2015:589 - CLOONEY (Building 57-59 - Ebrington Barracks), Derry

Monitoring of works associated with the permitted refurbishment and change of use from disused stable block into café and retail outlets with toilets of Buildings 57-59 Ebrington Barracks, Derry, Co. Londonderry, was undertaken during February–March 2015. Substantial groundworks associated with the current proposal were relatively limited in scope and primarily comprise the excavation of a new foundation to the front of Building 59 (south) and insertion of drainage.

However, demolition of the eastern end of the front facade of Building 59 and subsequent site preparation works including the removal of floor surfaces and sub-floor layers revealed evidence of an earlier structure comprising a stone wall extending from south towards north for c.3.65m before turning towards east-north-east and extending for c.2.45m within the existing building. The wall also extends from west towards east for c.1.4m from its southern extent. Generally, the top of the wall was identified at a depth of c.0.1–0.3mm below the existing floor level. However, where the wall extended below the eastern gable wall of Building 59, investigation revealed that the later wall utilised the earlier structure to form part of its foundation with the red brick walling built directly atop the Star Fort wall.

Consultation with the Scheduled Monuments Team in the Northern Ireland Environment Agency: Historic Monuments Unit (NIEA:HMU:SM) confirmed that it would be appropriate to extend the excavation area to the immediate east of the existing building to identify survival of the structure throughout the remaining area of proposed invasive works.

Excavation of overburden within this area confirmed that the wall appeared to extend for a further 3m to the limit of excavation. However, a services trench associated with the toilet block that previously occupied this portion of the site appeared to have truncated the wall to the immediate east (exterior) of Building 59,

The wall is approximately 0.7m wide and of rubble construction, comprising relatively large, flat stones brought to courses with evidence of mortar bonding. In addition, two buttresses were identified on the southern side of the wall, each extending for 1.1m from the wall and 1m wide, although the western buttress appeared to have been partially truncated by the original late 19th-century construction of Building 59 itself.

Indeed, previous works within this area appeared to have had a considerable negative impact upon the Star Fort wall with the insertion of a red-brick wall built atop a stone foundation and the insertion of several services trenches and a large red-brick inspection chamber/manhole.

All remains noted above were cleaned by hand before being recorded on plan and with a photographic record prior to being protected and preserved in situ, as they are very likely to form part of a protected Scheduled structure.

Specifically, it was proposed that the Star Fort wall must not be disturbed or altered during works and that it should be protected and preserved in situ with the new foundations and associated drainage set above a protective membrane/sheeting and 0.3m deep barrier layer of pea gravel to ensure that the new construction materials do not bond to the historic fabric.  These works, including the construction of temporary wooden shuttering for the “floating” foundation, were carried out under archaeological supervision.

In addition, the proposed layout of the works to the immediate east of the existing structure and new foundation was amended slightly to ensure that a similar engineering solution could be applied to preserve the remains of the walling in the area of the proposed steps.

No further archaeological features, remains deposits or artifacts were identified during works at the site.