2010:709 - Ballymore 1, Wexford

Ballymore 1 was located on the proposed M11 Gorey to Enniscorthy scheme. The site was situated in a gently sloping pasture field.
Excavations revealed burnt-stone deposits, possible troughs, pits and linear features.
A pit or possible trough was located in the western half of the site and was truncated by a test-trench. The pit was subrectangular and was 2.1m long (north-east to south-west), 1.9m wide and 0.4m deep, with steep sides and a flat base. The base of the pit was cut by a stake-hole which was circular in plan with vertical sides and a pointed base. The stake-hole was filled with soft, black silt with charcoal. The base of the pit consisted of a metalled surface of hard, black/grey sandy silt with pebbles and some possible charcoal. The secondary fill was loose, black silty clay with small stones. The upper fill was soft, loose, light- to mid-brown silt with occasional small angular and possibly shale chippings.
A deposit was located north-east of the pit and interpreted as redeposited material from it. This deposit measured 2.5m by 1.1m, was up to 0.04m thick and comprised a very hard, mottled black/brown material with possible burnt-stone and charcoal inclusions.
Another subrectangular possible trough, 1.8m long, 0.84m wide and 0.14m deep, had gradual edges and a flat base. This feature contained a single fill, a loose, black/brown silty sand with frequent burnt stones and charcoal.
Two pits were located south of this feature. Both were irregular in plan and profile. The smaller pit was 0.6m long, 0.85m wide and 0.3m deep, with concave sides and an undulating base with possible post or stake imprints, although these might reflect the natural geology. A post-hole was located in the south-west corner of the base of the pit. The larger pit was 0.9m long, 1.1m wide and 0.3m deep. This pit had a stake-hole in its base. These four features were filled with loose black silt with charcoal.
A north-east/south-west-oriented linear feature with rounded terminals was located south-west of the above pits and was 1.25m long, 0.5m wide and 0.23m deep with moderately sloping sides and a concave base. The feature contained a primary fill of moderately compact, mid-brownish/yellow silty clay with occasional small angular pebbles and a secondary fill of moderately compact, grey/black silty clay with moderate amounts of heat-affected sandstone and occasional charcoal flecking. The function of this feature is unknown.
Another smaller pit, subcircular in plan with sloping sides and a rounded base, was located south of the above features and has been interpreted as a possible debris pit. The pit was 0.34m long, 0.26m wide and 0.16m deep and contained moderately compact, grey/black silty clay with moderate amounts of heat-affected sandstone and charcoal flecking.
A burnt-stone deposit located in the south-east corner of the site was loose, black silty clay with frequent heat-affected sandstone inclusions. The deposit measured 5.3m by 1.2m and was 0.05m thick.
Two post-medieval pottery fragments were recovered from the topsoil and two flints came from a trough and a pit.