2011:014 - CARRICKFERGUS CASTLE (KEEP), CARRICKFERGUS, Antrim

Monitoring and limited excavation were carried out at the battlements of the great tower, or keep, in advance of work to repair or replace the existing roof. Three trenches were excavated using power chisels in an attempt to identify any of the early construction features of the upper part of the keep.

Trench 1 was located at the southern battlement, close to the south-east tower and an area of Scrabo stonework, presumed to be original. Modern cobbles, mortar and concrete were removed to a maximum depth of 0.11m, exposing a level surface which might be an original wall-walk. Trench 2 was located on the western battlement, above the estimated location of the original chimney-flues from the second and third floors and close to the position of two of a series of weep-holes visible at the upper external part of the west wall of the keep. The excavation exposed the upper part of the chimney-stack, containing one flue, and successfully exposed one of the weep-holes, confirming that it extended through the thickness of the wall. In addition, a mortar surface was identified 0.3m below the level of the current wall-walk. Trench 3 was also located on the western battlement, adjacent to the north-west squinch arch. Here, as with the south-west and south-east arches, there is a noticeable gap in the stonework, suggesting that these may have been sockets for earlier roof timbers. A limited excavation in this trench did not reveal any evidence for such a socket.

These excavations revealed that extensive modifications have taken place at the battlements of the keep since its original construction. It is hoped, however, that sufficient information has been obtained from the excavation and that this, along with a future analysis of mortar samples, will inform the design of any replacement roof.

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