2018:155 - NEWTOWNARDS: Castlebawn, Down
County: Down
Site name: NEWTOWNARDS: Castlebawn
Sites and Monuments Record No.: DOW006-019
Licence number: AE/18/60E
Author: Chris Lynn, Gahan and Long Ltd
Author/Organisation Address: 7-9 Castlereagh Street, Belfast, BT5 4NE
Site type: Watercourse
Period/Dating: Modern (AD 1750-AD 2000)
ITM: E 749071m, N 873725m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.589799, -5.693387
An archaeological evaluation was carried out prior to the proposed construction of a residential development within the boundary of the Castlebawn site, Newtownards. The development area is contained within a scheduled area (DOW 006:019) and scheduled monument consent was granted.
The evaluation consisted of the excavation of 16 test trenches across the area of the proposed development site. Much of the site has been heavily impacted upon by modern construction, with much of the area consisting of tarmac surfaces overlying modern hardcore fill. This hardcore has been directly laid onto naturally occurring subsoil and it appears that most archaeological deposits have been removed in this process. The subsoil has been heavily truncated by the insertion of drains and services, increasing the disturbance of any potential archaeological deposits.
A single area of possible archaeological interest was identified within Trench 12. This consists of a possible water channel flanked by 2 linear gullies and which may relate to the original fish pond within the site.