanding remains’ prepared on behalf of the developer and used as the basis for ministerial consent, proposed a strategy for the town wall which included (i) establishing its line, width and level on the site prior to development and (ii) that it be fenced off for 2m on either side.

The town wall was established in three test-trenches on the site prior to the commencement of development; it was photographed and drawn, marked, covered with geotextile and fine sand, and the trenches backfilled. The standing wall on the east of the site, which is at least built on the foundations of the medieval wall, was repaired in accordance with the agreed strategy. The assessment by Hayden had noted that the top of archaeological deposits was at 1.4m below present ground level and recommended that the formation level of building foundations be kept at 0.9m below present ground level in order to avoid the archaeology and provide a buffer zone. Groundworks commenced on the northern part of the site, in accordance with this strategy.

At the north end of the west foundation trench, it became apparent that the trench was encroaching by 0.3m, for a distance of 3m, into a black silty clay layer that contained medieval pottery. The Heritage Division of the DOEHLG was informed of this and consultation took place as to how best to deal with the archaeology. The developer proposed that the material be removed mechanically and stockpiled for sifting by hand for artefacts. The DOEHLG agreed to this and work proceeded on this basis.

In the south part of the site, the foundation pads cut through the largely sterile grey silt that was first discovered by the test-trenching. No artefacts were recovered from this material.

The ground north of the town wall at the east side of the site was lowered by 0.8m, prior to the excavation of foundations for a smaller building, which will be attached to the larger one at first-floor level. The profile of the north wall of the excavated area was modern material with modern rubbish inclusions. At the base of the dig, 1.2m below the level of the cement ground level, a change occurred from dark-grey silty clay to grey silt. It had inclusions of oyster shells, but no artefacts were observed in it. It was covered with terram to protect it, but it was not dug into by the excavation for foundations. The remainder of the excavation for this building did not disclose any further archaeological material.

Umberstown Great, Summerhill, Co. Meath