2016:858 - Oldcourt (Rathdown By.) Soldier's Road, Bray, Wicklow

An archaeological assessment was requested as part of planning conditions for a proposed development at No. 32A & No. 33 Soldier's Road, Oldcourt Park, Bray, Co. Wicklow. The development consisted of the demolition of a dormer bungalow (No. 32A) and all associated structures on the site and construction of 11 residential units and associated site works, drainage and landscaping. The overall area of the site is 0.4204 hectares.
There are no recorded archaeological sites within the footprint of the proposed development which is located within the townland of Oldcourt (Rathdown By.) A ‘redundant record’ is located c.60m from the eastern edge of site, but is nevertheless relevant to any assessment; it is located in very close proximity to the former site of the Boghall Brickworks, WI008:066.
An archaeological assessment carried out in June 1996 (Excavation Licence 96E0090) identified the possible remains of a red-brick 'kiln pit' additional test trenching carried out later in 1996 concluded that there was no evidence for a structure and the possible 'kiln pit' was a dump of red bricks from the Boghall Brick Works. (Simpson 1996, 1-2).
On the 1st edition OS maps, the Bog Hall brickworks are shown located to the west-north-west of the proposed development site. The Brickworks were probably located 80-100m from the north-west edge of the site.
There is no trace of the Boghall Brickworks today and it would seem it went out of use and was possibly demolished in the early 20th century, although very little detail could be located on the date of construction and demolition of these works. Some details available regarding the brickworks have been collected through a media and social media campaign on ‘The Story of Bray's Factories’. https://www.facebook.com/The-Story-of-Brays-Factories-724635004300347/?fref=ts, launched by local storyteller Philip Byrne.
There are references to the bricks being used for buildings on Florence Road. ‘The road is named after 'Florence' who was a relative (grand-daughter I believe) of Mr. McCormack who owned the brick works.’ There is also a lane nearby (to the north-east of the site) called ‘Brickfield Lane’ as it was the way down to the old brickworks. It is also believed ‘The old Crinken Church between Bray and Shankill is built from these bricks. It's now a stonemasons yard’.
Fourteen linear test trenches were excavated across the footprint of the proposed development site. No evidence for any archaeological material was encountered. No evidence for any features linked to the former brickworks was identified anywhere on the site. The presence of some brick rubble material in Test Trench 13 appears to be linked to the dumping of probable demolition material from nearby houses. One isolated brick was recovered from the surface at the eastern end of the site (near Test Trench 10), this may perhaps be linked with the brickworks.

As there was very little evidence during testing for any brickworks and the ground appears heavily disturbed by robbing out of topsoil, burying of debris and tree roots, no further testing was considered necessary and monitoring of the remaining works was recommended.

A subsequent program of monitoring was carried out and no evidence for any archaeological/historical finds, features or deposits were encountered.