Maltings in Castlequarter

Situated on a level landscape with a NE-SW section of the River Slaney c. 150m to the NW. The shadow of a sill-beam incorporated in a brick-built building that was probably timber-framed with an attached kiln was uncovered (09E0393) in 2011, c. 200m NNE of the Clohamon castle (WX009-005----). The walls survived to two courses of bricks and were bonded with a lime-mortar, as was the shale-flagged floor (dims 4m x c. 5m). The foundations and fill of the attached brick-built kiln produced mid to late-17th century ceramics and tobacco pipes, suggesting that it was abandoned by 1700 AD. This building was probably a malt-house where moist barley was spread on the floor and allowed to sprout before being dried in the kiln as part of the beer-making process. (Lyttleton 2013; 2013a, 21-2) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 30 January, 2013