2007:407 - 14 Florida Road, Killinchy, Down

As part of the redevelopment of the listed Florida Manor estate it was proposed to reinstate the 19th-century walled garden, including the construction of a glasshouse and garden room. The north-eastern half of the site had already been reduced in level at a previous date, therefore removing any archaeological features which may have been there. It was evident that the modern topsoil had sealed an earlier ground surface consisting of the soil associated with the walled garden. The area was stripped to this level, exposing a number of ornamental garden features. These consisted of three circular features, with the remains of a fourth circular and two rectangular features. These were constructed from single courses of slate and interpreted as decorative rather than functional. Once resolved, the 19th-century ground was stripped to the clean subsoil, which contained twelve stone-lined drains, 0.4m in width, which are likely to be part of a drainage system associated with the walled garden. Also cut into the subsoil was a single medium-sized pit, but no datable evidence was found for this.