2015:473 - Maddoxtown, Kilkenny

NMI Burial Excavation Records

County: Kilkenny Site name: Maddoxtown

Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 15E0368

Author: Seán Shanahan

Site type: Post-medieval

Period/Dating:

ITM: E 654399m, N 653611m

Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.630993, -7.196416

Archaeological investigation was undertaken in advance of development. Four trenches were investigated but nothing of archaeological significance was found. The development was situated in the immediate environs of a recorded mill (KK020-046), with three other monuments are located nearby (church and graveyard KK020-045; well, KK020-062; and ringfort, KK020-044).  The proposed development was also located within a complex of 18th- and 19th-century mills (marble sawing and flour), collectively recorded as C467 in Kilkenny County Council’s Record of Protected Structures (RPS).

Trench 1 was excavated to 1m in depth.  The sod and topsoil layer measured 0.3m deep. The subsoil comprised a compact light to mid brown sandy silt, with occasional small sub-rounded stones. A stone-lined drain was partially exposed along the western side of the trench. It comprised small and medium sized stones and extended the length of the trench. A considerable amount of water filled the trench once the drain was exposed.  

Trench 2 was excavated to 0.7m in depth. A layer of topsoil 0.25m deep overlay the natural subsoil.

Trench 3 was excavated to 0.8-2m in depth along the western edge of the access road leading to the development area. The centre of the trench had previously been excavated to a depth of almost 2m, and had been backfilled with coarse stone and clay. Red brick and mortar were noted on the fill material on the eastern side of the stone houses.

Trench 4 was excavated to 0.7m in depth.  It exposed the overburden lying on limestone bedrock. It was deposited, most likely, during the excavation of the mill race. The deposit comprised a mixture of topsoil (0.15m deep) and subsoil (0.55m).

Clearance works undertaken, most likely when the causeway was created, removed all surface and sub-surface trace of the stone walls of the dwelling that formerly stood between the two ruined stone dwellings.

Shanarc Archaeology Ltd, 39A Hebron Business Park, Hebron Rd, Kilkenny, Co Kilkenny