County: Wexford Site name: NEWBAWN
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 11E277
Author: Emmet Stafford
Site type: Rectangular enclosure
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 683175m, N 622092m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.344113, -6.779280
Testing, in response to a planning request for further information, was undertaken at Newbawn during September 2011. The proposed development site is located immediately to the north of WX035-041, a demolished rectangular enclosure.
The excavation of a series of thirteen test trenches within the area of proposed construction impact uncovered a series of features of various dates. Most significantly, a 4m-wide ditch appeared to be the enclosing ditch of the rectangular enclosure marked on the 1st-edition OS map of the area. It appeared that the north-western corner of the enclosure, which may well be a moated site, is located 34m to the rear of the proposed house. A 0.7m-deep feature uncovered approximately 15m from the rectangular enclosure may be the remains of a large post-hole. A second, smaller, feature uncovered in the vicinity of the possible post-hole is also likely to be of archaeological origin.
A series of 0.2–0.4m-wide, south-east/north-west-running cultivation furrows, as well as a number of more ephemeral but parallel features, were uncovered throughout the site. These furrows run parallel to what, before the construction of a neighbouring dwelling, was the western boundary of the site and are therefore likely to date from the post-medieval period.
Stafford McLoughlin Archaeology, Park, Bree, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford
