2017:871 - Mid Wicklow Water Supply Scheme Aughrim to Rathnew, Rathdrum to Redcross, Wicklow

Archaeological monitoring on advanced Site Investigation works was carried out during 2017 for the Mid Wicklow Water Supply Scheme Aughrim to Rathnew, Rathdrum to Redcross. The scheme commenced in Aughrim village before continuing northeast to the Meetings. It then continued northwards to Rathdrum, and also east to Redcross. At Rathdrum the scheme continued west along Brewery Lane, and east towards Rathnew where it joined existing water infrastructure at the M11. The scheme also continued onto the R752 towards the village of Glenealy, turning at Ballygannon Lower towards Deputies Pass, and continuing eastwards to the R772 (old N11), continuing south onto the village of Barndarrig, and west to Redcross. The ground investigation works were carried out on existing road surfaces and pipe routes, in an attempt to identify the nature of the existing water pipe network. Some ground investigation works were located in green field sites, in areas of proposed new water pumping/storage/treatment facilities. The ground investigation works included boreholes (BH), slit trenches (ST) and test pits/trial holes (TH). The locations of these ground investigation works were forwarded to the National Monuments Service for review, prior to the commencement of site works. All ground investigation works were chosen with consideration as to minimising the risk to archaeology. No known archaeology was affected by the proposed ground investigation works.

Two areas of previously unknown possible archaeological features were identified during the archaeological monitoring of works.  On the road from Ballinaclash to Aughrim (R753), near Cronsallagh House (at 716079.713m, 681075.445m), at a depth of 0.5m in the trench, a horizontal stone cobble layer was identified. This cobble layer  was one course and 0.3m deep, and was set in brown sticky clay soil (C07). No mortar was identified in the cobble layer, which likely represent an old road surface, of unknown antiquity, and continued for 4m (across the R753) in the centre of the trench. No diagnostic artefacts were recovered from the this slit trench that could be used to date the cobbles (C06).

Works on the local road (L6168) between The Meetings and Avondale (at 718970m, 683318m), at The Meetings townland, revealed a possible archaeological ovoid-shaped pit that measured 2.8m long, and continued beyond the width of the trench (wider than 0.8m). The pit was identified 0.4m below the road surface. It was filled with a mid-orange brown silt (possibly redeposited) natural. The pit was identified truncating the natural subsoil and bedrock.

Avoidance of impacts on these two areas of possible archaeology was recommended, allowing for preservation in situ. The author was not retained for the construction stage works associated with this project.