2007:973 - Pennyfeather Lane/Sconce Lane, Kilkenny, Kilkenny

The provision of services and subsequent cobbling of the lanes commenced in October 2007. The service trenches were dug to c. 0.5m below the surface. As the two lanes are within the area of the city walls and the archaeological zone, it was deemed appropriate to have all work monitored. Pennyfeather Lane runs parallel to Friary Street at the rear of the Capuchin friary between the church and Friar’s Garden down to Pudding Lane. Sconce Lane is at the west end of Pennyfeather Lane turning north into Friary Street. A length of the old city wall between Friary Street and the Ormonde Hotel lies on the line of Sconce Lane and was shown as standing on Roque’s 1758 map, but the northern end of this had gone by 1841 as it is not depicted on that OS map. The lane was constructed by John Pennefeather, a local landowner, in 1700. It originally had twenty dwellings down either side.
Medieval and post-medieval pottery sherds, animal bones and clay-pipe stems were found in the trench that ran along the south side of Pennyfeather Lane. Wall foundations were found 0.01m below the surface running beside the friary garden wall. It was impossible to tell how far they extended out from the wall as they had already been disturbed by the laying of gas pipes. Some cut building stones with mortar and fragmented red bricks were found beside the foundations as well as a large slate flagstone found near the entrance to the friary garden.