County: Meath Site name: The Maples, Bettystown (Betaghstown)
Sites and Monuments Record No.: None Licence number: 14E0185
Author: Niall Roycroft
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 715110m, N 773250m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.696255, -6.256894
The green field site lies approximately 250m to the west of the concentration of archaeological discoveries that occur on a slight knoll (1-3m higher than the surrounding landscape) forming the heart of old Bettystown. The Maples site also lies at the mouth of an ancient, shallow stream valley oriented north-west to south-east as it enters a previous broad, floodable ‘water meadow’ area that previously extended all the way from Bettystown to Laytown before the present coast road (R150) was built. Undated alluvial flood deposits containing both sea and land shells were noted on the eastern half of the Maples site. One burnt-out tree bole was recorded away from this flooding area underneath topsoil cutting glacial till. Topsoil contained a range of 19th-20th-century ‘manuring’ finds. Construction (topsoil removal, strip foundation trenches and services) in several phases was subsequently monitored from 2016 to 2019.
c/o Meath County Council
