2009:275 - CASTLE WARD, STRANGFORD, Down

A second season of excavation was undertaken at the site of the Queen Anne period mansion house in the Castle Ward Demesne, Strangford, Co. Down, between 17 and 28 June 2009. As with the 2008 excavation at the same site, which was directed by Emily Murray (Excavations 2008, No. 328, AE/08/122), the project was undertaken as a joint venture between the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, the National Trust (Northern Ireland Region) and the Centre for Archaeological Fieldwork of Queen’s University Belfast. The excavation was directed by professional archaeologists, but largely carried out by volunteers, many of whom had gained experience while working at the 2008 excavation.
In 2008, trenches positioned over geophysical anomalies had uncovered portions of wall foundations, taken to be parts of the south-facing wall of the original mansion house and associated cellar. However, the limited width of the trenches militated against positive identification of the structural elements uncovered and the location of later structures, such as the east and west wings, remained elusive. The aim of the 2009 excavation was to identify the dimensions of the original mansion house and associated extensions and to examine the relationship between these features.
The first trench was opened over what was anticipated to be the location of the north-facing wall of the original mansion house, assuming that the building was square in plan. This trench reached the top of the cellar debris at about 1.5m in depth, but further excavation was not possible due to the unstable nature of the trench walls and the north-facing wall could not be located. The second trench was placed at the anticipated junction between the south-east corner of the original mansion house and the south-facing exterior wall of the east wing. Excavation quickly revealed a number of wall foundations and other masonry features, although extensions and further test-trenching was required in order to establish the relationship between these features. These trenches established the dimensions of the southern and south-western parts of the Queen Anne period mansion and associated additions, but the unstable nature of 19th-century landscaping materials at the northern part of the site, estimated at between two and three metres in depth, prevented further analysis there. It also explained why the geophysical survey was unable to obtain clear images for this part of the site. Finds included fragments of worked stone, slate and tiles, along with painted plaster and other building materials. Many fragments of ceramic tableware and glassware were also recovered, including a number of intact mineral water bottles, one of which was found to be half full and with the stopper in place.
The National Trust is currently working on a strategy for making the results of the excavations available to the public, including the presentation of the house foundations as a permanent exhibit at the property.