County: Wexford Site name: Milehouse 1
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: E004341
Author: Bruce Sutton, for TVAS (Ireland) Ltd, Ahish, Ballinruan, Crusheen, Co. Clare.
Site type: Vernacular structure
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 694319m, N 641813m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.519520, -6.610220
Milehouse 1 was located on the M11 Gorey to Enniscorthy scheme, Co. Wexford, in pasture.
The excavation has revealed evidence of remnants of a vernacular structure of post-medieval date. The excavated features consisted of two walls, a cobbled surface and associated deposit.
The northern wall sat directly on natural, was aligned north-west to south-east and was approximately 1.05m long, 0.3m wide and 0.2m high. The few remaining stones within the wall were uncut sub-angular and sub-rounded in character and survived in a single course. No mortar or bonding/binding material was detected. This feature was associated with another wall and a cobbled surface. The second wall was located approximately 3m south-west of the first, was similarly aligned and had approximate measurements of 1.7m in length, 0.4m in width and 0.2m in height. This wall was also sitting directly on natural, was low and composed of a single course of uncut large rounded and small angular stones, ranging in dimension from 0.15m by 0.1m by 0.1m to 0.45m by 0.28m by 0.25m. No mortar or bonding/binding material was detected.
A heavily disturbed cobbled surface overlaying the natural was located between the walls. This surface measured 1.8m by 1.3m and was 0.25m thick. The cobbles were mostly rounded, with approximate dimensions varying between 0.1m by 0.1m and 0.2m by 0.1m. Another deposit in and around the cobbled surface deposit was approximately 7m long, 3m wide and 0.25m deep. The deposit consisted of moderately compact mid- to dark-brown sandy silt with occasional inclusions of small stones and charcoal flecks. Fragments of post-medieval pottery and glass were retrieved from this deposit.
