2026:085 - Carr's Lane, Belcamp, Dublin

Test excavations were carried out in March 2026 on a site off Carr’s Lane in Belcamp. The site was previously subject to a geophysical survey (25R0465). 16 test trenches, with a total length of 392.9m, were excavated across the site to target anomalies detected in the survey and to cover the area of a proposed development, in particular the circular anomaly M1. Trenches 10, 11 and 14 were excavated across the circular anomaly M1, but there was no evidence of this feature identified.

Some of the anomalies detected in the geophysical survey were identified as possible geological features, particularly in the area of Trenches 12 and 14, where the natural material was more compact and stonier. Several drains were also found in some of the trenches (Trenches 2, 3, 5, 7 and 8) and were likely associated with the house that currently occupies the site. In Trenches 2 and 5, cultivation furrows were found with modern ceramic and red brick present in their fills.

The topsoil ranged in depth across the site, and in some parts of the site, a layer of greyish-brown clay (C3) was found underneath the topsoil and above the natural. The natural ground was mainly a compact, mid-greyish-orange boulder clay with occasional small, subangular stones. In the southern part of the site, there were pockets of greyish-brown gravel/sand present in the natural.

No archaeological features were identified, and no artefacts were uncovered during the test excavation.