County: Derry Site name: WATTSTOWN
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: AE/09/187
Author: Robert O’Hara, Archer Heritage Planning, Unit 8, BEAT Centre, Stephenstown, Balbriggan, Co. Dublin.
Site type: Prehistoric house structure
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 686812m, N 930989m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 55.118673, -6.639126
An assessment was carried out at the site of a proposed development at Wattstown, Coleraine. The site is zoned for residential development but no definitive plans exist. The surrounding landscape associated with the River Bann around the Mount Sandel area has proven to be an important one, rich in archaeological features and deposits. In an adjacent development, dispersed ephemeral archaeological features were excavated by Jonathan Dempsey in 2003 (Excavations 2003, No. 381, AE/03/101) at a site known as Soldier’s Hill.
A total of 40 test-trenches were excavated across the site with a combined length of 4025m. These were mechanically excavated to subsoil at locations agreed with the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA). One archaeological site was recorded during the current testing programme, an oval post-built structure c. 11m by 8m in internal area. No other features were recorded and no artefacts were recovered either from topsoil or sampled deposits. Its form would suggest a prehistoric structure, perhaps Bronze Age in date.
