2017:730 - Churchview, Holywood - Holywood, Down

Test trenching was carried out in advance of construction at the site of proposed residential development at 27 – 33 Church View Holywood, Co Down in response to planning conditions imposed upon the development under PPS6 BH4.
Test trenching revealed two potential archaeological subsoil-cut features located along the north-east and south-west boundaries of the proposed development. The area surrounding these two features was opened up 10m beyond in order to assess their archaeological nature and to identify whether further archaeological remains survived, however no further evidence of archaeological activity was identified within the remainder of the site. Both potential archaeological features were excavated.

Feature F6 was located adjacent to a deposit of modern ground disturbance. The shape of this feature – vertical and well-defined edges to two sides and a sloping third side - is suggestive of a modern means of excavation and may relate to more recent (20th-century) activity on the site. Feature F9 is more difficult to interpret. This large feature also produced a single sherd of 19th-century pottery from one of its capping fills suggesting a 19th-century origin. It was also overlaid by a modern concrete foundation which contained on its opposite side a modern sewer intake and the remains of a concrete manhole surround. This concrete foundation will not be removed as part of development so it is uncertain as to whether feature F9 is an earlier 19th-century pit or perhaps associated with the modern sewer output pipe. Extension of the area of excavation beyond these features did not reveal any further archaeological features within the development area, therefore both of these features appear to be isolated occurrences within the development area.

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