House - 17th century

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on the top and W-facing slope of a slight rise of bedrock in a gently undulating landscape. A geophysical survey (11R0049) of an extensive area (c. 10 ha) in Alaxander Reid and Bailis townlands by J. M. Leigh identified five potential archaeological areas. Targeted archaeological testing (11E0240) by F. Walsh (2015) demonstrated that three were relatively modern features (excavations.ie 2011:467) but structures in Area A and an enigmatic enclosure in Area D required closer scrutiny. In Area A the testing identified the remains of a post-medieval plot with at least one building. The area was further excavated (16E0449) by S. McGlade (excavationis.ie 2019:476) in 2017 when elements of a medieval field system (ME025-095004-), a post-medieval house-site (ME025-095001-), water cisterns (ME025-095002-), and a corn-drying kiln (ME025-095003-) were recorded in a relatively small area (dims c. 60m N-S; c. 60m E-W). From the artefacts recovered the house would seem to have been abandoned and the landscape levelled off by c. 1720. (McGlade and Ruddy 2019)

The house was a D-shaped structure (ext. dims 6m NE-SW; c. 5.5m NW-SE) defined by clay walls (Wth c. 0.7-0.8m) and it was situated at the crest of the rise. It had two rooms with a NE-SW dividing wall, and the rooms were distinguished as a beaten clay floor over bedrock in the SE (dims 6m x 2.2m) chamber and as a foundation trench with a high lime content in the NW room. No doorways were recognised but a hearth with edging stones was against the NW wall of the SE room. The clay floor contained post-medieval ceramics, glass and a coin identified as an Angel of Charles I dating 1625-1649 that had a value of ten shillings. There was a cobbled area (dims c. 4.5m x c. 4.5m) about 3m NE of the house. The terminal of a ditch which yielded one medieval and several post-medieval pottery sherds was just SW of the house. An oval pit (dims 7.06m NE-SW; 1.67m NW-SE; D 0.65m) with fragments of brick in its fill had been cut to provide a foundation for a double-faced L-shaped wall (L 1.93m; Wth 1.12m; H 0.52m). This was bonded with clay mortar and was complete as both ends were also faced. A trench (L 3m plus) extending NE in line with the wall yielded a bone button, a small iron key, a clay-pipe stem and post-medieval potsherds. These features, together with deposits of stone in natural hollows, indicate that the area was deliberately cleared of structures at a subsequent time, probably to facilitate commercial cereal growing. (McGlade and Ruddy 2019, 19-24)

See the attached plans from McGlade and Ruddy 2019 (figs P 33, 20) _01 site plan; _02 house plan

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 13 April, 2023

McGlade, S. and Ruddy, S. 2019 Excavation of Site A, Bailis, & Monitoring Alexander Reid, Navan. Licence: 16E0449. Unpublished report, Archaeology Plan
Walsh, F. 2015 Archaeological Assessment at Athlumney, Co. Meath. Licence: 11E0240. Unpublished report, Irish Archaeological Consultancy