County: Down Site name: 159. ST PATRICK’S SQUARE, DOWNPATRICK
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: AE/10/73
Author: Kara Ward
Site type: Possible post-medieval land reclamation
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 748384m, N 844565m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.328198, -5.718632
The proposed development concerns a Public Realm Scheme in the centre of Downpatrick, Co. Down, which has been classed as an area of archaeological potential by the NIEA: Built Heritage. It comprises improvements such as new paving, seating areas, planting, bollards, bins, lighting and the narrowing of the existing road, with a new access arrangement. The scheme will also involve the realignment of steps adjacent to the St Patrick’s Centre, which links English Street and Market Street.
Until the 19th century the ground to the south of Downpatrick was formed by tidal marsh associated with the Quoile River. The main town was located to the east and connected to Cathedral Hill by what later became English Street. The proposed development would have been located on the south-eastern slope of Cathedral Hill and the ground immediately adjacent, which is marked as tidal marsh. This area was depicted as largely featureless on the map and would probably have been on the peripheries of the medieval settlement.
Groundworks relating to the street lighting, tree-planting and steps realignment at St Patrick’s Square have been monitored intermittently since August 2010. The square was excavated in stages. The earliest deposits recorded consisted of tidal silt formations, which were sealed by a layer of modern overburden. Possible evidence of land reclamation was noted, with two lengths of wood uncovered in one of the sections examined. Although not hugely substantial, these could date from the post-medieval period and may represent attempts to reclaim and utilise the land, which in turn permitted the expansion of Downpatrick to the south-west.
The Public Realm Scheme also involved the laying of drainage and the construction of new steps on Cathedral Hill to link St Patrick’s Square and English Street. An existing set of steps already linked St Patrick’s Square to English Street and monitoring of groundworks associated with the Public Realm works revealed that this area had been severely disturbed by the construction of the existing steps and the adjacent St Patrick’s Centre.
Archaeological Development Services Ltd, Unit 6 Channel Wharf, 21 Old Channel Road, Belfast BT3 9DE
