2017:739 - Waterford Greenway, Kilmeadan – Bilberry, Woodstown, Waterford

Monitoring was conducted of works associated with the Waterford Greenway adjacent to the National Monument at Woodstown, Co. Waterford on the bank of the River Suir. The Woodstown National Monument is an internationally significant Viking settlement identified during the archaeological assessment of the original route proposed for the N25 Waterford City Bypass in 2003. Partial excavation of one proposed culvert was conducted in 2004 and the site was declared a National Monument in 2005. A second phase of targeted excavation was carried out in 2007 as part of the Woodstown Supplementary Research Project.

Waterford City & County Council obtained permission for development of a cycle and pedestrian path (greenway) along the route of the former Waterford–Dungarvan Railway line between Kilmeadan and Bilberry. The existing railway crosses three bridges within the boundary of the National Monument –designated Universal Building Pile (UBP) 118 (over the Killoteran Stream), UBP 119 (bridge over a stream which flows through the Viking age enclosure) and UBP 120 (bridge over an unnamed stream, just east of the Viking age enclosure and close to the location of the Viking warrior burial). These bridges were too narrow to accommodate both the railway and proposed greenway and required widening or culverting.
Monitoring of all works was conducted, a metal detection survey of the stream bed at UBP 120; the monitoring of the excavation of material from the stream bed and side slopes at UBP 120; the investigation of a mound-like feature east of UBP 119; the investigation of a low bank east of UBP 120 and the excavation of 10 sections through the railway cutting west of UBP 119.
A metal detection survey was undertaken in September 2015 by Jon Stirland. No archaeological finds were recovered.
Three test trenches (A-A1 –C-C1) were excavated through the low bank identified to the east of UBP 120. The sod and topsoil measured an average of 0.2m in thickness and lay above the natural orange clay and stone and railway ballast. No archaeological features were exposed. A single test trench (D-D1) was excavated through a mound-like feature east of UBP 119 and two possible archaeological features were identified. This area was designated as Excavation Area 1. A possible ditch (F013) and a small irregular-shaped pit (F061) were identified and partially excavated.
A total of ten perpendicular test trenches (sections E-E1 –N-N1) were excavated through the face of the railway cutting west of UBP 119 in order to assess the potential survival of archaeological remains. Archaeological features were identified within section E-E1 only, as two spreads of black clay with charcoal (F011), 7m south-west of railway culvert UBP 119 within a roughly rectangular area measuring 15m in length by 1.2m that had been truncated by the construction of the railway (F030) and cutting (F014, F015, F026 and F047). This area was designated as Excavation Area 2.
Subsequent excavation at Area 2 identified mixed layers of upcast along the southern face. Beneath this a number of archaeological features were identified. These included a possible Viking Age ditch (C021) which measured 2m in width by 0.65m in depth; a possible kiln/furnace (C033) which measured 1.15m in length, 0.8m in width and 0.12m in depth; 12 stake-holes (C037) within and round the kiln/furnace; three pits (C040, C042 & C044) and two possible ditches (C045 & C020).
A metal detection survey was carried out of the sod and topsoil removed from the area. Nine finds were recovered, 8 decayed iron clench nails (E4590:057:1-8), and a large piece of modern bar (E4590:057:9).
In early 2017 monitoring was also carried out during the removal of materials that had slipped/collapsed from the face of the cutting between UBP 118–UBP 119 as a result of winter storms and adjacent to UBP 119, where part of the bank upstream of the headwall had become undermined leading to the exposure of archaeological deposits, a possible ditch, which was recorded and preserved in situ.

Unit 21, Boyne Business Park, Greenhills Rd, Drogheda, Co. Louth