2011:013 - CARRICKFERGUS CASTLE (INNER WARD), CARRICKFERGUS, Antrim

Monitoring and limited excavation were carried out in the inner ward of Carrickfergus Castle in advance of the installation of an electric cable across the inner ward, linking the keep with the flash room corridor. This was to permit bringing the flash room into use as a public-access area. The flash room itself was probably constructed as a magazine between 1793 and 1830 to serve the cannons of the grand battery, with access from the postern gate at the southern end of the castle. The flash room corridor was constructed in the mid-19th century to provide access to the flash room from the inner ward and the entire structure was then filled in to provide a stable platform for two cannons sited above.

Three trenches, each 0.3m wide, were excavated to a maximum depth of 0.4m. The first was located in an area currently under grass, was aligned north–south and was 15m long. This trench was excavated by hand and revealed a number of features, such as in situ cobbled surfaces, mortared stone wall foundations and upper structural elements of a 19th-century ammunition tunnel. Trench 2 was 2m long, was aligned north–south and connected Trench 1 with the toilet block adjacent to the keep. This trench required the use of power tools, such as stonecutters, to cut through a modern brick-paved path and associated concrete foundation. Nothing of archaeological interest was uncovered in this trench. Trench 3 was 2m long and connected Trench 1 with the flash room corridor. This trench also required the use of power tools, such as stonecutters, to cut through a modern brick-paved path and associated concrete foundation. A mortared brick wall, aligned east–west, was uncovered in this trench. Finds were entirely from Trench 1 and included a moulded stone architectural component, animal bone, flint, pottery and a selection of fragmentary building materials, representing various phases of construction and occupation at the inner ward of the castle.

Centre for Archaeological Fieldwork, School of Geography, Archaeology and Palaeoecology, Queen’s University, Belfast BT7 1NN