County: Waterford Site name: Catherine Street, Waterford
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 16E0629
Author: Michael Gleeson & Seán Shanahan
Site type: urban- medieval
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 660948m, N 612148m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.257661, -7.107251
Archaeological investigation was undertaken due to the insertion of Gas services to the area. The features found were revealled to contain reused graves, deposits consisting of bone, pottery, clay pipe and metal; pits, walls, culvert, made surfaces and 10 graves.
The excavation at Catherine Street, Waterford uncovered evidence of a medieval burial ground along with a possible late boundary marker for the Abbey grounds. Given the recorded history of the site, it can be associated with St Catherine’s Abbey. There is evidence of an earlier extent to Grubs Lane as well as early surfaces and stabilisation layers that indicate previous constructions of routes to Catherine’s Abbey from Colbeck Gate.
The disappearance of pits not associated with modern services moving northwards combined with the increase of deposits and surfaces and the disappearance of the natural indicated that the original contour of the land fell as it moved northwards. The area towards Clobeck Gate had to have made ground deposited to bring it level with South Catherine Street. On the other hand the depths below modern surface of between 0.56m and 0.79m for the encountered grave cuts indicate that the levels at this point were reduced yielding the relatively level street seen today.
The walls outside No. 9 Catherine Street and the metalled surfaces between them indicate GrubsLane had a longer route in the past. The continuity change in contexts under the southern wall is an indication that the original boundary for the Abbey may have existed at this point, something supported by a 1653 map.
The wall encountered just south of Beau Street did not recognise the run of the present street and may predate it. Its north-south orientation may also be of significance.
The artefact assemblage from the excavation consists of a number of items consistent with excavations within graveyards, namely the recovery of shroud pins.
Shanarc Archaeology Ltd, 39A Hebron Business Park, Hebron Rd, Kilkenny, Co Kilkenny
