2016:851 - GOREY: Brideswell Big, Ballyellis, Wexford

Test excavations were carried out on 2 October 2016 at Brideswell Big, Ballyellis, Gorey, Co. Wexford in accordance with the conditions of Wexford County Council Planning Reg. No. 20160282.

The site was situated in the north-eastern half of a large field that lies immediately east-north-east of a burial ground (WX006-040), and 134m south-east of a holy well (WX006-038001) and associated hut site (WX006-038002). The second half of the field (to the south-west of the development) was later subject to a separate test excavation (17E0427).

A total of 10 test trenches located within the development area, and 4 additional small percolation test pits to the south-west outside of the development area were excavated during testing. The test trenches measured 2m in width, 11.5–45m in length and 0.6–1.5m in depth. The percolation test pits measured 1m in width, 1.5–2.5m in length and 0.4–2m in depth.

A common stratigraphy was found throughout all the trenches and test pits. The earliest deposit in all trenches was a natural mid-grey stony clay, sealed by a subsoil layer of light-brown to orange-brown clay 0.2–0.3m in depth. On occasion this layer contained small flecks of charcoal (10mm x 10mm max), most likely due to past land clearance or stubble burning. This layer was in turn sealed by a mid to dark-brown and moderately silty topsoil, with a depth of 0.3–0.5m. Frequent root material was found in areas close to the existing field boundaries.

No archaeological features or deposits were found in any of the test trenches. Finds consisted of a single animal bone and a single sherd of black lead glazed pottery, both from the south-western end of trench #10.