2008:016 - Victoria Towers Development, Belfast, Antrim

Monitoring of ground-reduction works at the proposed new police station development was carried out from 19 March to 15 May 2008. Monitoring uncovered four phases of archaeological activity within the development site spanning the late 18th century to the present day. The most significant archaeological deposits uncovered were the extensive building remains of May’s Dock complex, complete with slipway and associated water channel deposits.
The earliest archaeological deposits uncovered were located in the north-western portion of the development area and consisted of a series of roughly dressed basalt stone reclamation walls which had been built as part of the land reclamation in Belfast against the Lagan during the 1790s. These walls measured 0.6–1m in width and survived up to 0.3–1m in height, having been cut into natural sleech deposits. These walls formed a series of rectangular walled areas which had been backfilled with a mixture of rubble infill deposits. A red-brick well had been cut into the top of these deposits.
The second phase of activity was the construction of a dressed basalt and granite stone dock complex which has been identified as May’s Dock, built c. 1815. This dock complex consisted of two parallel stone walls which were aligned north-west/south-east and measured c. 33m in length by 1.2m wide by up to 3m in surviving height. Located along the northern dock wall and constructed as part of it was the remains of a slipway which measured 7.5m in length by 3.8m wide by 2.8m in surviving height. The remains of buffer timber planks and possible mooring posts were found against the external elevation of the slipway. The top surface of the slipway displayed the remains of the original cobbled surface that would have led up to the surface of the slipway. The construction of the southern dock wall varied slightly to that of the northern wall, in that it was constructed in conjunction with a stone retaining wall. Located c. 5m south and parallel to the southern dock wall was a roughly dressed basalt stone retaining wall which ran the length of the dock, measuring 0.6–0.8m wide by up to 1.5m in surviving height. At its eastern end was a red-brick culvert which exited through the southern dock wall. The southern dock wall was also strengthened by a series of five stone support buttresses, constructed from the same fabric as the dock itself. Surviving within the dock was a series of water channel deposits which consisted of a number of black and grey organic bands which contained discarded post-medieval ceramic and glass. A distinct black organic-rich band was located at the base of the dock and water channel.
Phase 3 relates to building activity along the southern dock wall which has been interpreted as possible warehousing associated with cargo coming off the docks. These consist of roughly dressed stone rubble wall foundations which measure c. 0.6m wide and survive to a height of c. 1m. These walls abut the retaining wall and have been cut into infill material used to build up the area surrounding the dock wall. Two possible distinct buildings have been identified.
The last phase of activity was the reclamation of May’s Dock itself, which consisted of its abandonment and subsequent infill of the dock area around 1845. This second reclamation consisted of the infilling of the area of the actual dock with numerous and random demolition rubble material deposits in order to construct a new area to develop. This infill material measured up to c. 1.5m thick. Into this newly created piece of land were constructed several substantial buildings which date to the late 19th to early 20th century, of which three types of building foundations exist.