2018:117 - 6 and 8 St Patrick Street, Draperstown, Derry

An archaeological evaluation of the site was conducted ahead of the development of lands to the rears of properties nos. 6 and 8 St Patrick Street, Draperstown, Co. Derry.
The archaeological evaluation consisted of the excavation of five test trenches (four proposed) across the construction area of the site. Due to the sloping nature of the site a single test trench to the south was split into two smaller test trenches to fully cover the area. The test trenches were excavated using a back-acting machine fitted with a toothless bucket.

The depths of the trenches varied across the site with the two trenches to the north within the beer garden consisting of modern layers of fill and concrete directly onto subsoil, whilst the layers in the area to the south were scrapped either directly onto subsoil, or concrete was removed directly onto subsoil. This would appear to be the result of the original surface layer being removed during construction of the buildings to give a level surface. Modern wall pillars/piers and foundation were found related to the now-demolished buildings dug into the subsoil. There was an orange/brown sandy subsoil in the area to the south, to the north within the building where it was excavated to a greater depth it was an orange brownish wet sandy subsoil.
No archaeological features were identified within any of the trenches.

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