2019:463 - WILLIAMSTOWN (Gaultiere By.), Waterford
County: Waterford
Site name: WILLIAMSTOWN (Gaultiere By.)
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A
Licence number: 19E0143
Author: Bruce Sutton of Rubicon Heritage Ltd.
Author/Organisation Address: Unit 2 Europa Enterprise Park, Midleton, Co. Cork P25 TV25
Site type: Field boundary, Cultivation ridges and Pit
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 661822m, N 610040m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.238618, -7.094836
Test excavations were carried out in advance of a planning application for a proposed housing development at Williamstown, Waterford City, Co. Waterford (Planning File Ref: 18/716). The development comprises Phase 1 of a housing scheme. Planning consent was sought for the construction of 84 units, consisting of detached, semi-detached three- and four-bedroomed, two-storey houses together with the associated site development works. The site is bordered to the south by the Waterford Outer Ring Road and covers an area of 4.105 hectares.
A Geophysical Survey (Fluxgate Magnetometry) was undertaken in January 2019 (Licence No 19R0031). The area subject to survey measured approximately 4.1 ha. The survey identified geophysical anomalies that have a moderate-to-high potential of representing buried archaeological features.
Targeted test trenching of the proposed development site was carried out on 19 and 20 March 2019. Two linear field boundaries, agricultural furrows and one potential archaeological feature were recorded. The potential archaeological feature was fully excavated and contained a flint pebble scraper.