2012:101 - Clenor South, Cork

Clenor South 1 was located on the Combined N73 Annakisha South and N73 Clogher Cross to Waterdyke, Co. Cork, Road Realignment Schemes. Excavation has revealed a medieval boundary ditch and post-medieval habitation and light industrial features including a smithy and associated workshop.
The boundary ditch, recorded for a length of 12.5m within the excavation area, was 3.93m wide and 1.36m deep. The base was flat with concave sides. The primary fill was soft bluish grey, with orangey iron pan staining, sandy silt with charcoal flecking, 0.24m thick, and appeared to be original water-deposited silting. This fill was radiocarbon dated to 1453-1635 cal. AD (UBA-21416, 356±32 BP). The remaining three fills were hard yellowish clay deposits consistent with backfilling.
The first phase of post-medieval features was located at either side of the boundary ditch and represents the remnants of buildings, and features associated with those buildings, seen on the 1st edition OS map, but no longer present when the 2nd edition OS map was surveyed. It seems unlikely that the boundary ditch was open while these buildings were in use as some of them are built right up against it. There were eight pits, three post-holes, a working surface, two linear features, six stone surfaces and deposits assigned to this phase.
The smithy and workshop were recorded as upstanding buildings. The smithy was part of the original property holding recorded on the 1st edition OS map. On the 2nd edition OS map it is annotated as ‘Smithy’. The building is still enclosed on the 3rd edition OS map in 1924. The smithy was a rectangular stone-built structure that measured approximately 6.8m by 4.5m internally; the front of the building was truncated by the current N73. The four upstanding walls and a supporting external wall were constructed of limestone blocks, mostly roughly hewn with the bigger blocks faced. The stones were 0.2m by 0.1m to 0.4m by 0.2m on average. Some sand and lime mortar was recorded around the base of the walls but the upper courses were apparently dry built. The walls survived to a maximum height of 1.8m.
A forge pit with adjacent post-hole and an anvil foundation with an adjacent double post-hole were cut into the natural clay floor of the smithy. The forge pit contained 46 smithing hearth bottoms and over 34kg of slag. The anvil foundation was 1m in diameter and a compact black deposit, 0.1m thick, surrounded the feature. A large quantity of horse shoes was found above this deposit. The forge pit, anvil foundation and post-holes were sealed by an overriding compact deposit of metalworking debris that also covered the majority of the floor of the smithy.
A tyring platform, used for fitting metal tyres onto wooden wheels, was found within the smithy but would have originally been located outside, close to the water source, and was probably moved when the stream running alongside the smithy was rectified. The platform was made from rough cement and was 1.4m in diameter. The central perforation was 0.35m in diameter and still retained an iron band around its circumference. The axle of the cartwheel would have been placed in the central perforation to hold the wheel in place, and then the iron rim was easily accessible for repair or to be remade.
The workshop appears as a new structure on the 2nd edition OS map but only the outline of the back and side walls are shown on the 3rd edition OS map, suggesting that it was in ruin by that time. The workshop was built at a slightly lower level than the first phase of post-medieval features.
The workshop, that was set back 0.5m from the smithy, contained a fireplace and bellows pit and had flag flooring at the entrance and in front of the fireplace. This building was slightly smaller than the smithy, with internal dimensions of 6.6m by 4.4m and had six upstanding walls. Like the smithy walls the workshop walls were constructed of limestone blocks, a mix of roughly hewn and faced. The stones were 0.14m by 0.08m to 0.3m by 0.1m on average. Also like the smithy, mortar was only recorded around the base of the walls and the upper courses were dry built, with the exception of eastern side wall. The entrance was 1m wide.
There were two splayed external walls at either side of the smithy and workshop complex forming an entrance courtyard and are shown on the 3rd edition OS map. Both walls are of dry limestone block construction. Most of the blocks were roughly hewn and from 0.12m by 0.12m to 0.32m by 0.2m. The walls were constructed at a rough 45° angle to the two buildings.
Animal bone, clay tobacco pipe, glass bottles and sherds, metal objects (including iron horse shoes and nails), slag, post-medieval pottery, roof slate and quern or anvil stones were recovered from Clenor South 1.

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