2007:1205 - PEPPERSTOWN, Louth

The site at Pepperstown, Ardee, is located in the same field as LH014–031, a barrow (possible site). The exact location of the monument is unknown. Assessment was carried out in advance of the construction of a single dwelling. Two trenches were excavated.
Trench 1 contained 0.35m sod and dark-brown clayey silt topsoil. At 23m from the east end of the trench, 0.24m from the south side of the trench and 0.41m below the sod there was a roughly circular anomaly, 0.33m in diameter. The fill was dark-brown silt with inclusions of small pieces of charcoal. It was a possible post-hole.
The east end of Trench 2 contained 0.36m of sod and dark-brown clayey silt topsoil. A linear anomaly, F1, crossed the trench obliquely from 13.5m on the south side of the trench to 14.9m on the north side. It was 1.4m wide, had a gentle U-shaped profile and was cut into the natural red stony gravel. The fill was dark-brown silt with occasional bone inclusions. An extension was excavated to Trench 1 on its north side, 5.2m by 2m. F1 continued in the extension to the trench, running roughly northwards. At 18.1–19m from the east of the trench, a rectangular area projected from the southern wall of the trench for 1.2m; it measured 0.8m east–west. The fill was dark-brown silt, with inclusions of charcoal and bone. At 35m from the eastern end of the trench, a linear feature crossed the trench obliquely. F5 was 0.9m wide at its upper face and 0.5m wide on the floor of the trench, which was 0.6m deep. The fill was dark-brown silt with tree roots and occasional bone fragments.
Monitoring of groundworks at the construction phase was recommended and carried out. No further archaeological material was disclosed by the monitor.