2007:1359 - NOBBER, Meath

A programme of monitoring and excavation was carried out at Bridgepark, Nobber. The site was a field formerly used for horticulture 60m west of Nobber Main Street. It was accessed by a lane leading from the main street which crosses the railway over a bridge, hence the name. It is located on the eastern edge of the higher ground occupied by Nobber village, with the land falling sharply to the south and gently to the east into the marshy low-lying ground surrounding Moynagh Lough. The site lies within the area of the medieval borough as suggested by the Urban Archaeological Survey (Bradley and King 1984). It is situated south of the medieval church and its associated graveyard which contains a series of high crosses and cross-inscribed stones and the laneway may represent the boundary of an ecclesiastical enclosure. The borough was first mentioned in the 13th century as a settlement connected to an important motte-and-bailey castle which was built by Gilbert d’Angulo and regranted to Hugh de Lacy the Younger. The Archbishops of Armagh held the manor in the 14th century and it was held subsequently by the Prestons of Gormanstown. Nobber was under intense pressure from attack in the 15th and 16th centuries and was seen as one of the principal rallying points for safeguarding people and livestock from the barony.
Monitoring by David Sweetman had revealed an area of archaeological potential in the north-west of the site close to the disused deep railway cutting. Excavation by CRDS commenced in May and continued until 25 November 2007. Excavations uncovered a complex part of the medieval town and demonstrate the depth of the settlement. Construction of buildings had clearly truncated medieval archaeological deposits prior to the commencement of excavation. Four areas were excavated from the west to the east of the site.
Area A and B was an approximately rectangular cutting which measured 10m north–south by 17.5m and archaeological deposits clearly extended further south under the recent houses. This area was subject to complete excavation.
Area C consisted of a series of north–south trenches to facilitate the insertion of services within the new roadways and footpaths. The depth of recorded archaeology in these trenches varied according to the depth required for services. Area D was located close to the north-eastern edge of the development area. It involved monitoring of an east–west trench to facilitate footpaths and services. This revealed an area of post-medieval archaeological remains.
Areas A, B and C contained up to 1.5m of stratified medieval deposits and features. They suggest an overall area of medieval archaeology measuring at least 30m north–south by 35m. Seven phases of archaeology were identified. Until scientific dating and analysis of medieval pottery has been completed the phases are dated through analysis of the stratigraphy and artefact typology.
Phase 1, late 12th–13th century
The northern side of the site was dominated by an east–west metalled path or roadway. The full extent of the path continued beyond the northern edge of excavation. It was at least 4m in width and contained a gully which ran to the western limit of excavation before turning southwards.
A series of pits containing furnace waste from iron smelting was uncovered to the east of Areas A and B. A large pit was present within the south-eastern corner. They were cut by a series of structures built from large post-holes.
This phase revealed a series of structures in Areas A and B. They were built from pad stones and large post-holes and contained hundreds of stake-holes. Structure 1 measured 8m by 4.5m. A pivot stone and paved area on the southern side indicated an entrance. The paving included a broken millstone. A stone mortar with four lugs was found upended on this surface. A stone step on the northern side may represent another doorway. A dense arrangement of stake-holes in the north-west was heavily scorched suggesting accidental fire rather than a hearth. A further building, Structure 2, was suggested to the east of Structure 1 by a large number of stake-holes and a smaller number of large post-holes and pad stones. The dimensions of this structure were uncertain due to heavy truncation by ditches and pits. It is at least 5m north–south by 6m. A number of paved areas were found within and the floor deposits had alternating clay floor and occupation layers. A hearth was located on the edge of Area A. Further lines of north-east to south-west stake-holes indicated fence lines.
Phase 2, 13th–14th century
Following the abandonment of the post-built structures a series of silt deposits built up and were covered by the edge of stone buildings identified on the southern limit of excavation. An unmortared concave wall one coarse high was uncovered in Area B, F700. This would represent a structure which was at least 5.8m east–west by 3m by 0.2m. The curving walls suggest it is likely to represent the base of a building. A further linear wall was found at the same level in Area A. This revetted a series of clay floors and occupation deposits which were cut by stake-holes.
Phase 3, 14th century
In Phase 3 an east–west ditch, F24, was dug which ran the through areas A, B and C. It was at least 26m in length, up to 2m in width and 1.1m in depth and became shallower and narrower as it progressed eastwards. Significant numbers of stones within suggest that it was flanked by a field wall. It is likely to have been a burgage boundary ditch. Immediately south of ditch F24 a further boundary, F14, consisting of intercut pits, was excavated through Areas A, B and C. These pits were on average 1.8m in diameter and up to 1.18m in depth. It is unclear how many of these pits were open simultaneously. The basal fills were predominantly dark-brown silty sandy clay and full of worm casts. They are likely to have been highly organic. They ran east–west parallel to ditch F24 before taking a right-angled turn southwards to the eastern edge of Area B. Substantial banks accumulated on either side of the boundary due to the disturbance from ditches and pits. These pits were frequently recut. These began to fill up with organic-rich deposits. The ditch F24 began to fill particularly with heavily scorched clay, charcoal and ash deposits. These deposits also built up on the northern side of Areas A and B. This suggests episodes of heavy burning and kiln and oven rake-out from further north being deposited. One of these heavily scorched deposits contained a stone fishing weight and a fragment of a pot quern. The north–south service trenches within the roadway in Area C indicated a series of wide east–west ridges of dark-brown soil suggesting cultivation to the south of Areas A and B during this time period. Recovery of pottery and animal bone was not as frequent in this area.
Phase 4, 15th–16th century
In Phase 4 the F14 boundary was continually recut, with new pits cutting through the remains of others. A stone platform or foundation was located south of the angle of the F14 turn, F19. This was built from large unbonded angular stones and cobbles and included part of a millstone. The remaining pits of the F14 boundary subsequently silted up. On the south-eastern edge of Area A the remains of a stone building incorporating a block of hammer-dressed late medieval masonry was uncovered. Its southern wall followed the line of the central bank between the former ditches F14 and F24. This was associated with a floor surface including a rotary quern set into it. Subsequently quantities of loam accumulated, presumably through cultivation. Activity continued in the area with the use of a substantial stone-lined hearth which covered a series of small stake-holes. A large pit was dug through Area B, which subsequently filled with refuse, F69. A kiln was identified within the section on the northern edge of the site. The use of the site reverted to purely agricultural ploughsoil deposits in the post-medieval period.
Phase 5, 17th–18th century
This phase was confined to the eastern boundary of the development site some 50m east of Areas A and B. In this location natural boulder clay was extremely close to the surface. Archaeological features consisted of a series of pits which may have been used for clay extraction. These measured 1.35 by 1.1m and were up to 0.8m in depth. These pits had refuse thrown into them including animal bone, ceramics and clay pipe and included the shattered remains of a gravel-tempered ware chamber pot. A metalled surface was laid over this. The remains of a structure were uncovered and measured 2m by 1.8m. Clay-bonded stone walls were identified on the north and south sides. A hearth or base of a chimney box was found on the southern side. A deposit of dark-brown silty clay containing a 1694 coin of William and Mary was found overlying the cobbled floor. A metalled surface continued outside the structure and contained the base of a glass bottle of 18th-century type. These were the only in situ 17th/18th-century features excavated.
Phase 6, modern
The latest activities on the site were a series of intrusive pits associated with market gardening which took place on the site in the 20th century. Clearance deposits associated with the early phases of the current development contained millstone fragments, including an example with furrows and lands which is likely to be late medieval in date.
The excavation uncovered 2500 sherds of medieval pottery, quernstones, millstones, fishing weights, iron knives, a possible fishing spear, keys, nails and other domestic objects; 125kg of animal bone was recovered. Post-excavation is ongoing subject to funding. Previous archaeological work in the town has largely been restricted to test-trenching and monitoring by Rosanne Meenan (Excavations 2002, No. 2002, 02E1657). Limited excavations by Daniel Noonan at the northern end of the town close to the motte and river have uncovered medieval metalling and midden deposits associated with a two-colour floor tile fragment (Excavations 2003, No. 1441, 03E0995). Analysis and examination of the excavation results will yield further significant information on the history of settlement in Nobber.
Reference
Bradley, J. and King, H. 1984 Urban Archaeological Survey of County Meath. Unpublished report for Office of Public Works.