County: Meath Site name: Dowth
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 18E0667
Author: Clíodhna Ní Lionáin
Site type: Monitoring programme - prehistoric lithics
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 702650m, N 773755m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.703387, -6.445327
A programme of monitoring was undertaken on the Devenish Lands at Dowth from 27th February 2019 – 2nd December 2020). The monitored groundworks included the installation of 1.8km of farm tracks and paths, the installation of a small run-off collection tank, the creation of raised beds and paths in the estate’s walled garden, and the installation of services at the Netterville Institute, which was recently reincorporated into the estate. A metal-detecting programme (Detection Licence 18R0242) was also undertaken due to the proximity of some of the farm tracks (Glebe Fields) to a deserted medieval village (ME020-082----), but no non-modern metal artefacts were recovered.
During the monitoring programme, potential archaeological deposits were only encountered in one area – Track A2 of the westernmost Glebe Field. A small spread (F1: 1.2m east-west x 1m) of grey, silty clay, with fire-affected stones, flint, and bone inclusions, was recorded. To the south of the spread, there was a greyish-brown soil (F2), with flint inclusions. The recovery of lithics from both deposits indicates prehistoric activity in the vicinity. As the deposits were at a lower level than the maximum depth required for the track, they were covered with geotextile and preserved in situ.
Monitoring in the Walled Garden revealed its interior to be significantly disturbed. While no in situ archaeological deposits or features were identified, the presence of stone spreads and two large stone concretions could indicate that there was once a monument in the vicinity. This appears to be confirmed by the presence of a small, elongated, stone mound to the north of the garden’s north-east corner, which appears to be a modern folly reusing material from a destroyed prehistoric monument.
The monitoring of five service trenches at the Netterville Institute has revealed significant modern (21st century) disturbance to the north, south, and east of the house. In particular, Trench 4 to the north of the house revealed significant disturbance where the original ground surface appears to have been excavated and backfilled with modern building material and rubbish.
Devenish, Dowth Hall, Co. Meath
