County: Wicklow Site name: Riverview, Rathdrum
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: Unlicensed Monitoring
Author: Greace Fegan, Shanarc Archaeology Ltd.
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 719038m, N 688564m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.934674, -6.229220
Unlicensed archaeological monitoring of topsoil stripping associated with the provision of a housing development at Riverview, Rathdrum, Co. Wicklow was carried out in accordance with the conditions of Wicklow County Council planning reference 16/92.
The development site is located in the townland of Rathdrum in east Co. Wicklow. The site is situated approximately 300m north of the centre of Rathdrum village, between the R752 to the west and a bend in the Avonmore River to the east. The proposed development comprises the construction of nine detached 2-storey dwellings, a riverside walkway, landscaping and associated site development works. The area in which the housing units are to be located, in the western part of the wider development site, fronting the R752 and backed by an existing road to a pumping station, was subject to topsoil stripping under archaeological supervision.
Archaeological monitoring of the footprint of the permitted housing units and an associated access road was carried out on 21 and 22 July 2021.
No archaeological features, finds or deposits were identified during archaeological monitoring. The only evidence of cultural heritage activity in the monitored area comprised a shallow ditch running east-west representing the line of a removed field boundary.
At the time of archaeological monitoring of the proposed housing area, works in the open space landscaped area and biodiversity area to the east of the existing pumping station access road had not yet commenced. Any potential further groundworks associated with the proposed riverside walkway or landscaping carried out under planning ref. 16/92 will require a further programme of archaeological monitoring in compliance with Condition 14 of the grant of planning.
Unit 39a, Hebron Business Park, Hebron Road, Kilkenny
