County: Down Site name: Quoile River, Downpatrick
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: —
Author: Rex Bangerter, The Archaeological Diving Co. Ltd, Brehon House, Castlecomer, Co. Kilkenny.
Site type: Riverine
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 748570m, N 844640m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.328820, -5.715730
Non-disturbance archaeological assessment took place of a stretch of the Quoile River, located opposite to the existing Downpatrick wastewater treatment plant. The river is to be impacted on as part of upgrading of the treatment works, the river impact area being c. 400m north-west of the site of Inch Abbey.
Visual inspection and magnetometer survey by hand-held metal detection was employed to assess the archaeological potential of the riverbed. The survey focused on the in-water section of the proposed pipeline route. A significant buffer zone was incorporated into the survey, extending the survey 50m either side of the river impact centre-line; a 100m by 36m section of the riverbed and a 50m section of each bank structure was inspected. Detailed descriptions were made of riverbed topography and bottom composition, and, where possible, metal-detector hits were examined. The assessment was comprehensive and extended beyond the site boundaries as indicated. No archaeologically significant materials, structures or deposits were encountered as part of the survey.
