County: Meath Site name: Station Road, Castlefarm, Dunboyne
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 19E0525
Author: Steven McGlade
Site type: No archaeology identified
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 702325m, N 741690m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.415400, -6.460741
A site off Station Road, Dunboyne, was archaeologically monitored intermittently throughout 2020. A geophysical survey was carried out on the site by Joanna Leigh in 2019 (19R0197). A number of indistinct anomalies were noted, however the interpretation urged caution in interpreting these as archaeological in nature.
Two phases of agricultural field boundaries and drainage were revealed within the site. The existing field system appears to have been in place in the 19th century, and several ditches depicted on the 1830s Ordnance Survey map were identified during the monitoring works. An earlier field system, possibly dating to the 17th century, was also uncovered. Brick was retrieved from one of the earliest ditches indicating that all the ditches and drainage features were post-medieval in date. Two waste pits of unknown date were excavated. One of these was truncated by one of the probable 17th-century ditches, indicating they predated this phase of field layout. The pits contained charcoal-rich layers, however no in situ burning was noted. There was nothing to indicate that these pits were not for agricultural waste disposal.
No archaeology was uncovered during the topsoil stripping and no further archaeological work is recommended.
Archaeology Plan, 32 Fitzwilliam Place, Dublin 2
