2024:498 - Stokesquarter, Painestown, Killary and Ricetown, and Castletown K.P., Meath

Archaeological testing was undertaken in association with the Mill Farm solar Project, Navan, Co. Meath, following on from geophysical survey (24R0403). In addition to the recorded monument (ring-ditch ME012-057), a number of other archaeological and potentially archaeological features were identified across the site, including: 2 ringforts and associated internal features, 2 further ring-ditches, 2 possible early field boundaries, and extensive mill remains.

Including ME012-057, three ring-ditches were found across the site. Two of these were located on the crest of significant rises, while one was on a slight rise close to a river, but there likely would have been inter-visibility between all three. Feature 5 was a semi-circular anomaly on the geophysical survey, with a possible entrance to the east, and testing confirmed a shallow ditch, 1.18m wide x 0.32m deep. Feature 7/ME012-057 was visible as possible truncated remains, with a likely stone lining visible along the outside edges of the ring-ditch. Feature 21 was a small circular enclosure identified c. 55m to the southwest of a ringfort (Feature 8) with a width from 0.3-0.7m.

Two ringforts were identified. The remains of Feature 12 were visible to the west, though not to the east, and testing found a 1.64m wide trench. On its interior was Feature 13, which appeared to be the remains of a north-south stone wall with fill on either side of it, up to 1.6m across, and may represent an early field boundary which truncated the ringfort.

The second ringfort (Feature 18) showed two distinct phases of activity - an earlier bivallate ringfort with a rectangular enclosure attached to the exterior, and a later univallate ringfort which mostly overlaps the earlier site. Features 9-11, on the interior of Feature 8, indicate heavy use of the interior.

A possible early field boundary is visible associated with ME012-057/Feature 7. On the geophysical survey, it runs north-west/south-east to the north of the ring-ditch, before joining the east side of the ring-ditch and continuing to the south-west to the south of the ring-ditch.

A series of lines on the geophysical survey to the northeast of Feature 8 indicate a possible early field system, Feature 17. The tested Feature 17 aligns with Feature 19 (truncated by Feature 8), and may be part of the same field boundary.

The mill features included buildings floors, walls and wall remains, the remains of mill and tail races, and a possible paved surface. These remains are a mixture of late 19^th/early 20^th-century features and pre-mid-19^th-century features. Cartographic evidence, alongside the archaeological evidence, indicate that later structures were built over the footprint of earlier structures. It is possible that earlier mill remains may be found beneath these features.

In addition to the above features, a charcoal-rich pit and possible post-hole (Features 15 & 16) were identified isolated in a field in the southwest of the testing area.