2015:394 - Dowdstown, Kildare

Monitoring of topsoil removal took place at the site of a proposed extension to an existing nursing home at Dowdstown, Co. Kildare from 18–21 May 2015. The south part of the site is greenfield but an aerial view from 2000 reveals that this area was stripped of topsoil, or at least used for stockpiling soil, during the course of an ongoing development at that time. Monitoring revealed a light grey/brown sandy/clayey silt topsoil (T 0.5m) over grey and yellow/brown coarse sand and gravel with frequent small and medium sub-rounded cobbles. A shallow linear feature (Wth 0.4m; D 0.1m) extending north-south along the east edge of the site was revealed to be non-archaeological. Several modern service trench cuts were uncovered across the site. No archaeological material was found.