2023:499 - 43-45 North Street, Castle Farm, Stewartstown, Tyrone

An archaeological desk-based assessment confirmed that the proposed development was located within an archaeological landscape with three SMR sites, 29 Industrial Heritage sites and 17 Listed Buildings located within a 1km study area of the proposed development area. The desktop survey identified a potential for archaeological activity and surviving sub-surface archaeological remains within the development site.

A mitigation strategy in the form of a Level 2 Historic Building Survey on the buildings within the site which were to be demolished as part of development work and archaeologically monitored topsoil stripping was proposed with the building survey carried out in October 2022 and the topsoil monitoring carried out in September 2023. The building survey confirmed that the two buildings at 43 – 45 North Street, Stewartstown and the associated outbuilding to the rear of the two properties were likely constructed during the early 19th century, with the resultant survey report representing a record of their structure and condition prior to demolition.

The topsoil across the site consisted of a silty loam with the subsoil formed from a silty clay. Towards the front of the site the topsoil was c.0.1-0.15m in depth with this depth increasing to c.0.3-0.4m towards the garden space.

The monitored topsoil removal within the site revealed a heavily disturbed subsoil which was likely the result of the phases of construction and demolition as noted on the historical maps. Investigation trenches were excavated at points across the proposed buildings footprint to confirm the fact that the upper portions of subsoil had been truncated. Given the level of disturbance and truncation it is probable that any archaeological materials which may have existed within the site have long since been destroyed. No archaeological materials uncovered.

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