County: Meath Site name: Ledwidge Hall, Slane
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 07E0201
Author: Terry Connell, Archaeological Consultancy Services, Unit 21, Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co. Louth.
Site type: Ditch and pits
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 696479m, N 774222m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.708760, -6.538596
An assessment by means of test-trenching was conducted at Ledwidge Hall, Slane, Co. Meath, on 8 and 9 May 2007. The proposed development is located within the zone of archaeological potential associated with ME019–062, a cashel known as ‘Stanley Hill’, and ME019–063, a cashel known as ‘Gallows Hill’.
Twelve test-trenches were excavated at the location of the proposed development. The first archaeological feature located was in Trench 1; this was a ditch 1.4m in width. Upon excavation it was noted that the ditch had a maximum depth of 0.5m and only one fill, a light–mid-brown loosely compacted clay with occasional charcoal flecks. The aforementioned ditch ran south-east/north-west across Trench 1. It was located c. 108m from the southern end of Trench 1 and c. 38m from the northern end. An extension of Trench 1 indicated that the ditch curved slightly.
In Trench 2 three possible pits of archaeological interest were located, F5 (1.35m north–south by 1.6m), F7 (1.3m north–south by 1.3m) and F9 (0.6m north–south by 0.6m). They were located 105m from the southern end of the trench and 32m from the northern end. All three pits contained burnt and shattered stone along with charcoal-rich deposits. They were all subcircular in shape.
There were no other archaeological features noted throughout the remaining ten trenches.
