County: Derry Site name: Eglington Hall, Muff
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: AE/12/83
Author: James Hession
Site type: No archaeological significance
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 644243m, N 916776m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.996612, -7.308575
A programme of archaeological evaluation was carried out on behalf of ASI Architects at the site of a proposed alteration and extension to the Community Hall in Eglinton, Co. Londonderry on 6 July 2012. Overall 5 linear trial trenches, totalling 180.5m² were excavated within the area that will be directly impacted by the development.
The trial trench layout submitted with the Written Scheme of Investigation had to be altered to take account of structures located to the rear of the community hall that were not removed prior to evaluation. Furthermore existing live services within the limits of the site including BT, electric, oil and sewerage resulted in further revisions to the originally proposed trial trench array.
Although the topography and location of the site on reasonably level ground in the vicinity of the Castle River is suited to human habitation, no archaeological features were found in any of the excavated trial trenches. A possible explanation for this is the fact that the site had previously undergone significant disturbance, reduction and infilling during the construction of the existing Community Hall and associated gravel car park. Furthermore the insertion of a septic tank and its disengagement some years later when the community hall connected to the mains sewerage system along the Main Street has limited the areas within the site where archaeological remains could have survived. It may also simply be the case that the proposed site is archaeologically sterile.
Rubicon Heritage Services Ltd., Unit 2 Europa Enterprise Park, Midleton, Co. Cork
