County: Mayo Site name: Newtown North
Sites and Monuments Record No.: None Licence number: 17E0009
Author: Richard Crumlish
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 536178m, N 768990m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.666761, -8.965748
The test excavation of a site in advance of its development at Newtown North townland, 0.5km south-west of Ballindine in County Mayo, was carried out on 9 and 10 January 2017. The proposed development consisted of an extension to a housing development, to include twenty-two dwelling houses. Testing was required as Further Information by the Local Authority and was necessary due to the scale of the proposed development.
There were no recorded monuments in the immediate vicinity of the site, which was located in a field of pasture adjacent to the existing housing development. Testing consisted of the excavation (by machine) of six trenches, located to best cover the area of the proposed development. The trenches measured 39.8m, 40.3m, 49.3m, 48.6m, 99.8m and 100m long respectively; 1.5-2.4m wide and 0.25-1.3m deep. Testing revealed natural undisturbed stratigraphy in two of the trenches with areas of fill, mainly associated with the adjacent modern housing development, evident in the four remaining trenches. A number of land drains, which were visible in four of the test trenches, were evidence of attempts to improve the poor drainage which is visible across areas of the site. Nothing of archaeological significance was in evidence.
4 Lecka Grove, Castlebar Road, Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo
