2006:1616 - OLDBRIDGE, Meath

Monitoring and excavation was undertaken for drainage works associated with the Sheephouse/Oldbridge bypass at Oldbridge, Co. Meath. The development consists of 640m of new road as part of a bypass of Sheephouse lane and cottages and ancillary drainage works which run northwards to the Boyne Canal. An additional 280m of road at Fulham’s land was also monitored. These works were designed to provide improved access to the Battle of the Boyne heritage site.

Previous archaeological works on the bypass included a paper and field survey and linear test-trenching with offset trenches in 2003 (O’Connor, 03E1759). This identified archaeological features in the form of a number of small pits and scorched areas. The spoil from this testing was metal detected under licence and no significant battle-related artefacts were recovered.

Development began in October 2005 with the laying of drainage pipes and manholes. No identifiable battlefield artefacts were recovered and the majority of post-medieval artefacts were within the normal range of material within ploughed fields. A sherd of Siegburg stoneware was recovered, relatively rare German pottery from the late 16th century. Two sites of archaeological significance were excavated within the large Groggin’s field, a location within the battlefield.

Oldbridge 3
This site measured 15m by 3.5m and was located on a steep rise overlooking the south bank of the river. A spread of charcoal-flecked soil 10.9m north–south by 3.5m and 0.25m in depth was excavated. An outlying firespot was excavated (1.3m north–south by 0.8m and 0.35m in depth). A series of shallow oval-cut features underlay the soil. The first was a circular pit, F29. It was filled with mid-brown to grey sandy clay containing frequent stones. This overlay broken limestone blocks which were 0.05–0.35m in diameter. This in turn overlay a patch of charcoal-rich sandy clay (0.74m by 1.33m by 0.1m) with fragments of burnt bone. At the base and centre of the pit and sealed by this deposit was a stake-hole, 0.09m by 0.1m by 0.12m, filled with yellowish-brown sandy clay.

Approximately 0.4m north of F29 was a curving slot, which had a rounded terminal and continued into the western edge of excavations (0.53m by 2.87m north-west/south-east by 0.4m). It had sloping sides and a rounded base and was filled with stones in a matrix of charcoal-rich soil. It contained occasional fragments of burnt bone. This overlay a thin deposit of light-yellow/brown silty sand. This pit was cut into the orange/brown boulder clay.

A series of shallow smaller features interpreted as hollows and root cavities were excavated. The largest of these was a subcircular depression. This was filled by dark-brown sandy clay with frequent charcoal flecks. A further small shallow oval pit was excavated to the east (0.35m by 0.43m by 0.12m). It was filled with mid-dark-brown sandy clay with occasional charcoal flecks.

A series of small shallow features that were relatively unconvincing as post- and stake-holes were excavated. They were predominantly filled with dark-brown sandy clay with frequent charcoal flecks. One of these contained a concentration of larger burnt-bone fragments.

The total of 111 sherds of pottery that were recovered consisted entirely of Beaker tradition and Beaker/Early Bronze Age sherds, representing at least fifteen individual vessels. A small number of flint flakes, cores and scrapers suggesting short-lived domestic sedentary occupation were also found. Small quantities of burnt sheep bone were recovered. A radiocarbon date is being sought from burnt animal bone and charcoal. This site was interpreted as a levelled midden of Early Bronze Age settlement remains. It can be seen in context locally with large Beaker-related assemblages at Rathmullan (Site 12), excavated by Teresa Bolger (Excavations 2001, No. 1036, 01E0294), Sheephouse, Co. Meath, and Mell, Co. Louth (McQuaid 2005). It is clear that archaeological deposits continued beyond the edge of the excavated site.

Oldbridge 5
A 19th/20th-century brick clamp or kiln was located near the Oldbridge Estate boundary wall, south of the Boyne Canal, on the south side of the slope. The location was the margin of the gravel and the marshy area that runs under the current Oldbridge–Drogheda road to the canal. The area of excavation was c. 6.6m by 7.2m. It appeared as a spread of burning and red brick with red brick being the most prevalent. It was located 0.15m below topsoil and its southern edge was cut into the edge of the natural gravel. The bricks were laid on their side, with the average brick size being 0.22m in length by 0.1m in width by 0.06m. The largest surviving drying bricks formed a surface up to two courses in height (1.4m north–south by 1.2m). These overlay a heavily scorched area with frequent charcoal flecks (6.5m north–south by 0.55m and 0.05m in depth). This overlay the natural gravel. A larger surface of crushed red brick, coal and charcoal was excavated on either side (3.8m north–south by 6.7m). A deposit of brown clay with charcoal and frequent brick fragments was located on the eastern side.

Reference
McQuaid, M. 2005 Archaeological excavation of a multi-period prehistoric settlement at Waterunder, Mell, County Louth. County Louth Archaeological and Historical Journal XXVI(1), 31–79.

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