2007:1769 - 2–4 Castlehill, Dungannon, Tyrone

Trial-trenching followed by excavation was conducted in advance of a new housing development at Nos 2–4 Castlehill, Dungannon. The site was located in close proximity to Dungannon Castle (TYR054–017) and is within the historic settlement of Dungannon (TYR054–046). The trial-trenching investigation uncovered a number of walls and traces of a large ditch. These results meant that further work was necessary on the site. The whole area of the development was fully excavated.
To the north-west the terminal of a large ditch up to 5m wide (max.) and 1.2m deep was uncovered. This ditch was running north-east/south-west and was exposed for a total length of 7.5m within the confines of the site. No datable artefacts were recovered from the infilled ditch but a number of post-medieval pits and wall foundations were dug into the upper fills, suggesting the ditch may have been medieval in date. A second probable medieval feature, a possible well, was found at the south-east of the site. This could only be partially investigated but it had been deliberately backfilled with soil that included post-medieval pottery. Other features on the site included the remains of two post-medieval buildings, one fronting on to Castlehill, the second extending out to the rear, along with a number of post-medieval pits and drains.
The most interesting feature on the site, the large ditch, is probably associated with the nearby castle, located to the south-east. The ditch probably formed part of a large outer defensive enclosure that surrounded the castle. Further post-excavation work, including radiocarbon dating, should provide a definite date for this ditch and where it fits into the history of the castle and the town of Dungannon.