2011:584 - RANFURLY HOUSE, CASTLE HILL, DUNGANNON, Tyrone

The site at Ranfurly House was excavated in advance of development involving the construction of an extension to the rear of the house as part of the overall Castle Hill Regeneration scheme.
Located within the historic settlement area of Dungannon, Ranfurly House is the former Northern Bank (HB 13/20/009), which dates from around 1855 and is a two-storey structure built in an Italianate style to the designs of the architects Lanyon and Lynn. The NIEA: Historic Buildings awarded Ranfurly House Grade B+ Listed protected status in 1977. Situated at the north-eastern end of Market Square, it lies immediately adjacent to Castle Hill. Castle Hill has been awarded a Scheduled protected status and is located in an area of high archaeological importance, as defined by the NIEA.
The archaeological potential of the site was previously evaluated in 2008 by the opening of a trench measuring approximately 6.7m by 5.6m in the western half of the back garden (Excavations 2008, no. 1197, AE/08/148). The results demonstrated that stratified archaeological deposits, features and structures survived in the area, and several phases of post-medieval activity were identified.
The follow-up excavation, which took place between December 2010 and February 2011 and consisted of the excavation of the terraced back garden of the house, has helped to refine the initial assessment of the archaeological potential on site. Several different phases of post-medieval activity and land use were identified.
The earliest phase is represented by a series of post-holes and subsoil-cut features which may indicate the presence of possible structures or fence lines.
The subsequent activity on the site relates to the landscaping associated with the 18th-century Harrington’s Mansion, constructed on Castle Hill. The site was terraced, probably to facilitate the construction of a gravel access lane leading up to the mansion. Part of the access lane was encountered during the excavation.
A substantial layer of redeposited clay sealed the earlier features in the area of the higher terrace. Several features cutting into the clayey levelling layer were also recorded and consisted of a cluster of pits and a gully. These were sealed with a series of post-medieval garden soil deposits.
A substantial vaulted subterranean masonry structure was encountered at the northern end of the site during evaluation. Further information on the extent and nature of the structure was gained during the subsequent excavation. The structure has been interpreted as a vaulted cellar associated with the 18th-century gatehouse linked with the 18th-century mansion at Castle Hill.
Dating evidence, such as post-medieval pottery, glass and fragments of clay pipe, was recovered from several of the excavated contexts. Several contexts also produced fragments of animal bone.

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