2014:203 - RAVENSWELL, Wicklow

Test trenching was carried out at the site of the proposed St Philomena’s School and Coláiste Ráithín, on a 3.9 ha green-field site in Bray, Co. Wicklow. Five test trenches totalling 250m were excavated within the site following a geophysical survey. Trench locations were targeted on the supposed location of a Pale Boundary Ditch which was also located in the course of a geophysical survey. Testing revealed the ditch as a 19th-century feature. 19th-century glass and pottery finds were uncovered at the base of the trenches across the ditch. Subsoil varied between a compact orange brown stony clay and natural gravel. Topsoil was consistently deep across the majority of the site, ranging from 0.28-0.35m deep. There were no archaeological features recorded in the course of testing.