County: Kildare Site name: Srowland/Willsgrove/Salisbury/ Smallford/Ardscull
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 07E0223
Author: Yvonne Whitty with Faith Bailey, for Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd, 120B Greenpark Road, Bray, Co. Wicklow.
Site type: No archaeological significance
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 596451m, N 766669m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.649794, -8.053668
Testing was undertaken at the site of the proposed water treatment works at Srowland, Athy, and along sections of the route of the associated proposed pipelines during April and May of 2007. This was carried out using a tracked excavator with a flat, toothless bucket. A total of 83 trenches were mechanically investigated across the test areas, which consisted of testing at the site of the proposed water treatment works, and where the pipeline will pass RMP sites KD035–004, 047, 009 and 007.
This assessment follows on from a desktop assessment by Faith Bailey and a geophysical survey of the proposed water treatment works (J.M. Leigh Surveys, 06R0172). Works associated with this scheme were also undertaken by Rob Lynch, within the RMP constraint surrounding Ardscull Motte, a national monument, under ministerial consent (C000211, E3367, No. 739 above).
A total of 55 trenches were excavated in the area of the proposed water treatment works at Srowland, which had also been subject to an earlier geophysical survey. The geophysical survey indicated a curvilinear response within the easternmost corner of the water treatment works site, which matched the location of a former trackway in this area shown on early OS maps. Testing revealed this response as ditches that once flanked the trackway, which were also identified within Trench 1. Nothing of archaeological significance was revealed within the site of the proposed water treatment works.
Three trenches were excavated across part of the proposed pipeline route where the route passes to the immediate south-west and south-east of the constraint area surrounding a possible enclosure (KD035–004). Two trenches were excavated across the road, along the route of the proposed pipeline as it passes to the north of the constraint area surrounding an enclosure site (KD035–009). Two trenches were excavated across the road, along the route of the proposed pipeline as it passes to the north-east of the constraint area surrounding a potential site (KD035–047). Finally a total of 21 trenches were excavated along the route of the proposed pipeline in the vicinity of KD035–007. Nothing of archaeological significance was exposed in any of these trenches.
