2025:167 - Broomfield West, Midleton, Cork

Test excavation was undertaken on 23rd and 24 June 2025 in lands at Broomfield West, Midleton, Co. Cork. Eleven test trenches, comprising 915 linear metres, were excavated (1922 sq m, 10.4% coverage of total available space) by mechanical excavator.

The exposed subsoil consisted of a compact brown sandy clay. The subsoil consisted of light orange silty clay with frequent angular and sub-angular stones. The trenches varied in depth from 0.3 to 0.7m.

A geophysical survey took place within the subject area carried out by J. M. Leigh Surveys Ltd. under licence No 25R0052. The survey located a variety of magnetic anomalies. None of these are related to possible archaeological features. The results from this survey indicated the presence of the following:

• An east-west aligned service pipe (2) in the north part of the site.
• An area of magnetic disturbance (1) due to adjacent buildings to the north.
• A faint rectilinear area of magnetic disturbance (3) to the south of the service pipe. This is considered to be of modern origin and is typical of rubble remains.
• A faint liner trend (4) extending to the west from the faint rectilinear area of magnetic disturbance. Likely to be a former field boundary.
• Another trend (5) may represent the ploughed-out remains of former field boundaries. No clear archaeological interpretation can be provided.

The test trenches were excavated at locations previously agreed with the DHLGH and positioned regularly across the site. The areas of magnetic disturbance 1 and 2 were indiscernible within the excavated trenches, while the area of disturbance marked as 3 proved to be c.0.4m of made ground residing over original topsoil. The magnetic trends 4 and 5 were indiscernible in all the locations where the test trenches crossed through them.

No archaeological sites, features or finds were discovered during works.