2024:327 - Lake, Bridgetown, Wexford

Archaeological test excavation entailed the mechanical excavation of 5 test trenches amounting to a total of 320 linear metres. All test trenches were excavated with the use of a flat edged grading bucket to a width of c. 1.5m. All test trenches were excavated to the surface of the underlying natural subsoil.

The topsoil consisted of a pale grey-brown silty clay, while the underlying natural subsoil was a grey to yellow (mainly yellow) compact silty sand with frequent small stone inclusions, both decayed and undecayed. Some occasional partially decayed roots resided within the topsoil, which demonstrated sporadic scrub locations in this poorly drained soil.

No subsurface archaeology – features, deposits, artefacts or structures were encountered within the test trenches. The shallow remains of field boundary ditches were encountered and traversed by the test trenches at three locations ITM 699518 609626; 699549 609655; and 699537 609678. These correspond with those noted on the first edition six inch and first edition twenty-five inch Ordnance Survey Maps. They were 0.8m to 1.3m in width and between 0.03m and 0.13m in depth. This most likely endows them with a 19^th-century date.