2013:117 - Platin Hall, Platin, Meath

Monitoring was carried out of the construction of an agricultural shed/grain store at the existing grain stores at Platin Hall. The foundation trenches for the new building were excavated under supervision. Sixteen trenches were excavated along the footprint of the perimeter of the building to facilitate concrete foundation pads. These trenches measured 3m by 3m and were excavated to an average depth of 1.8m. In all trenches there was evidence for at least 1.5m of made up ground below current ground level. This material was imported several years ago from nearby Platin Cement Works and was used to level the ground which originally sloped from south to north. Natural deposits were exposed in most trenches at approximately 1.5-1.9m below the made up ground.

The foundation remains of two walls constructed from stone and red brick were exposed below the made up ground, the first along the west side of the site and the second in the north-east corner of the site. The wall along the west side represented the foundation remains of the west wall of the former orchard belonging to Platin Hall, some of which is still standing. The foundation remains in the north-east corner consisted of an L-shaped return which was exposed in the south and east face of one of the foundation trenches. The line of the wall as it projects northwards is in keeping with the line of the central garden pathway depicted on the 2^nd Edition OS map and may have been a small building located along the west side of the path.

The west orchard wall was demolished due to safety concerns before the present works took place and the wall exposed in the face of the trench at the north-east corner of the site will not be impacted upon by the concrete pads. No other features or finds were recovered from the remaining trenches.

Archaeological Consultancy Services Unit, Unit 21, Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co. Louth.