2006:1990 - Knockhouse Upper, Waterford

Monitoring of road construction works in Knockhouse Upper townland was carried out as part of the construction of the N25 Waterford city bypass (mainline chainage 7300–8180). The monitored area was not investigated during pre-construction test-trenching, as it was inaccessible due to the marshy nature of the terrain. This area is located close to the south bank of the River Suir and was occupied by a 19th-century railway line, marshy terrain, reed beds and the confluence of Knockhouse Stream with the River Suir. Pre-construction investigations in an adjacent area were carried out by Aidan O’Connell (Excavations 2003, No. 1908, 03E0340) and involved the excavation of a 19th-century brickworks and a burnt mound.
The monitored road construction works in the untested area involved ground-reduction works to depths of 1–3m below existing ground levels. The stratigraphy encountered in this area varied in composition, with peaty deposits dominating the landward area to the south and estuarine deposits in the reed beds located closer to the river shoreline. Construction work in 2006 was concentrated in the marshy terrain to the south of the railway line. The soil profiles in this area were dominated by peat deposits, which contained moderate inclusions of reeds and non-archaeological wood. There were a number of discontinuous lenses of sterile estuarine marls visible in the peat deposits, perhaps indicating periodical localised flooding events. A number of spreads of brick rubble, originating from the 19th-century brickworks, were also noted throughout the monitored area. The natural subsoil was encountered at depths of 1–3m below modern ground level and sloped gradually down towards the riverbank to the north. There have been no archaeological deposits or artefacts uncovered to date and archaeological monitoring of construction work will continue in this untested area during 2007.