2016:032 - Timolin, Kildare

NMI Burial Excavation Records

County: Kildare Site name: Timolin

Sites and Monuments Record No.: KD036-026 Licence number: 16E0031

Author: Paul Duffy

Site type: Brownfield - Purported Castle Site

Period/Dating:

ITM: E 690062m, N 693417m

Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.983919, -6.658762

Irish Water propose to construct a septic tank, water treatment plant and percolation area on Kildare County Council owned lands within the townland and village of Timolin. An archaeological assessment including a desktop study, field inspection, geophysical survey (15R0133) and archaeological test excavation were conducted across the site.

The purported location of Timolin Caslte is located within the northern end of the proposed development area. Robert Fitz-Richard founded a convent for nuns of the Arroasian order c. 1200, at Timolin (KD036-025002) (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970). Fitz-Richard also built the castle at Timolin at roughly the same time, though it is unclear whether this castle was originally an earth and timber construction in keeping with the initial Anglo-Norman fortifications, or a stone castle, the like of which were being increasingly constructed from the later 12th century onwards. The erection of a stone castle at the site seems more probable given that the convent buildings would most likely have been constructed of stone. Evidence for master masons at Timolin in this period survives in the Timolin Effigy, a sculpted graveslab depicting a recumbent knight (KD036-025003) which is currently housed within St. Mullins Church c. 120m to the southwest of the proposed development area. This effigy has been dated to c. 1200 on the basis of the shape of the mail hood and skullcap, which finds close parallel in the great seal of King John and is thought to represent the founder Robert Fitz-Richard (Ffrench 1895). The SMR file for the castle (KD036-026) contains anecdotal evidence from the turn of the 20th century relating to the possible location of the castle. These accounts make reference to ‘thick walls with arches in them standing at the back of the one-sided street of Timolin not far from the mill…’ (FitzGerald 1903). This description, while imprecise, puts these walls in the vicinity of the proposed development area. There are further references to the castle at Timolin in the 17th century.

Test trenching took place on 23rd February, using a 13 tonne tracked excavator equipped with a flat, toothless bucket under strict archaeological supervision. A total of two trenches were excavated within the area of proposed development.

Trench 1 revealed that the ground level within the proposed development area has been artificially raised and levelled in modern times. This was evident in the northern portion of the trench where an overburden depth of c. 1.3m was observed. A modern cut, presumably for pipes associated with the extant septic tank immediately to the north, was observed at this depth. Approximately 6m southeast, the natural ground level rises substantially. The overburden is c. 0.5m in depth from this rise to the south-eastern limit of the trench. A long, narrow linear gully (C1) c. 180m long by c. 1m wide and c. 0.14m deep was identified in this trench. Post medieval ceramic, fragments of coke and corroded iron nails were retrieved from the single fill (C2) of this feature. This gully follows the same alignment as the linear response identified in the field immediately to the northeast. A similar gully along the same alignment was encountered in Trench 2 (C9). No further features or deposits of archaeological significance were encountered in this trench.

 

A similar soil profile to that observed in Trench 1 was encountered in Trench 2, particularly in the northern portion where a deep deposit of imported topsoil and redeposited garden soil was evident. Natural subsoil, a very gravel and sand-rich boulder clay was encountered at c. 1.4m below present ground level. A small oval pit (C3) was identified in the north western limit of the trench. The trench was extended in this area to fully expose this feature. This pit was fully excavated and preserved by record, on direction from Kildare County Council Archaeologist, Mr Noel Dunne. This feature contained three fills and a limestone block near its centre. The upper fill (C4) comprised a coarse grey sandy silt. This overlay a lens of charcoal rich sandy silt (C5). The basal fill of this pit (C6) comprised a light grey, loose sandy silt. The pit contained a lens of charcoal and a block of limestone. No finds were retrieved from the pit.

 

A partially disturbed linear ditch survives c. 6.8m to the south of pit C3. This linear feature (C7) is substantially cut by a modern water pipe trench along its eastern side. This pipe cutting runs from the manhole immediately south of Trench 2 towards the extant septic tank. A sondage was excavated into the feature C7. At c. 0.6m deep and c. 1m wide, disturbance from the modern water pipe cut was encountered. The feature was filled with a moderately compact, mid-brown silty clay containing fragments of post-medieval ceramic and clay pipe fragments. A dump of stones that may relate to a drain or drainage function was observed along the southern edge of the ditch.

 

A long, narrow linear gully (C9) c. 145m long by 0.85m wide and c. 0.13m deep was identified in the southern portion of this trench. It contains a single grey-brown fill of clayey sand (C10). A sondage through this feature recovered a fragment of clay pipe stem and small fragments of coke.

 

To the south of C9, an area of modern disturbance and dumping was identified. This continued to the southeast terminal of the trench.

Conclusions

The assessment identified three linear features of likely 18th-19th century date (C1, C7 and C9) and a small pit of indeterminate date containing a lens of charcoal (C3). This latter feature was archaeologically resolved and is suspected to be post-medieval in date. While the plot boundaries visible on the first edition OS mapping (and probably represented by C1 and C9) may retain the former pattern of medieval burgage plots, no medieval material has survived on the site.

The assessment has concluded that the location of the purported castle at Timolin (KD036-026) is erroneously located within the proposed development area. No evidence for such a structure or any attendant features to such was identified during the assessment. It is suggested rather, that the original location of the castle was closer to the current location of Timolin Church.

References

Ffrench, J. F. M. 1895 Notes on a Goad-Spur Found in the Co. Wicklow The Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, Vol. 5, No. 3, 212–217.

FitzGerald, W. 1903 Journal of the Kildare Archaeological Society, Vol. IV, No. 2, 166–7.

Gwynn, A. and Hadcock R. N. 1970 Medieval Religious Houses, Ireland Harlow: Longmans.

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