2018:048 - Summercove Coastguard Station, Forthill, Cork

A metal detection survey was conducted ahead of licensed archaeological test trenching at the site of Summercove Coastguard Station between 9–16 May 2018. This was in advance the proposed refurbishment of the coastguard building and addition of associated utility services. The coastguard building that remains is the northern 9m of what once was a much longer building (c. 54m) referred to as a ‘Drill Hall’ on the 1st edition 25-inch O.S. map (1898). The metal detection survey was carried out under licence 18R0080 and retrieved 102 metal objects, mostly from the uppermost 0.2m of topsoil. All of this material was modern, and included coins, cans, nails etc. mostly relating to the site's use as a caravan park in the 1970s/80s. Large square iron nails were found at a greater depth over the no longer extant Gun Drill Battery seen on the 1st edition 25-inch map.

Test trenching investigated the accessible routes of the planned service lines, 150m in total, across 7 trenches. The site is laid out over two terraces; an upper terrace, where the ‘Drill Hall’ is position truncated the hillside, and a lower terrace where the ‘Gun Drill Battery’ was positioned with steep scarps to the south and east to the upper terrace. Trenches located on the upper terrace found thin topsoil and gravel directly on natural subsoil. Some redeposited natural was used to build up the access route between the two terraces. The trench that traversed the lower terrace identified the wall footings of the former Gun Drill Battery. The external walls, at east and west, both had an outer face of red brick, an inner face of mortared sandstone and a cavity space between. The cavity in the western wall was connected to the interior by a vent and both external walls were over 1m in thickness.

Two internal walls of mortared sandstone blocks were aligned north-south, creating 3 long internal spaces. Internal walls were 0.62-0.65m in width. One internal wall was aligned east-west, approximately 1m in width and formed of mortared sandstone, and connected the eastern external wall with the nearest internal north-south wall. The floor of this north-eastern part of the structure was of concrete, with recess into the floor (0.22m in depth). This extended beyond the trench to north. Each of the other internal spaces had approximate east-west widths of 1.7m and 1.76m and had been filled with shattered slate, large iron nails/bolts and burnt material, all suggesting that the roof had burned down.

The upper parts of the external walls are level with the surrounding natural subsoil, so the structure was partially sunken. It was 0.38m below ground level at north-east, and 0.2m below ground level at south-west. A full archaeological record of the structure was made.

Artefactual evidence and documentary sources indicate that it would have been constructed in the period 1867-1897. The absence of any earlier archaeological material on the site is most likely the result of the extensive landscaping works required to create the terraces and the subsequent maintenance and use of the site as a Coastguard Station and, for a period, a caravan park.

Munster Archaeology, Upper Kilmoney Rd, Carrigaline, Co. Cork