2010:523 - Church Street, Townparks, Kells, Meath

Testing was undertaken at Church Street, Kells, prior to a proposed resurfacing of the street, which will also involve the insertion of new services. Church Street is located within the historic town of Kells, ME017–044. Test-trenching commenced at the site on 23 September 2010 and lasted for two days.
Two trenches were excavated along the line of the proposed water main that will run the entire length of Church Street. The excavation of trenches was limited due to the fact that the road is still in use and was not subject to closure at the time of the investigation.
The southernmost trench (Trench 1) revealed two layers of potential archaeological deposits at a depth of 0.35–0.4m below the current road level. The uppermost deposits consisted of two layers of metalling and a smaller area of disturbance that may relate to the insertion of gas pipes in Kells at the turn of the 20th century. Below these deposits were a total of four possible archaeological deposits. A recent trench containing an iron or steel pipe was also identified in the northern end of the trench, which may relate to the laying of gas pipes. Trench 1 was deeper at the northern end, where archaeological deposits were identified below the more recent disturbance at a depth of 0.7m.
Trench 2 was excavated at the northern end of Church Street. Here a substantial metalled road surface was revealed between 0.2m and 0.3m below the current road level. This was present across the whole trench. As part of the testing exercise the surface was sectioned in order to assess if any archaeological deposits were present beneath this. A deposit containing a large amount of animal bone and charcoal was found directly beneath the metalling. A box-section was placed through the deposit and it was found to be 0.18m deep before natural subsoils were identified.
During October 2010 an excavation at Church Street, along the path of the proposed replacement water main, took place in respect of the results of the testing exercise. The trench totalled 60m in length with a width of c. 1m. It was excavated over the course of a week in six sections. Post-medieval cobbling was found along the entire extent of the trench, beneath the modern tarmacadam surface. This had been truncated by an early 20th-century gas pipeline, and several sherds of post-medieval pottery was retrieved from this surface. The cobbling sealed a number of deposits, the extent of which could not be defined due to the confines of the narrow trench. However, these possessed an average depth of c. 0.6m below modern road overburden of 0.2m. Sherds of medieval pottery were retrieved from these deposits, along with a large amount of animal bone, including sections of deer antler and butchered tines and large lumps of slag. The remains of three drystone walls were also identified within the trench, on the same alignment as the street. These were considered to be associated with the medieval deposits.
Beneath the medieval deposits, sitting on top of the natural subsoil, was a shallow layer of metalling which was present in a large part of the trench. Two small stone-packed post-holes were identified beneath this metalled deposit. At the southern end of the trench the metalling was not present. However, a large double ditch was identified; the base of the southernmost portion of ditch was in excess of 1.2m deep. The width of the two ditches totalled 8m, although the southern edge was beyond the limit of excavation to the south. The remains of redeposited natural bank between the two ditches was also apparent during the excavation.
Interpretation of the archaeological remains is difficult due to the narrow working space of the proposed service trench. It seems likely, however, that Church Street was at one stage much narrower, as evidenced by the remains of the drystone walling. Evidence of industry was also identified in the form of a large amount of cut antler, possibly used for making handles and buttons. An earlier metalled surface identified below the medieval deposits may represent the remains of an early road surface.
The southern section of the excavation produced possible evidence of early medieval archaeology in the form of a double ditch with a bank. No dating material was retrieved from this feature, the fills of which were very sterile. The ditch is on a west-north-west/east-south-east alignment at the junction of Church Street and Cannon Street. It is possible that it forms an early boundary surrounding the monastic centre, as it is only located c. 25m east-south-east of the existing graveyard.