County: Antrim Site name: MUSGRAVE PSNI STATION, BELFAST
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: AE/10/183E
Author: Brian Sloan
Site type: 19th-century Mays Dock
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 734184m, N 874275m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.598906, -5.923314
This work was carried out in early 2011. A single trench, measuring approximately 11m by 1.5m, was located to the rear of, but within the confines of, the PSNI station at Musgrave Street, Belfast, Co. Antrim. The purpose of this trench was to confirm the line of the 19th-century dock wall that had previously been investigated by FarrimondMacManus Ltd during Phase 1 of the ongoing development of the police station.
The trench proved that a substantial degree of modern disturbance has occurred on site, with upwards of 1.3m of modern detritus being mechanically removed from the trench. The dock wall was encountered, confirming the line as projected from the Phase 1 investigation. The wall was comprised of angular sandstone blocks bonded with a buff-coloured mortar. The wall was recorded and covered over with spoil. Work at the site is ongoing.
Centre for Archaeological Fieldwork, School of Geography, Archaeology and Palaeoecology, Queen’s University, Belfast BT7 1NN
