County: Wicklow Site name: Granabeg Upper
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 23E0373
Author: Maeve McCormick, Archer Heritage Planning Ltd
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 700039m, N 703518m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.072901, -6.507102
Test excavation was undertaken on 25 May 2023 at Granabeg Upper, Co. Wicklow. The site is heavily overgrown with self-seeded trees and is located in close proximity to Wicklow Mountains Special Protection Area/Area of Conservation which resulted in a significant reduction of area which can be tested due to nesting birds. As a result 5 trenches were excavated totalling 225 linear metres.
Topsoil & sod is a dark brown waterlogged humic layer with frequent large stones. Across the site this layer measures from 0.05-0.25m deep. A second B Horizon was also noted in all trenches. It is a waterlogged, acidic, humic soil similar to bog turf with frequent large stones which measured 0.1-0.3m deep. Across the site subsoil was recorded as a bright orange-yellow, friable and gritty clay with frequent large stones and patches of shallow bedrock. The subsoil varied in depth from exposed bedrock to 0.9m deep.
Nothing of archaeological significance was uncovered during test excavations.
Unit 1 Tenure Business Park, Monasterboice, Co. Louth
