Linear earthwork

The National Monuments Service's description

Located within the town of Ratoath, between the motte and bailey and the church. Archaeological monitoring (01E1173) by F. O’Carroll of the line of a sewer under the footpath (D c. 06.-1.6m) adjacent to the extended graveyard (ME044-034017-) and on the line of a new road constructed in 1795 identified a number of features including an open linear ditch (excavations.ie 2001: 1042). The layer of blue/grey compact earth beneath the road surface dips into a wide trench (Wth 1.8m plus) which was not bottomed (D 1m plus) but has straight sides. The large ditch appears to be running WNW-ESE and is aligned with a substantial WNW-ESE drain that is mapped c. 150m to the W and c. 100m to the E on the 1908 edition of the OS 6-inch map and which is still partly open. It is possible that this ditch marked the N boundary of the medieval settlement and that smaller cuts that appeared in the section are the boundaries of the burgage plots as recorded on the OS 6-inch maps. No artefacts were recovered from these features but post-medieval pottery was recorded from the closing layer of this larger ditch. (O’Carroll 2002, 11)

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 9 December 2021

O’Carroll, F. 2002 Archaeological monitoring at Kentstown Road, Ratoath, Co. Meath. Licence No. 01E1173. Unpublished report, CRDS