County: Waterford Site name: Williamstown
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 06E0776
Author: Tim Coughlan, Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd, 9 Albert Terrace, Meath Road, Bray, Co. Wicklow.
Site type: No archaeological significance
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 663057m, N 609609m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.234612, -7.076832
An assessment was undertaken as part of an environmental impact assessment regarding a proposed retail development, which is located at Williamstown, Waterford. Archaeological investigations along the route of the Waterford ring road, which runs along the south extremity of the site, revealed evidence of Bronze Age and early medieval settlement. The Bronze Age activity consisted of a cremation burial, a possible structure and associated features which were located to the immediate south of the proposed development area. An early medieval enclosure was also uncovered c. 40m south-east of the proposed development area. One feature within this enclosure returned a later Neolithic date.
Test-trenching took place between 15 and 22 August 2006, using a 20-tonne tracked excavator equipped with a flat toothless bucket. A total of 61 trenches were excavated within the area of proposed development. The programme of test-trenching did not identify any material of archaeological importance in any of the trenches, although three fields within the proposed development area could not be accessed, as a result of which it has been recommended that these be tested at a later date.
