2013:355 - Abbots Drive, Whiteabbey, Antrim

An evaluation in the form of test trenching was carried out at the site of a proposed housing development at lands to the north of Abbots Drive, Whiteabbey, Newtownabbey, Co. Antrim. The evaluation was carried out in response to a request for further information from NIEA Historic Monuments in relation to the archaeological potential of the site with specific reference the site of a medieval monastery (DOW057-007) which is recorded 200m to the south. Previous geophysical survey of both the site of the monastery and the area of the proposed development suggests that subsurface archaeological remains may survive within the boundaries of the proposed development. Five 40–50m long test trenches were excavated at 10–15m intervals within the area of geophysical survey. Testing proved that the proposed development area had undergone extensive backfilling within the past 50–100 years with between 1–1.5m of modern overburden overlying a buried sod layer across the site. Subsoil beneath this sod layer consisted of a compact orange boulder clay within the higher south-west corner of the site to a sticky blue/grey gley soil within the remainder of the site. No archaeological deposits or artefacts were identified during the evaluation

FarrimondMacManus Ltd, 150 Elmvale, Culmore, Derry BT48 8SL.