2022:359 - Cartronplank, Sligo

The proposed development is in Cartronplank townland, which is south of Cliffoney village, Co. Sligo. The site is located along a minor road which provides access to a small number of private dwellings and farmland in a rural location with views south towards Benbulben and Benwiskin mountains. The development area consists of a cottage and numerous farm sheds and buildings to the rear. The proposed extension will be located to the front of the existing dwelling and will be within the front driveway/garden area. The percolation area and new septic tank are proposed for the small field to the west of the dwelling. Within this field there is a Court Tomb (SL002-018----). A Bullaun Stone (SL002-053----) is located close to the access point to the existing dwelling house and was brought to the site from elsewhere several years ago by the previous occupant of the cottage. No additional archaeological features, deposits or objects were noted within the proposed development area during the site inspection.
A programme of pre-development test trenching within in the proposed development area was undertaken. Testing took place on the 23rd of May 2022. Each test trench was mechanically excavated using a graded bucket 2.3m wide under strict archaeological supervision. A total of 7 parallel (where possible) test trenches were excavated at 5m intervals within the footprint of the proposed extension, in the percolation area and in the front access driveway. The total area excavated comprised 72.7m of trench. All trenches were excavated to the top of the natural subsoil. Depths of soil cover varied across the site with an average depth of 0.45m. The area to the front of the dwelling house had been filled with a mixture of soil and stone from elsewhere and had been levelled to form the front garden.
No deposits, features or material of an archaeological nature were noted in the Proposed Development Area during the test trenching works.

Cooldrumman Upper, Carney, Co. Sligo