County: Wexford Site name: Scurlocksbush 1–2
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: E004201
Author: Colum Hardy, for TVAS (Ireland) Ltd, Ahish, Ballinruan, Crusheen, Co. Clare.
Site type: Burnt mound with timber-lined trough and boundary ditches
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 699318m, N 633809m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.446711, -6.538958
Scurlocksbush 1–2 was located on the proposed M11 Gorey to Enniscorthy scheme. The site was situated in grassland, which slopes steeply to the north-west and gently to the south-west. The investigated area was confined to the south-west part of the field.
A burnt mound was recorded in the south-east corner of the site and continued beyond the limit of excavation. The spread, which measured 11m by 2.85m within the excavated area, consisted of a 0.12m-thick deposit of loose black/grey charcoal-rich silt sand which contained a high quantity of heat-affected stone. Two pieces of flint debitage were recovered from the mound material. A pear-shaped timber-lined trough was found beneath the mound, one corner of which lies beyond the limit of excavation. This trough was truncated by a post-medieval field drain. The trough measured 2.4m by 2.35m and was 1.2m deep with four fills. The base of the trough was lined with nine timber planks, with evidence of twelve stakes around the planks. The planks were up to 2m long and, although they have not yet been identified, were possibly oak. Some toolmarks were evident, especially on the tapered stakes. The planks were aligned north–south, placed parallel to each other. A square mortise hole was identified in the centre of the central plank where a stake was positioned to hold it in place. The stakes had diameters of 0.04–0.06m and maximum lengths of 0.24m. Above the timber lining was a soft dark-brown sandy silt organic layer. The third fill was soft dark-brown/black organic peaty silt which contained subrectangular stones. The upper fill was compact black/grey silt sand which contained charcoal and heat-affected stone.
Two linear boundary ditches traversed the site. These two ditches made up either side of a previous field boundary.
An isolated oval-shaped post-hole, 0.37m across and 0.4m deep, was filled by soft dark-grey/brown fine sand containing occasional charcoal flecks.
A series of modern field drains, root cavities, tree boles, stone sockets and evidence of hill wash were all recorded across the site, indicating a period of field clearance and enhanced drainage systems being put in place.
