County: Meath Site name: Dowdstown and Philpotstown
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 06E1203
Author: Yvonne Whitty with Maeve Tobin, Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd, 120B Greenpark Road, Bray, Co. Wicklow.
Site type: Enclosures and associated features
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 689644m, N 762796m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.607329, -6.645392
Testing was carried out during April 2007 of a proposed water treatment works (WTW) at Dowdstown and intake works at Ballinter, which are located in Dowdstown and Philpotstown, Navan, Co. Meath. The assessment forms part of Contract 7 of the Navan mid-Meath water supply scheme.
In November 2006, a geophysical survey (06R137) was conducted within the area of proposed development. A number of possible archaeological anomalies were identified at the site of the proposed WTW and intake. In April 2007 a total of 120 test-trenches were excavated across the development area. Testing revealed several curvilinear ditches/slot-trenches and two possible enclosures located within the path of a pipeline option to the north-west of the WTW. No associated finds were made at these sites, although a quantity of animal bone was recovered. It is possible the features may be prehistoric or early medieval in date. No features of archaeological significance were discovered within the footprint of the proposed WTW or at the location of the Ballinter intake. It is likely that the pipeline option containing the archaeological features will not be used as part of the development and, as a result, these features will be preserved in situ.
