2019:534 - Copper Alley, Dublin, Dublin

Monitoring and subsequent archaeological excavations took place associated with the restoration/refurbishment of the existing Parliament Hotel at 16/18 Lord Edward Street and the redevelopment of the commonly known ‘Fashion House’ building at 18 Exchange Street Upper. The work commenced on 13 June 2018 and continued until January 2019.

The site of the proposed development is located within the core of Medieval Dublin (DU018-020). The site of the former Fashion House at 18 Exchange Street Upper also contains DU018-020117, which is recorded as being the site of ‘Preston’s Inn’, believed to have been demolished in 1534. The lane to the south of the former Fashion House is currently known as Copper Alley but was formerly known as Preston’s Lane. The site was divided into seven areas. Areas 1-4 were located north of Copper Alley and Areas 5-7 were located south of Copper Alley.

Area 1 predominantly contained the remains of various walls that superseded each other from the late medieval through to the modern period and these walls were largely sealed by post-medieval garden soils and post-medieval backfill/rubble. The most notable feature in Area 1 was House 3. This was a late medieval structure dated from the 16th century - 1650. It probably represents the remains of DU018-020117 (site of an Inn, named Preston’s Inn). These walls and stone-built steps were located within and directly above preserved medieval garden soils that contain medieval pottery (12th-15th century). Two sherds of pottery dated to the 16th century were also recovered from this layer.

Area 2 predominantly contained the remains of House 1 and represented the remnants of a probable Dutch Billy (1666-1760). Additional features identified included a sandy deposit, a paved surface, a possible bricked-up fireplace and flagstones. House 1 consisted of the truncated remains of what appeared to be the rear part of a house that once fronted on to Copper Alley.

Area 3 contained the remains of two basements. These were identified after the demolition of the Fashion House during the initial ground reduction works. They were late Victorian/Edwardian brick-and stone-built basements associated with the Fashion House. The two basements had brick-built vaulted ceilings and were aligned roughly east–west along the northern side of Copper Alley.

Area 4 predominantly contained the remains of House 2 and also represented the remnants of a probable Dutch Billy (1666-1760). Associated internal features were also identified as a possible bread oven, a chimney flue, an arched fireplace and associated soot layer. House 2 was located in the middle of House 1 and House 3, and appeared to be more intact and consisted of two clearly defined rooms. Room 1 was located to the north and Room 2 was located to the south. The dividing wall between these rooms contained the possible bread oven (C70) and the brick-built arched fireplace (C86). The construction of the fireplace and the walls of this building, which were of red brick type and proportions, suggested that these are houses which once formed part of a terrace of buildings.

Area 5 was located south of Copper Alley. It consisted of an area of ground reduction associated with the underpinning of the western external wall of the Parliament Hotel at 16/18 Lord Edward Street. No features of archaeological significance were identified.

Areas 6 and 7 were located within the basement of the Parliament Hotel, south of Copper Alley. Further floor surfaces and wall lines of two/three possible structures were recorded. The date of these structures is uncertain but they were either Georgian or Victorian in date (18th-20th century). Unlike the houses recorded under the Fashion House/18 Exchange Street, because of the depth of the hotel’s basement, these wall lines and floor levels were all heavily truncated and in places only present as the base of walls/foundations.

Artefacts recovered from this excavation were consistent with what you would expect to find on all urban sites and largely consisted of pottery (480 sherds) and clay pipe fragments (245). The majority of these artefacts were recovered from rubble deposits/reclamation deposits/garden soils. The pottery was predominantly post-medieval in date and included earthenwares and slipwares. This pottery ranged in date from 15th-16th century (Merida-type), 16th century (Beauvais earthenware, German earthenware, Valencian Lustreware, Columbia Plain), Early 18th century (Seville Coarseware), 17th-mid 18th century (North Devon Gravel tempered ware, North Devon sgraffitto ware, Staffordshire type slipware, black, red and tin glazed earthenware), mid-18th - early 19th century (creamware, pearlware), 19th century (stoneware, glazed white earthenware), late 18th-early 19th century (porcelain) and 18th-20th century (miscellaneous wares and brick). Medieval pottery (late 12th-15th century) was recovered in much smaller quantities and largely included local wares (Dublin-type ware, Dublin-type cooking ware, Dublin-type fineware, Leinster Cooking Ware) with a smaller quantity of imported wares (Saintonge mottled green, Medieval French, Ham Green/Bristol/Minety) also identified. A substantial quantity of clay pipes (119 stem fragments and 126 bowls) was recovered from this site and was integral for dating and interpreting this site.

After the excavations and monitoring of ground reduction works within the basement of the Parliament Hotel/16/18 Lord Edward Street and the redevelopment of the Fashion House building at 18 Exchange Street Upper, the piling works were also monitored. This identified no further evidence of any archaeological features or deposits. Monitoring of the remaining ground reduction works within the site concluded in January of 2019. No further archaeological features and deposits were recorded and it is therefore recommended that the construction of the development proceed without any further archaeological requirements.

Archaeological Consultancy Services Unit, Unit 21, Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co Louth