Brickworks in Churchtown South

In level pasture. An unenclosed but roughly rectangular area (c. 110m NE-SW; c. 70m NW-SE) containing a series of low irregular earthworks forming no particular pattern were believed locally to be the remains of a brick works or factory. (A possibly associated ‘Brick Field’ is shown some 550m to the SSE in Courttown West townland on the latest ed. (1910) of the OS 6-inch map, but is not recorded on the 1st ed. (1839) of the map.) Archaeological test trenching (Mullins, 1999. Excavation Licence No. 99E0192:http://www.excavations.ie/Pages/Details.php?Year=&County=Kildare&id=364 last accessed 26 November 2013) in advance of a proposed development at the S end of the site uncovered pockets of naturally occurring red clay, some of which showed signs of modern disturbance, particularly in the form of deeply buried layers of red brick. No other features or artefacts of archaeological interest were identified, and the surface irregularities in the field were interpreted as probably resulting from the former existence of a brick works/factory in this area. Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy Date of upload: 26 November