County: Down Site name: Crobane
Sites and Monuments Record No.: Proximity to DOW047:057 Licence number: AE/23/007
Author: Eoin Halpin
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: Undetermined
ITM: E 711874m, N 827658m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.185653, -6.285951
The proposed replacement dwelling development at No 8 Crohill Road, Crobane, Newry, Co. Down consisted of the construction of a detatched dwelling, with associated access and services.
Historic Environment Division (HED) noted in their planning response the proximity of an enclosure, DOW047:057, recorded as Site of Fort on the Ordnance Survey map of 1860. From a site visit by the Archaeological Survey in the 1990s and the follow-up site visit as part of the present archaeological programme of works, it is highly likely that this enclosure is an example of an early medieval rath or farmstead. Although the present development was located away from the site of the enclosure, it was possible that some associated features and or deposits may have survived within the subject site and the construction of foundations, service lines and access might have negatively impacted on such remains, should they have survived.
A phase of archaeological testing was proposed, to take the form of the machine excavation of six test trenches, three placed to address the possibility of the enclosure ditch extending into the subject and site three to cover the footprint of the house and percolation area.
In this instance the proposed developer wished to confirm the presence or absence of significant archaeology within the site, prior to committing to the project. As such it was proposed to undertake this phase of archaeological testing as a method of archaeological characterization. It was agreed with HED that were significant archaeological deposits to be uncovered in the course of the testing they would be planned and recorded and that HED was to be immediately notified, with the trenches only be backfilled with formal approval from HED.
The testing was undertaken on 6 February 2023, which consisted of the machine-excavation of six test trenches located so as to test the entire footprint of the development . Nothing of archaeological significance was uncovered in any of the trenches.
AHC Ltd 36 Ballywillwill Road, Castlewellan Co Down BT31 9LF
