2018:041 - A6 Randalstown to Castledawson dualling - Borrow pits A, C & E, Antrim

These works comprised test trenching, carried out along the A6 Randalstown to Castledawson Dualling Scheme in the area outside of the road take.

Borrow Pit A (ITM 692516 892056 - centre point): nothing of an archaeological nature was uncovered.

Borrow Pit C (ITM 695059 892834 - centre point), nothing of an archaeological nature was uncovered.

Borrow Pit E (ITM 696568 892209 - centre point) comprised the remains of a late 18th/early 19th-century vernacular building (ITM 696472 892327). The house corresponded to the footprint of a structure that was present on the 1st edition Ordnance Survey map. The remains of the house that were excavated would have been of a traditional Irish vernacular rural dwelling. These form of dwellings all shared several common features: a rectangular plan with rooms occupying the full width of the house and each room opening into the next with no hallway; thick walls built of stone or clay; a roof borne by side and cross walls; an open hearth at floor level, situated on the long axis of the house, its chimney protruding through the roof ridge; windows and doors in the side, not end, walls and a flat roof of steep pitch, covered with thatch (O’Danachair 1972, p. 77).

These houses, once commonplace across the whole of Ireland, have seen their numbers dwindle and now only a few fully upstanding examples surviving. Most of these have been converted into small museums, quaint holiday homes, or relocated to folk museums.

The house was one large building 14m long and 4.5m wide (46’ x 14.75’) and would probably have been split into at least two rooms. The fireplace would have been present at the one of the gable ends of the house, and on the basis of the excavated remains may have been located at the southern gable.

ARTEFACTS

The majority of the artefactual material recovered from the excavation were sherds of 19th-century pottery. These included Blackware, Scottish Spongeware and Transfer-printed wares. This material would have commonly been found in a 19th-century farm building, with Blackware representing utilitarian wares such as milk pans, while the Transfer-printed wares were table wares. Of note is a single sherd of hand-painted pearlware, bearing the image of a stylised peafowl. While it is impossible to be certain from a single sherd, the piece is stylistically similar to wares that were being produced at the Downshire pottery in Belfast. The style of the painting and the colours and shades that were used are very similar if not identical to those used at the pottery. The use of a peafowl is something that is recorded on a plate accredited to the Downshire pottery and again the painting style of the bird is very similar (Francis 2001, 33). Despite being a single sherd, the curvature of the piece would suggest that it probably originated from a small ‘sparrowbeak’ jug. On the basis that it does originate from a Downshire pottery vessel the sherd could be dated to the end of the 18th century or the very start of the 19th century when the Downshire pottery was in operation (Francis 2001).

GENERAL DISCUSSION

The 1st and 2nd edition Ordnance Survey maps of c.1830 and c.1860 respectively show that the house and associated yards were located at the southern end of the clachan of Far Aughrim or the northern side of Aughrim hill. A lane connected Far Aughrim with the clachan of Near Aughrim which was located on the southern side of Aughrim hill. The valuation records for the year 1869, around the time of the 2nd edition Ordnance Survey maps, show that the property was owned by a William Graves and was leased to a tenant called Randal Evans. The building had an annual rateable value of £1.15.0 (c.£130 in 2017) and the land an annual rateable value of £15.5.0 (c.£1754 in 2017) giving an annual rateable value of £17.0.0, or £1884 today. This suggests a sizeable land holding for the area as the valuation books indicate that the rest of the properties in Far Aughrim averaged rates of only £1 (c.£113 in 2017) for a building and £4 (c.£452 in 2017) for their land. Although not indicated on the valuation maps this may suggest that while the house only had a small meadow attached Randal Evans was also leasing the large field to the south of his house, which covered most of the east face of Aughrim hill.

A final glimpse into the lives of the occupants can be seen in the Ordnance Survey Memoirs that were produced in the early 19th century as an accompaniment to the 1st edition maps. The memoirs for the area do not specifically mention either Far or Near Aughrim but do generally discuss the people that lived in the townland of The Creagh. It is discussed that the people are of the poorest class, i.e. subsistence farm labourers, and that the homes are of stone and thatch with usually only a single room (Day and McWilliams 1990, 17). It is noted that the people dress comfortably on Sundays but for the rest of the week their clothes are indifferent and that in other areas of the local parish people dress better and neatly throughout the week (Day and McWilliams 1990, 17). Mention is made of illicit distillation being carried out in The Creagh; though this seems in part due to moves by the Salters and Drapers to remove any illegal still from their estates, which bounded The Creagh townland (Day and McWilliams 1990, 15). Whether illicit distillation was entirely down to the inhabitants of The Creagh or whether people from the adjoining areas were operating stills in the area as they could not within their own local vicinity is unclear.

References:

Day, A. and McWilliams, P. (1990) Ordnance Survey Memoirs of Ireland Vol 6: Parishes of Co. Londonderry 1, 1830, 1834, 1836 - Arboe, Artrea, Ballinderry, Ballyscullion, Magherafelt, Termoneeny, Belfast: The Institute of Irish Studies, The Queens University Belfast.

Francis, P. (2001) A Pottery by the Lagan: Irish Creamware from the Downshire Pottery, Belfast 1787-c.1806, The Institute of Irish Studies, Queens University: Belfast.

O’Danachair (1978) ‘Forms of the Dwelling House in Ireland’, Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, 102 (1), pp 77-97.

Northern Archaeological Consultancy, 638 Springfield Road, Belfast