County: Antrim Site name: ST JOHN THE BAPTIST CHURCH, PRIESTLAND ROAD, BUSHMILLS
Sites and Monuments Record No.: ANT007–001 Licence number: AE/09/108
Author: Frank Mallon and David Kilner, c/o Archaeological Development Services Ltd, Unit 6, 21 Old Channel Road, Belfast, BT3 9DE.
Site type: Post-medieval burials
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 715060m, N 886525m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.713634, -6.214283
The site was archaeologically evaluated in June 2009 via monitoring of topsoil removal within the footprint of a proposed extension to St John the Baptist Church on Priestland Road in Bushmills. The church dates to the mid-19th century, though it was built on the site of the former medieval parish church of Portcamon (ANT007–001). The proposed development was located within the graveyard of the St John the Baptist Church.
It was known through church records that the area of the proposed development contained four graves. These were unmarked, though the approximate locations of the burials and the names of the deceased were known. These burials had taken place within the last 200 years and were of limited archaeological interest. However, it was agreed by all parties that archaeological techniques would assist in locating the burials and during the subsequent exhumation. The monitoring of topsoil removal located these graves as well as a further eight burials which were not noted in the church records. The area of the proposed development was located in an area set aside for the poorer members of society and it is thought that these previously unknown graves related to paupers buried during the 19th century. Each burial was exhumed under supervision and the remains were reinterred in separate empty plots close by.
With the exception of these burials, nothing of archaeological significance was uncovered within the footprint of the proposed development.
