2018:003 - Ratoath, Meath

Testing was carried out on behalf of Toby Developments Ltd. in response to condition 5 of a grant of planning from Meath County Council under Planning Register No. RA/170575 relating to a proposed residential development.

The proposed development site is located on the south side of the Dunshaughlin Road, on the west side of Ratoath village, Co. Meath and lies within the zone of archaeological potential for the historic town (ME044-034). The proposed development comprised demolishing an existing house on the site and building two new houses.

Testing took place over two days from 15 January 2018 and resulted in the discovery of a series of linear features, a large shallow pit and spread of soil all thought to represent medieval activity. The linear features are likely to have functioned as drains and possibly the larger one (C6) as a property boundary/drainage feature. The majority of the features contained material of archaeological interest. Animal bone and medieval pottery were recovered from many of the contexts.

The linear features fall into two groups. The first are oriented north-east/south-west (C6, C24 and C22) and are in line with the existing property boundaries, and those indicated on the first edition OS mapping which are characteristic of medieval burgage plots. Based on finds recovered, these features appear to date to the medieval period. The second group are oriented north-west/south-east (C17, C19, C14 and C25) and they may have fed into the other drainage features. No finds were recovered from any of these features, however the similarities in the fills, particularly C17 and C25, would suggest they also belong to the phase of medieval activity.

Courtney Deery Heritage Consultancy, Lynwood House, Ballinteer Road, Dublin 16