2017:633 - Bective Street, Kells, Meath

Monitoring of the topsoil strip took place on 30 June 2017. The stripping was undertaken using a tracked machine fitted with a toothless or blade bucket. Prior to monitoring commencing, it was noted that the western edge of the site, fronting out onto Bective Street, had been scarped as a result of the street widening which took place in the late 19th century. As such there was almost 1m difference between the ground level within the site, and that at street level. In addition, the eastern side of the site had been badly scarped in the recent past in order to gain access from the site, to the fields beyond to the east. Due to these two phases of scarping, only the central portion of the site remained relatively unscathed. However, here it was noted from cartographic evidence, that a pair of semi-detached cottages had been constructed on the site in the mid 1930s. These had been demolished to foundation level prior to monitoring taking place.
Topsoil stripping revealed that the construction of the two cottages had severely truncated the area. The removal of the modern overburden of grass and other vegetation uncovered subsoil consisting of yellow brown stony glacial till, with patches of the underlying bedrock showing through in places. A number of features were noted but all of these were associated with the construction and use of the cottages and therefore date to the 1930s or later. Nothing of archaeological significance was noted.

AHC Ltd, 36 Ballywillwill Road, Castlewellan. Co Down BT31 9LF