County: Meath Site name: TREVET (1)
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: A008/014, E3067
Author: Stuart Rathbone, Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd.
Site type: Structure
Period/Dating: Medieval (AD 400-AD 1600)
ITM: E 695788m, N 756629m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.550842, -6.554479
This site was located within Contract 2 (Dunshaughlin to Navan) of the proposed M3 Clonee to north of Kells motorway and was identified during advance testing by Jonathan Dempsey in March 2004 (04E0418). Full resolution of the site took place intermittently between November 2005 and December 2006 and this revealed a large cobbled road surface with an adjacent drainage ditch leading up to a small, crudely built structure with a cobbled yard to the rear. Over 3000 sherds of 13th- to 14th-century pottery were recovered from this site, along with a small quantity of metal objects, including a cruciform strap end, two cooking pot feet and a knife handle. A small but not insignificant amount of slag was also recovered.
The cobbled road surface ran east–west from the present road for c. 20m before stopping at the entrance of the main structure. This structure was a large, north–south, rectangular building positioned on a large terrace cut into a slope. The western and southern sides of the structure’s platform were defined by large ditches and traces of rubble walls were found along the east, west and northern sides of the structure, although none of these lengths survived for any great distance. None of these walls sat in foundation trenches and no post-holes were discovered, therefore suggesting that the structure was a single-storey building with a low roof, perhaps supported by a cruck frame. The building probably resembled the traditional Irish cabin, itself part of a larger long-house tradition present throughout the British Isles.
A yard at the back of the structure was also identified, and two external hearths were located at the southern extent of this. A further two hearths that may be post-medieval in date were located to the north of the structure. Traces of two smaller structures were also identified, the first represented by a well-built corner of walling positioned to the south-east of the main structure and the second with slight foundations and possibly a shed or outhouse.
The buildings at Trevet 1 had collapsed or been demolished. The remains were covered by substantial rubble spreads and a deep layer of clay that may have derived from cob walling, a building technique still occasionally seen in the locality. These demolition layers had then been cut through by at least four separate attempts at draining the area, with ditches, stone drains and clay pipe drains. This work hampered the excavation, as most of these features brought water into the excavation area rather than drawing it away, and, while this site is in a waterlogged location, this may not have been so pronounced prior to these attempts at water management.
21 Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda
