2009:055 - 1 STRANDMORE, PORTRUSH, Antrim

This development was located on Strandmore, an area that overlooks the Curran or East Strand in the historic settlement of Portrush and which dates to the 13th century. There are records which show evidence of activity within the area going back to the prehistoric period. The proposed development site remained largely undeveloped and on the periphery of Portrush until c. 150 years ago. After this, the area underwent change, with at least two different buildings occupying the site.
The site was tested in November 2009 via monitoring of groundworks within the footprint of a previous building that had stood on the site. The development is located on a slope and exposed bedrock had been noted to the rear (south-west) of the+property during a previous site visit. Monitored ground reduction revealed that the site had been heavily disturbed in the past. Bedrock was uncovered across the majority of the site and 19th-century pottery and other building debris was uncovered lying immediately over the bedrock. This suggested that the original ground level had been reduced to bedrock during the construction of the previous buildings. Nothing of archaeological significance was uncovered within the footprint of the proposed development.