County: Meath Site name: Colp West, Drogheda
Sites and Monuments Record No.: Proximity to ME021-011001-, ME021-011002-& ME021-016- Licence number: 18E0089
Author: Liam Coen, c/o Archer Heritage Planning
Site type: Testing
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 712135m, N 774578m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.708830, -6.301442
A total of eighteen test trenches were excavated across the site, targeted to assess the general potential of the location of the proposed development as well as anomalies highlighted in two geophysical surveys undertaken by Target Geophysics, Detection licence nos 09R0057 and 18R0011. The remains of several earlier field boundaries or drains were identified throughout the site but only three were deemed worthy of further attention due to their identification on the geophysical surveys of the site and proximity to the enclosure, ME021-011002-.
Three areas of interest were identified. In Area 1, Trench #18, a shallow (0.12m deep x 0.85m wide) east-west running ditch contained mid-brown stoney silty clay. In Area 2, Trench #17, a deeper (0.35m deep x 0.9m wide) east-west running ditch containing a similar fill may be part of the same feature and they appear to correspond to feature #3 identified in the geophysical report. The geophysical report indicates a linear feature of over 100m in length in this area.
In Area 3, Trench #17C, a north-south running ditch (0.4m deep x 1.3m wide) contained a greyish-brown stoney silty clay and appears to be part of a series of features that may be a field system or an annex associated with the enclosure, ME021-011002-. This feature was highlighted in the geophysical report as feature #9. An excavation cutting of c. 75m x 15m encompassing Areas 1 and 2 and an excavation cutting of c. 22m x 12m for Area 3 are proposed.
8 Beat Centre, Stephenstown, Balbriggan, Co. Dublin.
