County: Kildare Site name: Garterfarm, Castledermot
Sites and Monuments Record No.: Vicinity of KD040-002-- Licence number: 23E0540
Author: Declan Moore
Site type: Urban fringe; no archaeology found
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 677919m, N 685487m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.914565, -6.841462
A programme of archaeological testing of a proposed housing development at Skenagun/Garterfarm, Castledermot, Co. Kildare was completed in July 2023. There are no recorded monuments within or in the immediate vicinity of the proposed development site. The nearest relevant recorded monument is KD040-002---, the town of Castledermot, the Zone of Notification for which is located roughly 50m to the east at its closest.
A geophysical survey was attempted at the site in May 2023 (licence: 23R0228) by Joanna Leigh. The ground conditions were not suitable for survey. The site is completely overgrown and very rough underfoot. A walkover survey with the instrumentation (Bartington GRAD 601) in scan mode was attempted and significant magnetic disturbance in the western half of the site was noted, most likely resulting from modern services. In the eastern half of the site, modern ferrous anomalies were noted, suggesting much of the site comprises of modern magnetic disturbance. This was deemed unsuitable for survey.
Archaeological testing at the site was carried out in bright conditions on 19 July 2023. The author excavated 7 test trenches.
The site comprises an area of recolonised undulating overgrown waste ground and is bordered by recently constructed housing and/or roads on all sides. The site is overgrown for the most part with areas of gravel at the northern end where an access road had been previously constructed. The site is divided by an unnamed stream.
At the eastern side of the stream, trenches 2-7 produced consistent results. The stratigraphy exposed was a 150-400mm deep layer of a mid-brown sandy topsoil and sod overlying a deposit comprising modern building rubble and general detritus over a yellow to brown sandy silty natural subsoil. Trench 1, at the western side of the watercourse, was undisturbed at the southern end with topsoil and sod overlying natural subsoil at a depth of 100mm to 200mm. At the northern end modern building rubble and service trenches were observed. Throughout the site significance disturbance was noted. The site has been previously topsoil stripped in parts, modern pits excavated, and general building rubble deposited.
Nothing of archaeological significance was noted during the testing.
3 Gort na Rí, Athenry, Co. Galway
