County: Wicklow Site name: North Quay, Arklow
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 06D059, 06R129
Author: Rex Bangerter, The Archaeological Diving Co. Ltd, Brehon House, Castlecomer, Co. Kilkenny.
Site type: Riverine
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 724808m, N 673484m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.797904, -6.149200
A non-disturbance assessment was undertaken of a 50m stretch of the Avoca River, Arklow town, Co. Wicklow, prior to the construction of a 750mm-diameter flood relief outfall pipe. The impact area is located along the North Quay, 160m upstream of Arklow Bridge and adjacent to the Bridgewater Centre development site. The assessment area lies within the archaeological zone of potential defined for Arklow town.
North quay was constructed (c. 1840s) to prevent river spill into the tidal channels located within the sand dune and saltwater marsh environment that formed the pre-19th-century topography of the northern side of the river estuary. Subsequent to this development, successive land reclamation has taken place along the northern side of the river, culminating in the current drainage scheme to prevent flooding of the Bridgewater Centre and adjacent developments.
The pipeline will not impact on the riverbed and is to be inserted at a point of modern repair in the structure of North Quay. No archaeologically significant materials/structures were encountered as part of the survey.
