2017:451 - NEWRY: Unit 1, Greenbank Industrial Estate, Warrenpoint Road, Down

An archaeological evaluation was undertaken prior to the development of a regeneration scheme located at Unit 1, Greenbank Industrial Estate, Warrenpoint Road, Newry. The development site is situated within the Area of Archaeological potential for Newry (DOW 046:042).

A series of 6 test trenches were excavated by mechanical digger. Initially, a toothless bucket was used to excavate the trenches but given the amount of concrete and modern debris within them, a decision to use a toothed bucket was made by the archaeologist.

Trenches 1–5 were orientated roughly north-west/south-east across the area of the proposed underground car park with Trench 6 located in the area of the wheel-wash at the entrance to the site. The area of development was devoid of buildings but large amounts of made ground were visible across the site. Subsoil could not be reached in all of the trenches as a result of the very soft nature of the made ground coupled with its depth and rising ground water.

Nothing of archaeological significance was noted in any of the excavated trenches, all of which were excavated, with the exception of Trench 6, to a minimum of 2m depth. Trench 6 was excavated to the depth required to construct the wheel wash.