Archaeological Excavation Phase 1 St Joseph's, Clonsilla, Dublin 1 5
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Archaeological Excavation Phase 1 St Joseph's, Clonsilla, Dublin 1 5 GIACOMETTI & GARAHY 29/1 1 /201 9 1 9E0457 FW1 7A/0234 archaeology plan H E R I T A G E S O L U T I O N S PROJECT NAME St Joseph's, Clonsilla, Dublin 1 5 CLIENT Firth Developments Unlimited, Usher House, Main Street, Dundrum, Dublin 1 4 PLANNING FW1 7A/0234 LICENCE 1 9E0457 REPORT AUTHORS Antoine Giacometti MA MIAI Níall Garahy MA MIAI Philippa Barry MA MIAI DATE 29th November 201 9 PROJECT REF AP1 71 3 PROJECT TEAM Antoine Giacometti Níall Garahy Christina Hughes Philippa Barry Jose Siles Síobhan Ruddy Ruadhri O Maolagain Lisa O'Rourke Muiris Wade Charlotte Gaillon Brandon Walsh ARCHAEOLOGICAL PLANNING CONSULTANCY ARCHAEOLOGICAL ASSESSMENTS CULTURAL HERITAGE STATEMENTS archaeology plan 32 fitzwilliam place dublin 2 tel 01 6761 373 mob 087 2497733 [email protected] www.archaeologyplan.com Table of Contents 1 Introduction 1 Report summary Site location Development and planning Archaeological potential 2 Archaeological Programme 6 Monitoring programme 1 9th century estate landscape 1 8th century structure Watercourses Artefacts from monitoring programme Area 1 Area 2 Area 3 Area 4 Area 5 Area 6 3 Discussion: The Clonsilla Pitfield 1 9 Bibliography 23 Appendices 24 Context Register Finds Register Sample Register Section 1 Introduction Report summary forward. Archaeological monitoring at Clonsilla in 2019 The remains of the 19th century demesne land- exposed the remains of a medieval field system scape of Clonsilla Lodge were also recorded as and a very unusual feature: rows of pits in one part of the monitoring. Phase 1 of the scheme of the medieval fields. Each pit was identical is now complete. (1.60m by 0.50m and 0.35m deep), and arranged in rows 6m apart, with each pit 6m from each other pit. The pits rows extended over an area Site location measuring at least 80m by 50m. The pits con- tained few artefacts other than small sherds of The site is situated in Clonsilla, Dublin 15. It is medieval pottery. This report defines the finding bounded by the Royal Canal to the south, the as a pitfield, and compares it to other pitfields in townland boundary with Barberstown to the County Roscommon. Various possible func- west, St Joseph’s Hospital to the northwest, and tions, including military or agricultural, are put the Hansfield (former Clonsilla to Clonee) road View of general monitoring programme, showing removal of topsoil down to natural subsoil 1 to the north and east. The site formerly formed Archaeological potential part of St Joseph’s Hospital Clonsilla, and be- fore that comprised the grounds of 19th Based on the results of the desktop assessment century Clonsilla Lodge and an adjacent field to and geophysical survey, a number of areas of the west. The site extends across c. 7.6 ha. It is archaeological and heritage interest were identi- also known as Zone 6 Hansfield SDZ Lands. fied. The site was in short grass prior to the archae- ological work starting. Prehistoric and medieval The development is situated 300m east of the site of a medieval church (St Mary’s RMP Development and planning DU013-017), which is possibly surrounded by an early medieval enclosure. This is a religious Planning permission has been granted (FCC foundation associated with the medieval Priory FW17A/0234 ) for a large residential develop- of Little Malvern, but there are suggestions ment at St Joseph’s, Clonsilla. The site has been from placename analysis and site inspection of the subject of an archaeological desktop study a pre-12th century foundation (Giacometti (by Antoine Giacometti dated 06/12/2017) and 2017). On this basis the presence of early medi- a Geophysical Survey (Joanna Leigh 19R0013), eval and medieval remains on the site was and archaeological monitoring was recommen- considered. However, the only large-scale fea- ded. tures identified on the geophysical survey were dated to the 19th or 20th century by comparis- on with historic maps, which suggests no Development plan and overall site layout 2 significant enclosures of pre-medieval date are has been recently disturbed and the overall ar- present within the site. chaeological potential of this feature within the site is very low. Historic watercourse in southeast corner A watercourse is depicted on the 1st Edition 18th century building 1837 OS map running from Hartstown south- An 18th century building is depicted by Rocque wards, under the Clonee-Clonsilla Road. It runs in the northeast of the site. This lies within the diagonally through the site and appears over- impact zone of road improvement works asso- ground from the gate lodge to the southern ciated with the development. Archaeological boundary, crossing the Royal Canal, and con- remains associated with 18th century or earlier necting with the waterways of Luttrellstown non-estate residential activity in the site would Demense. A number of mills are recorded in be archaeologically significant, as this is histor- the Civil Survey (mid-17th century) at Clonsilla, ically under-represented at Clonsilla. For this and this watercouse may represent the remains reason, this feature was tested as part of the of a former mill-race. The former watercourse overall monitoring programme. Recorded Monuments in vicinity of the site 3 Geophysical survey of the site by JM Leigh 19th century estate landscape construction of canals. Brickfields, for example, The 19th century estate landscape of Clonsilla grew out of the large excavations of clay, com- Lodge is recorded in the NIAH historic gardens bined with new opportunities to cheaply and designed landscape survey (ref DU-50-O- transport bricks. The site is, however, separated 043385). This was the estate of Patrick Geale from the canal by a deep ditch and high bank Esq. and family in the early-mid 19th century. that blocks the view. No industrial sites, remains The estate grounds are of heritage and archae- or material associated with the Royal Canal of ological interest, and the surviving woodlands at with its construction were identified during the the site boundaries are being retained where monitoring programme, with the possible ex- possible as a historic estate feature. The historic ception of a thick wedge of redeposited clay driveway and gate lodge are no longer present, laid down on the low-lying parts of the site, but the driveway was identified in the geophys- which may derive from the canal construction. ical survey and both were fully documented during the archaeological monitoring pro- Townland boundary gramme. The townland boundary between Clonsilla and Barberstown may be physically impacted upon Industrial Heritage & Royal Canal by this development. Townland boundaries fre- Archaeological remains in the southern half of quently run along boundaries established in the site may represent features associated with medieval or earlier periods, and can be archae- the use of the canal and towpath, or with the ologically significant. The size of this boundary, construction of the canal in c. 1800 AD. Indus- however, suggests it has been extensively modi- trial features are often associated with the fied in the 19th century. 4 Duncan 1 821 map NMI topographic files in vicinity of site Overview of archaeological potential Down Survey 1 91 0 Edition OS map 25-Inch Rocque's map, 1 760 5 Section 3 Archaeological Programme the canal to the south. One of the key findings Monitoring programme from the monitoring programme was the iden- tification of redeposited subsoil across the The area subject to archaeological monitoring entire site that was very thin in the higher comprised the former open ground of Clonsilla ground in the north, but reached up to c. 1m in Lodge. This was a large open area of aban- thickness to the south near the canal. This doned grassland enveloped by mature tree lines. wedge of material sealed the medieval features No visible archaeological features were identi- below, and was cut through by 19th century fea- fied during the site inspection. There was no tures. It comprised a sterile yellow silty-clay. It trace of the former 19th century driveway or likely formed from the redeposition of material gatehouse, or of the 18th century farmhouse. that was excavated during the construction of the canal. This was done to raise the surface A geophysical survey was carried out across the level above that of the canal. site in 2019 (Leigh 19R0013). This identified modern services and 19th century demesne fea- Six areas of archaeology were identified during tures (drains and a driveway). No earlier the monitoring (Areas 1-6). Another five pos- archaeological features were visible. sible archaeological features outside of these areas were investigated during the monitoring The site is located on land that gently sloped programme. None of these proved to be of ar- from a high point at St Joseph’s hospital (form- chaeological significance. The ditches forming ally Clonsilla Lodge) in the north, down towards the medieval field system extending north and 1 st Edition OS Map c. 1 830s 6 Rocque's map, 1 760, showing small structure inside northwest side of site west (three ditches in total) of Area 2 were Drains containing ceramic pipes were also iden- identified and also excavated during the general tified. Modern 20th century concrete drains monitoring works, and the findings are incor- were also identified. Both 19th and 20th century porated into the Area 2 report below. drains cut through the redeposited natural layer, supporting the idea that this layer was laid down in or around the 18th century during the con- 1 9th century estate landscape struction of the canal. As noted above, the 19th century estate land- scape of Clonsilla Lodge (NIAH historic gardens and designed landscape survey DU-50- O- 043385) belonged to Patrick Geale Esq.