Archaeological Impact Assessment Coastal Landfill site, Bray … · 2018. 10. 26. · Fi gur e 5: Ext r act f r om pr oj ect dr awi ng showi ng sect i on-vi ew of pr oposed wor ks

Archaeological Impact Assessment Coastal Landfill site, Bray

Cork Great, Co. Dublin and Bray Commons, Co. Wicklow

Archaeological Impact Assessment Coastal Landfill site, Bray

Cork Great, Co. Dublin and Bray Commons, Co. Wicklow

27 April 2017

Project Director Niall Brady

Beverley Studios, Church Terrace, Bray, Co. Wicklow www.adco-ie.com

CONTENTS

Abbr evi at i ons

LI ST OF FI GURES 1

LI ST OF PLATES 1

EXECUTI VE SUMMARY 3

1. 0 I NTRODUCTI ON 5

2. 0 PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT 5

3. 0 RECEI VI NG ENVI RONMENT 5

4. 0 FI ELD I NSPECTI ON 9

5. 0 TRI AL PI T LOGS 9

6. 0 I MPACTS 10

7. 0 RECOMMENDATI ONS 10

FI GURES AND PLATES

Abbr evi at i ons

ADCO The Archaeological Diving Company Ltd AIA Archaeological Impact Assessment CD Chart Datum DCHG Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht DLRCC Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council E Easting EIS Environmental Impact Statement HS Hydrographic Surveys Ltd MHW Mean High Water N Northing NGR National Grid Reference NIAH National Inventory of Architectural Heritage NMS National Monuments Service SMR Sites and Monuments Record UAIA Underwater Archaeological Impact Assessment

Desktop and walkover inspection Bray, Coastal Landfill site AIA Cork Great and Bray Commons townlands

A D C O 1

LI ST OF FI GURES

Fi gur e 1: Location map.

Fi gur e 2: Pr oj ect dr awi ng showi ng ext ent of pr oposed wor ks.

Fi gur e 3: Locat i on of cul t ur al her i t age s i t es wi t hi n t he v i c i ni t y of t he pr oposed wor ks .

Fi gur e 4: Sat el l i t e i mage of t he f or eshor e wi t h ext ent of t he anci ent f or est , based on obser vat i ons i n 1999 and 2001, and appr oxi mat e l ocat i on of pr oposed devel opment .

Fi gur e 5: Ext r act f r om pr oj ect dr awi ng showi ng sect i on-vi ew of pr oposed wor ks.

LI ST OF PLATES

Pl at e 1: Vi ew l ooki ng sout h acr oss t op of l andf i l l s i t e,

showi ng undul at i ng nat ur e of veget at e cover .

Pl at e 2: Vi ew of c l i f f f ace showi ng exposed nat ur e of

er odi ng l andf i l l deposi t .

Pl at e 3: Vi ew l ooki ng Sout h acr oss i nt er t i dal f or eshor e, showi ng band of sand and cobbl e i nshor e and cobbl e

st or m beach mar ki ng t he Low Wat er l i ne .

Pl at e 4: Vi ew l ooki ng Sout h al ong t he l i ne of t he sur vi v i ng

r ai l way wal l base.

Pl at e 5: Vi ew l ooki ng West showi ng an el evat i on per spect i ve of t he base of t he r ai l way wal l , and t he er odi ng

c l i f f f ace i n t he di st ance .

Pl at e 6: Vi ew l ooki ng at t he base of t he r ai l way wal l showi ng evi dence f or t i mber shut t er i ng on t he

wal l ’ s seawar d s i de.

Pl at e 7: View looking towards the remains of a granite-built structure that is associated with the former rail line and extends westwards to the landfill.

Pl at e 8: Detail view of built structure

Pl at e 9: View of timber bough from ancient forest lying covered in beach shingle and cobble at the Low Water Mark

Pl at e 10: View of mud/silt level exposed beneath the covering shingle and infused with organic remains of former forest elements

Pl at e 11: View of timber bough from ancient forest lying exposed in beach shingle and cobble

Pl at e 12: View from top of railway wall looking at ancient forest timber that the


A D C O 2

wall is built on top of.

Pl at e 13: View of ancient forest tree stump exposed in run-off channel inshore of the railway wall and close to the standing granite structure

Pl at e 14: View of ancient forest tree stump inshore of the railway wall and close to the cliff face.

Pl at e 15: Plot showing location of trial pits cut to assess the nature of the substrate.


A D C O 3

Execut i ve Summar y

To the south of Woodbrook Golf Club, the cliff shoreline is eroding, exposing a former

landfill site that is considered to be an historic unregulated landfill. Longterm coastal

erosion protection measures are recommended. The Archaeological Diving Company

Ltd (ADCO) was appointed by Malachy Walsh and Partners to carry out an

Archaeological Impact Assessment as part of a wider impact assessment of coastal

defence proposals at the landfill site. The archaeological work is based on a desktop

review and a walkover site inspection.

The proposal to defend the section of coastline is to use a rock or concrete unit

armoured revetment slope with a mean rock armour size of 3 tons across a length of

approximately 300m of coastline.

Historic mapping provides a useful guide to the extent of coastal retreat experienced

here.

The known archaeological record is informed by the Sites and Monuments Record

and the Historic Shipwreck Inventory, which highlight the former presence of a

Martello Tower outside the development area to the north. The route of the

nineteenth-century railway line lay to the east, while other records reveal the presence

of an ancient forest whose remains also extend across the intertidal foreshore.

Walkover inspection confirmed the presence of the former railway wall and elements

of the former woodland over which the current shoreline with its storm beach lies. The

top of the sea-cliff, in contrast, is undulating grass-covered earth, presumably burying

the former dump site.

A series of machine-excavated test-pit logs were made available for consideration.

Beneath a surface level of beach cobble and sand is a stratum of clayey silts and

clayey sands. No record of timber was identified.

The construction plan for coastal protection will be to excavate the sea-edge of the top

of the sea-cliff to create a sloped profile. The engineered slope will extend to the toe of

the cliff and this will require excavation of a section of the storm beach to below Mean

High Water (MHW) level, extending some 19m seaward. The impact of these works

on the existing environment will be direct. It will extend the area of hard standing north

of Bray Harbour. A ruined standing building that the landfill runs against must be

considered a direct impact. While the bulk of the impacts appear to avoid the principal

known extent of the ancient forest and other remnants of the former railway line, it


A D C O 4

remains to plot the specific details to ensure this is so. Indirect impacts, however

minimal, can also be expected over time as a consequence of the proposed works,

with a possibility being to change the erosion / deposition processes that currently

maintain the protection of the ancient woodland by ensuring it is largely buried by

beach cobble.

This report recommends a detailed archaeological survey of the existing foreshore is

carried out prior to construction commencing, where the remains of the ancient forest

and those of the former railway line are mapped and recorded.

Care should be taken to avoid impacts with the remains of the ancient forest and of

the railway. Where impacts may be unavoidable, such elements will be resolved fully

as an archaeological exercise using the protocol of ‘preservation by record’. Such

resolution works will take place in advance of construction commencing. Where such

remains will not be impacted directly by the proposed works, the historic elements will

be avoided and protected from impacts during the works, to protect them in situ.

Archaeological monitoring is required of the excavation works associated with the

engineered design along the proposed toe of the revetment, with the proviso to

resolve fully any material observed at that point.

Recommendations are subject to the approval of the Department of Culture, Heritage

and the Gaeltacht (DCHG).


A D C O 5

1.0 Introduction

To the south of Woodbrook Golf Club, in Cork Great, Co. Dublin and Bray Commons,

Co. Wicklow north of Bray Harbour, the cliff shoreline is eroding, exposing a former

landfill site that is considered to be an historic unregulated landfill. Longterm coastal

erosion protection measures are recommended. The Archaeological Diving Company

Ltd (ADCO) was appointed by Malachy Walsh and Partners on behalf of Dun

Laoghaire Rathdown County Council to carry out an Archaeological Impact

Assessment as part of a wider impact assessment of coastal defence proposals at the

landfill site. The archaeological work is based on a desktop review and a walkover site

inspection in January and March 2018.

The l andf i l l s i t e f or ms par t of an act i ve sea- cl i f f , cent r ed on

I TM 726675E 719580N, and i t ext ends over a c. 300m-long stretch of sea

cliff, terminating at the south end of Woodbrook Golf Club (Figure 1). An exi st i ng

ar ea of har d st andi ng t o t he sout h suppor t s t he pr esence o f an

i ndust r i al compl ex. Er odi ng sea cl i f f s cont i nue t o t he nor t h of

t he l andf i l l s i t e.

2.0 Proposed Development

The proposal to defend the section of coastline is to create an engineered sloped

profile to the existing sea-cliff and use a rock or concrete unit armoured revetment

slope with a mean armour size of 3 tons across a length of approximately 300m of

coastline. This will seal the exposed face of the landfill site and will continue north of it

to provide a tapered terminus that will merge with the base of the existing cliff (Figure

2).

3.0 Receiving Environment

Historic mapping provides a useful guide to the extent of coastal retreat experienced

here. Comparison of the Ordnance Survey maps since the First Edition series in the

1840s indicates the changing nature of the shoreline as it retreats westwards.1 A

1 The extent of coastal retreat active today is addressed in the project’s wider study, Coastal

protection measures at historic landfill, assessment report, Malachy Walsh and Partners for


A D C O 6

largely undeveloped shoreline is recorded in the First Edition six-inch series map,

showing a sandy/shingle coastline extending north from the estuary of the River

Dargle. Within sixty years, in the early 1900s, the High Water Mark had retreated

some 30m westwards, and the coastline was transformed with the presence of the

railway. By 2005, the sea-cliff had retreated a further 30m or so inland, and the active

railway line was also moved some 30m westwards to its present alignment.

The known archaeological record is informed by the Sites and Monuments Record

(SMR) and the Historic Shipwreck Inventory maintained by the National Monuments

Service at the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (DCHG), which

highlights the former presence of a Martello Tower outside the development area to

the north. The route of the nineteenth-century railway line lay to the east, while other

records reveal the presence of an ancient forest whose remains also extend across

the intertidal foreshore.

The SMR r ecor ds t he pr esence of a ser i es of f eat ur es c l ose t o

t he devel opment ar ea but out s i de i t , whi l e ot her s i t es t hat ar e

not r ecor ded of f i c i al l y l i e besi de t he devel opment ar ea ( Tabl e

1, Fi gur e 3) .

Ref er ence Si t e Pr oxi mi t y t o Devel opment

I mpact f r om Devel opment

DU026- 070 Mar t el l o Tower , Nr 3, s i t e of

c . 90m Nor t h

None

DU026- 124 Li near ear t hwor k c . 150m West

None

DU026- 068002 Gr aveyar d, s i t e of

600m + West None

DU026- 069 Hol y Wel l , s i t e of

600m + West None

W02305 Shi pwr eck, name unknown, r ecor ded i n oi l pai nt i ng of 1869 showi ng wr eck on Br ay St r and

Unknown None

WI 004- 002, NI AH 16301084

Mar t el l o Tower , Nr 2 and gun bat t er y

230m Sout h None

None Br ay Har bour 195m Sout h None None Rai l way r emai ns Besi de To be

det er mi ned None Anci ent f or est Besi de To be

det er mi ned

Tabl e 1: Recor ded cul t ur al her i t age asset s i n t he v i c i ni t y of

t he l andf i l l s i t e.

DLRCC, document 18132-6001-C (2017), p. 11. It is possible to gauge the level of historic retreat by examining the Ordnance Survey maps and associated Ortho images, accessible online at (http://maps.osi.ie/publicviewer).


A D C O 7

Ar chaeol ogi cal s i t es associ at ed wi t h Cor k Abbey, i ncl udi ng a

gr aveyar d and Hol y Wel l l i e i nl and some di st ance f r om t he

devel opment ar ea and whi l e t hose l ocat i ons wi l l not be i mpact ed

by t he devel opment , t hei r pr esence hi ghl i ght s t he pot ent i al f or

wor ks on t he f or eshor e c l ose t o a f or mer eccl esi ast i cal compl ex

t o r et ai n ar chaeol ogi cal i nt er est . The same may be t r ue of t he

l i near ear t hwor k ( DU 026- 124) r ecor ded on t he l ands of t he

r i ver f l oodpl ai n i n what i s t he f or mer gol f l i nks and now par t

of t he new school and mi xed- use l ands over l ooki ng t he r i ver

channel .

However , i t i s t he s i t es c l oser t o t he devel opment ar ea t hat

hi ghl i ght t he l ocat i on’ s pot ent i al . On t he one hand, t he f or mer

pr esence of a Mar t el l o Tower ( Tower Nr 3, DU025- 069) on t he

f or eshor e some 90m nor t h of t he devel opment cal l s at t ent i on t o

t he sensi t i v i t i es sur r oundi ng t hi s st r et ch of coast l i ne dur i ng

t he Napol eoni c War per i od, when Br ay f or med t he sout her l y

sect i on of t he coast al def ence st r at egy appl i ed t o Dubl i n. A

ser i es of ar med wat ch t ower s was set up on t he Mar t el l o Tower

pl an, wher e t he i nt ent i on was t o communi cat e qui ckl y and wi t hi n

v i ew of each ot her shoul d a naval t hr eat be i dent i f i ed. Thr ee

such t ower s wer e l ocat ed i n Br ay al one, onl y one of whi ch st i l l

s t ands. Tower 1 was l ocat ed on t he seaf r ont i n Br ay but was

damaged by hi gh seas i n 1878 and was demol i shed when bui l di ng a

new sea wal l and t he Pr omenade c. 1884. Tower 2 ( WI 004- 002,

NI AH 16301084) st ands on el evat ed gr ound over l ooki ng Br ay

Har bour ; whi l e Tower 3, whi ch i s r ecor ded on t he Fi r st Edi t i on

Or dnance Sur vey map of t he 1840s and st ood j ust nor t h of t he

pr esent devel opment ar ea, col l apsed i nt o t he sea i n 1880.

I t i s no sur pr i se ei t her t hat t he pot ent i al f or shi pwr eck

exi st s i n t he wi der ar ea. Br ay Har bour l i es i mmedi at el y s out h

of t he devel opment f oot pr i nt . I t was devel oped i n 1787 when a

navi gabl e cut was made f r om t he t own t o t he sea and i t was

known as bei ng sui t abl e f or smal l cr af t . The navi gat i on aspect s

of t he har bour wer e however i mpai r ed by const r uct i on of t he

r ai l way br i dge acr oss t he head of t he har bour i n c. 1854.

Ear l i er pi er s and docks wer e r epl aced by t he t wo pr esent - day

pi er s, whi ch wer e bui l t i n 1909. A shi pwr eck event associ at ed

wi t h Br ay st r and was capt ur ed i n an oi l pai nt i ng by Edwi n Hayes

i n 1869 and has f or med t he basi s of an of f i c i al r egi st r at i on of

2 K. M. Davies, Bray. Irish Historic Towns Atlas No. 9, Royal Irish Academy, Dublin 1998, p.

11. 3 (irishmartellotowers.wordpress.com) (accessed 03/2018).

4 Davies, Bray, p. 13.


A D C O 8

wr eckage by t he Nat i onal Monument s Ser vi ce, W02305. I t i s not

ent i r el y c l ear wher e t he event occur r ed, but t he pi ct ur e i s

t aken l ooki ng sout h t owar ds Br ay Head and shows a Mar t el l o

Tower i n t he di st ance and per haps on el evat ed gr ound. The t ower

coul d be Tower 2; i f so, t hat woul d pl ace t he wr ecki ng event

sout h of Tower 3 and t her ef or e c l ose t he pr esent devel opment

ar ea.

I t i s however t he r ai l way t hat i s t he hi st or i cal l y - at t est ed

event most c l osel y associ at ed wi t h t he devel opment ar ea. The

r ai l way l i ne ext endi ng sout h f r om Har cour t Road was opened i n

1854, l i nki ng Br ay wi t h Dubl i n c i t y and was cent r al t o t he

success of Br ay i n becomi ng a r esor t dest i nat i on i n t he l at e

ni net eent h cent ur y. The r ai l way l i ne hugged t he coast but t he

sof t gl aci al t i l l suf f er ed t he br unt of coast al er osi on and by

1914 t he l i ne had t o be di ver t ed i nl and t o gai n mor e pr ot ect i on

and avoi d t he f at e of Tower s 1 and 3. The ear l i er r out e of t he

r ai l way l i ne can st i l l be t r aced al ong t he coast l i ne, and t he

f oot i ngs f or a wal l ed embankment ar e evi dent at Low Wat er .

Associ at ed wi t h t hi s i s a ser i es of gr ani t e- bui l t f eat ur es, t he

r emnant s of associ at ed bui l di ngs , abut ment s and st r uct ur es. The

f or mer r ai l way l i ne r uns di r ect l y i n f r ont of t he l andf i l l si t e

and an abut ment f eat ur e f al l s wi t hi n t he i mpact zone of t he

pr esent devel opment .

The development area is also directly beside the recorded remains of an ancient

forest. The ‘submerged forest of Bray’ was first noted by Robert Lloyd Praeger at the

end of the nineteenth century.6 The construction of Bray Harbour changed the

patterns of sediment transport causing a drop in beach level. As the beach level

dropped, the ancient forest of Bray emerged from the sands to the north of Bray

Harbour. Praeger noted a forest of collapsed ‘Scotch pine trees’ amid a layer of peat.

More recently, the forest has been studied by Jason Bolton, who was been able to plot

its extent based on his fieldwork in 1999 and 2001 (Figures 3–4). Only three trees

were partially visible in 1999 and were confirmed as Scots pine. Samples of the wood

were taken for dating by radiocarbon analysis and indicated a date of 6,180 (+/- 80)

years BP (Before Present, with Present determined as AD 1950). In 2001, the beach

levels of the north strand of Bray dropped by an average of one metre – and sections

of the forest were exposed again. Thirty-five trees could be seen during low tide

5 Karl Brady, Shipwreck inventory of Ireland. Louth, Meath, Dublin and Wicklow, Stationary

Office, Dublin, 2008, pp 421-2. 6 Jason Bolton, ‘Lost Forest’, Wild Ireland March-April 2003, p. 28 and following. What follows

is extracted from Bolton’s study, and I thank him for bringing it to my attention.


A D C O 9

periods found in two locations. The fall in beach levels also exposed a layer of peat

embedded with pine cones and other organic material.

To conclude the desktop assessment, it is clear that the landfill site is located in an

area that retains cultural heritage potential and while the wider area speaks to a

spectrum of interest rooted in the medieval period, the immediate zone next to the

landfill is focussed on the intertidal foreshore, where remains of the nineteenth-century

railway line and the much more ancient forest lie in situ. The forest itself is of

considerable interest. With the radiocarbon determinations received, it places the

timeframe of the forest well within the prehistoric period and offers the potential for

further insight to early activities in the Bray area.

4.0 Field Inspection

Walkover inspection confirmed the presence of the former railway wall and elements

of the former woodland over which the current shoreline with its storm beach lies. It

also showed elements of the forest inshore, outside the plotted extent based on 1999

and 2001 records. The top of the sea-cliff, in contrast, is undulating grass-covered

earth, presumably burying the former dump site (Plate 1). This image differs starkly

with that showing the exposed nature of the landfill that defines the eroding cliff face

(Plate 2). The foreshore itself presents a coarse sand and cobble surface that extends

seawards from the base of the cliff over a distance of approximately 15m before

encountering a cobble-strewn storm beach (Plate 3). The line of the former railway

wall is clearly visible on aerial imaging, and Google Maps in particular renders a very

detailed and sharp record (Figure 4. See also Figure 2 where its principal extent is

plotted). On the ground, the wall presents itself as a long continuous linear feature

with one and sometimes two courses of granite stonework surviving in place (Plates

4–6). Timber shuttering is evident on its seaward side, while the interior has the

remains of an inner lining of stonework that buts against the façade stones.

Associated with the wall is a series of structures, one of which runs against the landfill

site (Plates 7–8). It is ruined today but retains a series of formerly arched features and

has large blocks of collapsed mortared stonework beside it.

The ancient forest is clearly present across much of the storm beach at the Low Water

line (Plates 9–11). It is also evident below the base of the railway line (Plate 12), and

elements are seen still further inshore (Plates 13–14), which extend beyond the limits


A D C O 10

identified in 1999 and 2001 and plotted on Figures 3 and 4. The precise extent of the

forest needs to be plotted and considered against the proposed toe line of the

protective works being advanced for the landfill site.

5.0 Trial Pit logs

A series of machine-excavated test-pit logs were made available for consideration.7

The test pits were excavated in a line c. 15m seaward of the base of the current sea-

cliff, and to a depth of up to 0.8m (Plate 15). Beneath a surface level of beach cobble

and sand is a stratum of clayey silts and clayey sands. No record of timber was

identified.

6.0 Impacts

The construction plan for coastal protection will be to excavate the sea-edge of the top

of the sea-cliff to create a sloped profile (Figure 5). The excavated soil will be moved

to the landward side at the rear of the cliff crest. The engineered slope will extend to

the toe of the cliff and this will require excavation of a section of the storm beach to

below Mean High Water (MHW) level, extending up to 19m seaward from the base of

the current cliff edge. Geotextile and rock or concrete unit armouring will be placed on

top of the sloped profile to a height of 5m Ordnance Datum, some 3.4m above MHW.

The impact of these works on the existing environment will be direct. It will extend the

area of hard standing north of Bray Harbour. The ruined standing building that the

landfill runs against must be considered a direct impact. While the bulk of the impacts

appear to avoid the principal recorded extent of the ancient forest and other remnants

of the former railway line, it remains to plot the specific details to ensure this is so.

Indirect impacts can also be expected over time as a consequence of the proposed

works, with a possibility being to change the erosion / deposition processes that

currently maintain the protection of the ancient woodland by ensuring it is largely

buried by beach cobble. The project design team, however, consider that such indirect

impacts will be minimal.

7.0 Recommendations

7.1 Pre-construction recommendations

7 Data made available by MWP.


A D C O 11

This report recommends a detailed archaeological survey of the existing foreshore is

carried out prior to construction commencing, where the remains of the ancient forest

and those of the former railway line are mapped and recorded.

Care should be taken in the design stage to avoid impacts with the remains of the

ancient forest and of the railway. Where impacts may be unavoidable, such elements

will be resolved fully as an archaeological exercise using the protocol of ‘preservation

by record’. Such resolution works will take place in advance of construction

commencing and will be done under licence from the NMS.

Where such remains will not be impacted directly by the proposed works, the historic

elements will be avoided and protected from impacts during the works, to protect them

in situ. This may require fencing or other clear measures to avoid accidental impacts.

7.2 Construction phase recommendations

Archaeological monitoring is required of the excavation works associated with the

engineered design, with the proviso to resolve fully any material observed at that

point. Such monitoring will be focused on the excavation of the toe area of the

revetment and should not be required during works on the cliff face or along the cliff

top, as both these areas are parts of the landfill site.

7.3 Management matters

DLRCC will appoint an experienced underwater / maritime archaeologist to manage

and resolve the archaeological requirement.

Archaeological interventions are licensed by the DCHG. The Licence applications take

four working weeks to be processed and must be granted before archaeology-related

site-work can commence. An excavation licence will be required for investigative work

ahead of construction, and for the monitoring element of the construction phase. Since

2017, excavation licence applications must be accompanied by a letter from the client

‘confirming that sufficient funds and other facilities are available to [the archaeologist]

to complete the archaeological excavation, post-excavation, and preliminary and final

reports (including specialist reports)’.

THE TIME SCALE for the pre-construction and construction phases will be made

available to the archaeologist, with information on where and when the various

elements and ground disturbances and dredging will take place.


A D C O 12

SUFFICIENT NOTICE. DLRCC will provide sufficient notice to the archaeologist/s in

advance of the pre-construction and construction works commencing. This will allow

for prompt arrival on site to undertake additional surveys and to monitor ground

disturbances. As often happens, intervals may occur during the construction phase.

In this case, it will also be necessary to inform the archaeologist/s as to when ground

disturbance works will recommence.

DISCOVERY OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL MATERIAL. In the event of archaeological

features or material being uncovered during the construction phase, any machine

work will cease in the immediate area to allow the archaeologist/s to inspect any such

material.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL MATERIAL. Once the presence of archaeologically significant

material is established, full archaeological recording of such material will be facilitated.

If it is not possible for the construction works to avoid the material, full excavation is

recommended. The extent and duration of excavation will be a matter for discussion

between DAFM and the licensing authorities.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL TEAM. It is recommended that the core of a suitable

archaeological team be on standby to deal with any such rescue excavation. This will

be complimented in the event of a full excavation.

SECURE TEMPORARY SITE OFFICES and facilities will be provided on or near

those sites where excavation is required within the site boundary

SECURE WET AND DRY STORAGE for artefacts recovered during the course of the

investigations and monitoring work should be provided on or near those sites within

the site boundary where excavation is required.

FENCING of cultural heritage assets immediately beside the works areas may be

necessary during construction to avoid any accidental and indirect impacts on these

environs.

MACHINERY TRAFFIC during construction will be restricted as to avoid any of the

selected sites and their environs.

SPOIL will not be dumped on any of the selected sites or their environs.


A D C O 13

POST-CONSTRUCTION PROJECT REPORT AND ARCHIVE. It is a condition of

archaeological licensing that a detailed project report is lodged with the DCHG within

12 months of completion of site works. The report will be to publication standard and

will include a full account, suitably illustrated, of all archaeological features, finds and

stratigraphy, along with a discussion and specialist reports. Artefacts recovered during

the works will meet the requirements of the National Museum of Ireland.

PLEASE NOTE: the above observations and conclusions are based on the

archaeological information and information supplied for the landfill protection

project. Should any alteration occur, further assessment may be required.

PLEASE NOTE: These recommendations are subject to the approval of the

National Monuments Service at the Department of Culture, Heritage and the

Gaeltacht.


A D C O Plates

Pl at e 1: Vi ew l ooki ng sout h acr oss t op of l andf i l l s i t e, showi ng undul at i ng nat ur e of veget at e cover .

Plate 2: Vi ew of c l i f f f ace showi ng exposed nat ur e of er odi ng l andf i l l deposi t . Taken i n Mar ch 2018 shor t l y af t er sever e East er l i es ( St or m Emma) , t he pi ct ur e r ecor ds t he act i ve nat ur e of t he er osi on, and r eveal s t he t i p- l i nes t hat nar r at e t he manner i n whi ch t he l andf i l l was f or med.


A D C O Plates

Plate 3: Vi ew l ooki ng Sout h acr oss i nt er t i dal f or eshor e, showi ng band of sand and cobbl e i nshor e and cobbl e st or m beach mar ki ng t he Low Wat er l i ne.

Plate 4: Vi ew l ooki ng Sout h al ong t he l i ne of t he sur vi v i ng r ai l way wal l base.


A D C O Plates

Plate 5: Vi ew l ooki ng West showi ng an el evat i on per spect i ve of t he base of t he r ai l way wal l , and t he er odi ng c l i f f f ace i n t he

di st ance.

Plate 6: Vi ew l ooki ng at t he base of t he r ai l way wal l showi ng

evi dence f or t i mber shut t er i ng on t he wal l ’ s seawar d s i de .


A D C O Plates

Plate 7: View looking towards the remains of a granite-built structure that is associated with the former rail line and extends westwards to the landfill.

Plate 8: Detail view of built structure.


A D C O Plates

Plate 9: View of timber bough from ancient forest lying covered in beach shingle and cobble at the Low Water Mark.

Plate 10: View of mud/silt level exposed beneath the covering shingle and infused with organic remains of former forest elements.


A D C O Plates

Plate 11: View of timber bough from ancient forest lying exposed in beach shingle and cobble.

Plate 12: View from top of railway wall looking at ancient forest timber that the wall is built on top of.


A D C O Plates

Plate 13: View of ancient forest tree stump exposed in run-off channel inshore of the railway wall and close to the standing granite structure. This element is within 20m of the cliff face.

Plate 14: View of ancient forest tree stump inshore of the railway wall and close to the cliff face.


A D C O Plates

Plate 15: Plot showing location of trial pits cut to assess the nature of the substrate. Source: MWP.

Documents

Archaeological Impact Assessment Coastal Landfill site, Bray … · 2018. 10. 26. · Fi gur e 5: Ext r act f r om pr oj ect dr awi ng showi ng sect i on-vi ew of pr oposed wor ks