2006:1661 - TRIM: Trim Castle Lawn/Castle Street/Townsparks South carpark/Emmet Street, Meath

A programme of archaeological assessment, monitoring and excavation was carried out in advance of and concurrent with infrastructural works between 24 April 2006 and 15 January 2007. The development involved the excavation of trenches in the vicinity of the castle on Trim Castle Lawn, Castle Street and the Townparks South carpark, construction of an outfall at the Boyne, construction of a new link road between Castle Street and Emmet Street and associated upgrading of services, and refurbishment of road and footpaths. The development route lay in proximity to Trim Castle (ME036–025), Trim town wall (ME036–047) and Trim town defences (ME036–028) and passed through a known suburb of the medieval town.

A total of 831 features were recorded. Significant remains, including two medieval houses, their associated plots and in excess of 50 pits were recorded on Emmet Street (Kiely’s yard). A post-medieval structure and six medieval burials were recorded on Castle Lawn. Trim Castle moat and the course of the Leper River were among the features identified on Castle Street. Post-excavation assessment of the project is ongoing; a summary of the results is outlined below.

Advance assessment of the Castle Lawn
An advance assessment of the Castle Lawn was carried out in stages between 24 April and 31 August 2006. Two wayleaves were fenced, stripped and tested in advance of groundworks. An initial topsoil-strip and subsequent test-pitting revealed a series of peaty deposits overlain by modern refuse and rubble deposits and ultimately by topsoil. The Castle Lawn had been used as the town dump in the recent past and a maximum depth of 1.9m of modern refuse was recorded. In consultation with the NMS and the developer, the assessment was carried out by means of advance excavation of the pipe routes.

The corner of a post-medieval structure represented by two linear foundation cuts which formed an apex was identified at 53.45m OD in a test-pit at the north-west of the development wayleave on the Castle Lawn. This was investigated and preserved in situ. The foundation cuts were filled with rubble including mortar, stone and red brick and oriented north-west/south-east and north-east/south-west. They measured 6m by 1.62m by 0.9m and 7m by 1.48m by 0.9m respectively.

Investigation showed that this structure overlay an earlier stone wall, composed of large cut limestone blocks oriented north-east/south-west and measuring 4.2m by 0.52–1m. The pipe route was amended to preserve these features in situ. Once recorded, they were sealed with terram and a layer of pea gravel, then backfilled.

Natural geology on the Castle Lawn was reached at 52.44m OD and was overlain by a series of peaty deposits. These were interpreted as the course of the Leper River or the Water of Luppard. The stream is known to have been culverted in the 19th century. A total of six articulated burials were exposed within the peaty deposits between 52.36m and 52.48m OD. All six burials were simple, supine, extended inhumations. All but one were oriented north-west/south-east. Despite severe truncation by a network of post-medieval drainage and agricultural features, preservation was generally good. Due to the nature of the peaty deposits and the fact that graves would have been quickly backfilled, it was impossible to positively identify grave-cuts. Where potential cut lines where identified they were partial and difficult to define. Recently received AMS dates for two of the burials indicate they dated to between cal AD 1267–1389 (2 Sigma).

Intrusive features included the 19th-century Leper River culvert, a network of post-medieval drains and agricultural features and a pit. The agricultural features were wider than furrows and have been provisionally interpreted as post-medieval lazy-beds.

Finds from medieval levels on the Castle Lawn included green-glazed and coarse pottery, fragments of red clay roof tiles and a musket ball.

Monitoring of the pipeline: Castle Street
The development on Castle Street ran from the Dublin Road roundabout to the Townparks South carpark entrance, in close proximity to Trim Castle. Monitoring of groundworks identified a number of features of archaeological interest, including Trim Castle moat, three post-medieval drains, a post-medieval wall and the course of the Leper River.

Trim Castle moat was identified at a minimum distance of 4m from the south-western tower of the curtain wall, directly opposite Trim Castle Hotel. The western extent of the moat was exposed beneath layers of modern rubble and debris at a level of 53.46m OD. It had exposed dimensions of 8m by 2m by 1.4m and was cut into the natural boulder clay and the bedrock. Despite the moat having been severely disturbed by numerous services, the cut was prominent in section, truncating the bedrock. Samples recovered from the base fill, an organic peaty deposit, will be assessed by a specialist.

A post-medieval stone-built wall and three post-medieval drains were also recorded along the pipeline route; these truncated peaty deposits and were overlain by modern rubble and infill deposits. The course of the Leper River was represented by a series of interweaved bands of marl, peat and sand. These were interpreted as riverine in origin.

Finds from medieval levels included green-glazed and coarse pottery sherds.

Advance strip of the new Castle Street/Emmet Street link road
The new Castle Street/Emmet Street link road runs south of, and parallel to, Trim town wall and the assumed location of the Dublin Gate. This area of the town was a medieval suburb. Advance stripping of the corridor identified a substantial site comprising medieval and post-medieval structural remains, paved surfaces and a number of burnt spreads. Subsequent excavation of the site was carried out between 1 September 2006 and 16 January 2007. This section of the road corridor measured 40m by 12m; the corridor was excavated to varying depths (maximum 3m) to accommodate services. Archaeological remains were recorded to a depth of 1.5m BGL/55.47m OD.

Excavation revealed the remains of two medieval houses fronting on to Emmet Street. The front (east), rear (west) and adjoining walls of these structures were exposed at 55.93m OD. The returning external walls (north and south) lay outside the development footprint. The northern structure enclosed an exposed area of 5m by 3m, the southern was 7m by 6m. The structures had been built over a cesspit (from which leather shoes were recovered) and a group of quarry pits. These were sealed with rubble and a timber raft foundation in advance of construction of the houses. Structural elements included in situ posts and timbers, a dividing wall or stair support and a stepped entranceway into the southern structure. Internal features included stake-holes, stone floor surfaces and hearths. Immediately to the rear (east) of the structures, a sequence of associated yard surfaces was recorded.

Two subrectangular ancillary structures to the rear (east) of the houses measured 1.7m by 1.7m and 1.7m by 0.9m. Both were nicely paved and did not appear to have entrances. The smaller of these structures had a 0.4m-wide break in its northern wall, too small to be an entrance; it might represent a shovel hole. These have been provisionally interpreted as storage areas or troughs.

The yard plots showed evidence of continued use and occupation over a protracted period of time, primarily in the form of successive phases of pit cutting. A total of 52 pits were recorded in the back yards of the structures. The area naturally fell into two distinct sections. Bedrock and boulder clay on the southern side of the site lay at a higher level (55.825m OD) than the north (55.3m OD) of the site, and was exploited for small-scale quarrying of rock and clay. A total of eighteen irregularly shaped quarry pits were recorded.

Stratigraphy was deeper and more complex on the north of the site. A cluster of intercut pits included a possible stone-walled cistern, a lime slaking pit and associated flue, a stone-lined pit which contained lime, two substantial quarry pits, one of which was subsequently reused as a rubbish pit and three large cesspits. Twelve subrectangular pits of indeterminate function are likely to have been cesspits. A number of these pits were substantial, measuring in excess of 2m in diameter and 1.2m in depth.

Finds recovered from these pits included a wooden locking mechanism, a wooden bowl and a large quantity of medieval fine and cooking ware. A collapsed wooden frame, interpreted as a toilet seat, was recovered from one of the cesspits. Finds from the yard plots included sherds of medieval pottery, a fragment of a copper alloy brooch and a D-shaped metal buckle.

It is hoped that specialist analysis of organic material contained in all the pits will resolve the question of their function. Some may be cesspits, others may be associated with semi-industrial processes such as dying. Initial palaeoenvironmental analysis has identified flax seeds and bolls, fruit seeds, cereal remains and heather, moss and bracken from the pit fills.

Three medieval linear features may have operated as drains or gullies but might also have functioned as property boundaries. These were disturbed to varying degrees by post-medieval activity. A group of four stake-holes aligned east–west along one of these features might represent fencing. A group of post-holes, in the south-eastern area of the site, truncated by the post-medieval foundations, yielded sherds of medieval pottery. Their function is unclear.

A post-medieval grain store delimited the north-eastern boundary of the site. The foundations of an extension to this building truncated a number of medieval features. Post-medieval features included cobbling, drainage features, stone dumps or soakaways. Three wall footings (west, east and south) representing an extension to the grain store were exposed. The foundations enclosed an area 12m by 4m within which a series of structural post-holes was recorded. The entrance (at the east) was delimited by a pair of conjoined post-holes. Two lines of post-holes ran east–west across the structure delimiting a passageway, a larger room to the north and a smaller room or annexe to the south. A group of smaller post-holes placed approximately centrally in the passageway might represent a stair support.

Finds from the site included a substantial quantity of medieval fine and cooking wares, a wooden locking mechanism, a wooden bowl, leather shoes, leather straps, a stone loom weight and three spud stones. Metal finds included a D-shaped belt buckle and a copper alloy brooch fragment.

The site archive and all finds and samples have been stored at a CRDS facility in Co. Meath. Processing of samples and conservation of selected finds is currently in progress.

In summary, the archaeological remains identified in the course of this scheme of works confirm the existence of a medieval suburb outside the Dublin Gate. Preliminary results suggest the bogland to the south of Trim Castle probably functioned as a secondary moat. The liminal space on what is now the Castle Lawn was used for burials and suggests a period of stress or differential treatment of marginalised groups.

The castle moat has been located and the utilisation of water for defence will be further assessed in the final report.

Greenanstown, Stamullan, Co. Meath