Road - class 3 togher

The National Monuments Service's description

A peatland survey carried out in 2006 by Archaeological Development Services recorded a togher measuring in ‘width 0.4-2.5m, depth 0.1-0.3m, length 15m, dated after 1004BC’ (Whitaker 2006, 101). Described by Whitaker (2006, 101) as ‘this togher was located at the western edge of the bog and was visible, in the drain faces, at three sightings. It was orientated east-northeast/west-southwest and was composed of longitudinally laid planks, with gravel at the westernmost sighting. The sightings TS-LFP002a and TSLFP002b are described together, as they were located on the western and eastern drain faces of the same drain.
TS-LFP002a, 221861, 161465, Width 1.05m, Depth 0.3m TS-LFP002b, 221862,161464, Width 2.5m, Depth 0.2m. As mentioned above, these sightings were located in opposing drain faces, 0.3m and 0.57m below the field surface respectively. The togher was composed of six longitudinally laid planks that had a fine layer of sand and gravel above and below the planks. They were regularly laid and orientated west-northwest/east-southeast, with the exception of the plank on the southern side of the sighting, which was orientated northeast-southwest. The wood was in a moderate state of preservation and was densely laid, with 0.05 to 0.1m between planks. The sighting TS-LFP002a was composed exclusively of small degraded stones and gravel that measured 1.1m in length and 0.1m in depth. The peat was composed of well-humified Sphagnum-rich peat with frequent reed material and moderate Eriophorum inclusions. TS-LFP002c, 221877,161482, Width 0.4m, Depth 0.1m. This sighting was located 15m northwest of TS-LFP002b in the drain face, 0.73m below the field surface. It was composed of a single roundwood and a small plank. They were in a moderate state of preservation and were
orientated east-west. The roundwood measured 0.12m in diameter and the plank measured 0.14m in width by 0.1m in depth. The peat was composed of moderately humified Sphagnum-rich neat with moderate Eriophorum inclusions’.

Compiled by: Caimin O’Brien

Date of upload: 19 August 2012

References

Whitaker, J. 2007 Peatland Survey 2006 Littleton Group of Bogs, Counties Tipperary, Kilkenny and Laois. Unpublished report, DOEHLG, National Monuments Service.