Road - class 2 togher

The National Monuments Service's description

This site was located in the industrial peatlands of Toar Bog. It was recorded in the 2013 Re-assessment Peatland Survey as a substantial plank and gravel road, orientated NNW–SSE, and located in the drain face at six sightings across ten production fields (Whitaker 2014). Two cuttings, as well as a slot trench, were opened and excavated under licence 14E0294. A fragment of ash was chosen for AMS dating, as well as two additional pieces of alder and ash. They returned different dates ranging from Bronze Age to Iron Age, suggesting that the site was in use and/or reused over a long period of time. The site was situated in Sphagnum peats of varying degrees of humification and decomposition.

At the first cutting (WM-TOR064f, Photo 1) the upper surface of the trackway was composed of a mixture of split timbers (av. 2.19x0.25x0.12m), brushwood (av. L1.38m), pegs and fine sandy gravel. The split timbers were mainly oak though a single ash and single elm plank were also identified. The brushwood identified from this context was hazel. Underneath, a more ordered construction of split oak, alder and elm timbers (av. 2.07x0.13x0.09m), alder and holly brushwood (max. L0.81m), small stones and some natural wood was found. Several timbers contained mortice holes with intact in situ pegs. Over fifty pegs were found under this layer. These were mainly split oak pegs, as well as some roundwood pegs. They showed worked ends, with facets flat to concave in shape.

At the second cutting (WM-TOR064a, Photo 2) the trackway consisted of four layers (W1.83-3.46m). The first two layers were composed of N-S orientated alder roundwood, timbers and oak planks, as well as pegs. Peaty gravel and large stones were interspersed with the wood. The lower two layers consisted of transversely laid oak timbers and roundwood pegs. The timbers showed radial and tangential splits. Some mortice holes were noted.

An additional slot trench was excavated along the drain edge of Cutting 2. The upper surface of the togher (W3.2-3.65m) was composed of a mixture of brushwood, small stones and a single NE-SW orientated oak plank. Immediately underlying was a layer (W3.5-4.5m) containing split oak planks, wood fragments and coarse gravel and stones with associated pegs. The final layer was composed of fairly densely placed split oak and roundwood pegs, delineating the sides of the trackway. They were multi-faceted with mainly concave facets.

Compiled by: Jane Whitaker/Femke Vleeshouwer

Date of upload: 28/02/2020

References

Whitaker, J. 2017 Final Excavation Report, Toar, Co. Westmeath (14E0278–14E0296). Unpublished report prepared by IAC Ltd submitted to the National Monuments Service, Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.

Whitaker, J. 2014 Re‐assessment Peatland Survey 2013, Blackwater, Boora, Derrydreenagh, Mountdillon Group of Bogs, County Offaly, Longford, Westmeath and Roscommon. Unpublished report prepared by ADS for Bord na Móna.