2017:755 - CARNALRIDGE, Portrush (Hill Top, 60 Loguestown Road), Derry

It has been proposed to develop the site at land adjacent to and west of Hilltop Holiday Park, 60 Loguestown Road, Portrush, Co. Londonderry, for a development comprising the construction of an extension of an existing caravan park, to accommodate new static caravan pitches with associated access and landscaping.

Twenty-five trenches, totalling approximately 2,035 linear metres of trenching, were excavated over a period of 4 days within the boundaries of the proposed development site. Removal of topsoil revealed undisturbed glacial subsoil at a depth of between 0.15–0.3m across the entire site, although generally the topsoil deposit was c.0.22–0.25m deep. Across most of the site, subsoil comprised a mid-orange sandy clay although in the low-lying north and north-east portions of the site, subsoil consisted of a light-mid yellowish grey sand.

Several stone-filled field drains traversed the site, and were identified in Trenches 13–14 & 18–22. Deep plough marks were also noted in Trenches 21–23.

No archaeological features, remains or deposits were noted within any of the test-trenches during evaluation works at the site, in addition to the field drains and plough marks associated with agricultural improvements noted above, and no artifacts were recovered during works.