2018:875 - Twenties Lane, Moneymore, Drogheda, Louth

An archaeological assessment (monitoring and test excavation) was carried out during autumn 2018 on a proposed development site at Twenties Lane, Moneymore, Drogheda, Co. Louth. The site comprises an area known as The Twenties within the North Drogheda Environs Project. The area of the proposed development extends across six fields, currently under pasture and tillage. The zone of archaeological potential associated with the historic walled town of Drogheda (LH024-041) is located 1.6km to the south-east of the proposed development area, and hence will not be affected.

This assessment was conducted within Field 1 only and comprised archaeological monitoring and small-scale excavation. Only the minimum amount of excavation took place, in a limited area of the site where concrete foundations of a number of houses were due to be poured. A number of features were identified and included a keyhole-shaped kiln (C06) with associated post-holes (C32, C34, C40, C45) and pits (C36, C38, C42), a C-shaped enclosure ditch (C03), a pit (C04), a curvilinear ditch or gully feature (C17), a linear ditch (C18) and a spread (C05).

The kiln C06 was keyhole in shape and it is likely that it was a cereal-drying kiln. Keyhole-shaped kilns typically date from c. AD 800/900 through to the post-medieval period. A glass bead (18E0552:07:1) was recovered from the upper fill (C07). This was a half-fragment and was analysed by Cecily Cropper.

The kiln had large angular stones placed at the eastern end of the bowl with some others close to the flue to the west showing signs of heat fracture. A small number of stones lined the sides of the flue, three on the south side and three, with small packing stones, lining the north side. On removal of the stones and basal fills, four post-holes (C32, C34, C40, and C45) forming a roughly square shape were revealed. Two of the post-holes (C32 and C40) were cut into the north side and two (C34 and C45) were cut into the south side of the kiln. The four post-holes are thought to have formed a frame for the superstructure of the kiln. Within the roughly square structure formed by the post-holes, three pits (C36, C38 & C42) were also excavated. The pits lay close to the neck of the flue within the bowl. Their purpose is unclear though it is thought they are contemporary with the kiln.
A C-shaped enclosing ditch (C03) surrounded the kiln with what appears to be an entrance, 2m wide, to the north. This ditch is likely to have been a means to keep water away from the kiln. A pit (C04) was cut into this ditch as well as the fill of the kiln flue. A linear feature (C18), orientated north–south, also cut the northern part of the western section of the enclosing ditch and extended further to the north.
A second curvilinear feature (C17) representing a small ditch or gully, was cut into the western enclosing ditch C03, possibly to provide additional drainage to the area. A spread of mottled silty clay (C05) with frequent pebbles, occasional charcoal and some flint debitage was also identified within the C-shaped ditch, just south of the possible entranceway, but its function and chronological relationship to the other features is unknown.

Only a very small portion of site works were carried out under the current phase of works, located along the southern extent of Field 1. No site works were carried out in the remainder of Field 1, or in Fields 2–6. The current phase of works for this site is now complete. There are no plans to carry out any more site works in the foreseeable future. A full geophysical survey of the entire development and a full programme of archaeological test trenching must be carried out in advance of any further development of the site, as required under the planning conditions for the site, and will require a new licence application.

Unit 21 Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co Louth