2008:1187 - 26 Ardtrea Road, Cookstown, Tyrone

Archaeological evaluation was carried out on the site to the rear of No. 26 Ardtrea Road, Cookstown, Co. Tyrone, in December 2008. The proposed development area comprised three separate planning applications. The applications concerned the proposed development of three separate dwellings with associated services, as well as a proposed access road which would link the new developments with the existing Ardtrea Road to the north.
The proposed development is located within an archaeologically sensitive landscape with fourteen recorded archaeological sites within a 1.5km radius. None of these sites are located within the boundaries of the proposed development. The closest is an ecclesiastical site (TYR039–024) located c. 130m to the west. It is known as Domnach Rigduinn and dated to the Early Christian through to the post-medieval period. Several of the closest recorded sites are raths.
A total of twelve trenches were excavated as part of the evaluation. These were spread out across the three sites, and also incorporated the access road. They were excavated to undisturbed natural deposits which consisted of red boulder clay. Natural deposits were encountered between 0.19m and 1.03m below the present ground level. A large part of the proposed development was made ground consisting of rubble, debris and hardcore. Extensive modern truncation associated with levelling and surfacing the ground as well as construction of the outbuildings was uncovered across the site and particularly in the north and west.
Several of the observed features, such as field drains and furrows, are likely to be agricultural in origin and character. A number of post-holes were also uncovered, some of which were found to relate to the construction of one of the sheds. The majority of the others were found to contain modern decaying fence posts in situ. No finds or artefacts of archaeological significance were recorded.