2008:004 - Antrim Branch Library, Railway Street, Antrim, Antrim

There have been several archaeological investigations within the vicinity of the development. In 1998 excavations were undertaken by Paul Logue at the bastion, ANT050–183 (Excavations 1998, No. 1). This was carried out during conservation work on the east castle wall. A trench 2m by 2m was opened and this exposed cobbles on a metalled surface that overlay a shallow ditch which ran north to south and flanked the wall. This ditch contained medieval glazed pottery.
Another excavation within the vicinity took place in 2000 under the direction of Cia McConway and again related to the 17th-century town walls and bastion (Excavations 2000, No. 1, AE/00/46). The investigation was necessitated by the erection of a war memorial by Antrim Borough Council in this location opposite the Courthouse. The foundation for the memorial required excavation to formation level. The investigation revealed an early medieval ditch orientated north to south along the outer face of the town walls. This ditch measured 1.8m wide by 1.3m deep and may have been a continuation of the linear feature uncovered in 1998.
This development site measured c. 33m north to south at its widest point by 54m and was designated as a new site for the Antrim Branch Library. Three test-trenches, all 2m wide, were excavated on 19 and 20 March 2008.
The test-trenches revealed a series of make-up/hardcore layers which came down on to undisturbed subsoil. There were also four large subsoil-cut pits which dated from the early to mid-19th century. These features could be attributed to the presence of several garden plots that extended across or at least partly across the site during the 19th and early 20th centuries. These garden plots are evident in the second- (1857) and fourth-edition (1928) OS maps of the area.
Trench 1 measured 53m in length. The subsoil here existed at between 1.3m and 3m below site surface and consisted of orange/brown silty clay. Trench 2 measured 52.5m in length. The subsoil existed at a depth of between 1.6m and 3m below site surface. Trench 3 measured 44m in length. The subsoil here existed at a depth of between 1.3m and 2.8m below site surface. The trenches showed evidence of the utilisation of the western area of the development for refuse disposal during the early to mid-19th century as evidenced by the dump of horn cores, broken pottery and glass. There was no evidence for tanning activity, which can be associated with the discovery of animal horn cores. No structural remains were found; similarly no evidence was found to suggest earlier post-medieval or medieval occupation of this particular site in Antrim town.