County: Antrim Site name: Castle Tower School, 50 Larne Road Link, Ballymena
Sites and Monuments Record No.: ANT 032:030 Licence number: AE/15/152
Author: Audrey Gahan, Gahan & Long Ltd
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 711258m, N 903120m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.863528, -6.266895
An archaeological evaluation was undertaken prior to the construction of a new school buildings and associated site works and road access for the Castle Tower School, Ballymena, Co. Antrim.
Monument ANT 32:30 is located within the boundaries of development but is sited within an area of dense mature tree plantation which will be retained and will not be impacted upon. Extensive ground works had previously taken place within the development area. In particular the site had been used as an American army barracks during WWII, then as a secondary school from 1950s to 1985 with buildings used as office accommodation until around 1995; the majority of the buildings were demolished in 1998. Several buildings were retained and used as a depot until last year when they too were demolished.
A total of 15 trenches were excavated using a back-acting machine, fitted with a toothless bucket. Nothing of archaeological significance was uncovered.
7-9 Castlereagh Street, Belfast BT5 54NE
