County: Kildare Site name: Ardclough, Celbridge
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 22E0267
Author: Maeve McCormick
Site type: Curvilinear ditch and pits
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 696541m, N 731556m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.325446, -6.550811
Test excavation was undertaken on lands at Ardclough Road, Celbridge, Co. Kildare on 28-29 April 2022. A total of 7 test trenches with a combined length of 475 linear metres were proposed (997 m sq.m, c. 7% of the 1.37ha site). The trenches were targeted on assessing the archaeological potential of the geophysical survey results (22R0042) and of the general area.
Adjustments were made to the agreed test trench layout in order to further investigate the archaeology; namely an extension to Trench 6 and an extra trench, Trench no. 8. Several furrows or shallow ditches were recorded throughout the trenches. Generally orientated along earlier field boundaries seen on the 1st edition OS map and no longer extant, these features were considered to be relatively modern and not archaeologically significant. The north-western ends of trenches were located in a scrubby area characterised by gorse bushes and a slight elevation from the rest of the field. A deposit of stone and subsoil was exposed c. 0.1m below the sod. This material apparently was introduced from construction works elsewhere and may account for the slight rise in the field. The curvilinear ditch (F1) was initially identified during geophysical survey (22R0042). Test excavation has confirmed the archaeological nature of this feature. A box section excavated through this ditch recorded dimensions of 3m wide by 1.43m in depth. The profile of the ditch was V shaped and fragments of animal bones were noted in the lower fills. However, the south-eastern continuation of this ditch was not recorded in the course of either the geophysical survey or test excavation. Consequently, it is not currently possible to state with certainty whether the recorded archaeological features represent a full enclosure. It is notable, however, that the lower levels of the ditch were inundated with water upon excavation. This indicates high potential for the survival of organic remains within lower levels of the ditch.
Further to the south-east lay two features, F6 and F8, both of which extended beyond the test trench, are likely to represent pits.
Archer Heritage Planning, 8 Beat Centre, Stephenstown, Balbriggan, Co. Dublin.
