Country mansion's secret is unearthed after 300 years

Remnants of buildings exposed for the first time in centuries

- DAVID YOUNG

The remains of 300-year-old buildings have been discovered by chance during drainage work on a country house estate in Northern Ireland.

The discovery at the National Trust property has taken archaeologists completely by surprise, as there is no record of the structures on any of the estate’s historical maps or documents.

The foundations of a courtyard and surrounding buildings were unearthed in an area of thick vegetation on the grounds of Castle Ward near Strangford, Co Down, during the installation of a drain filtration system. It was found while a trench was being dug to bring a pipe from the existing buildings at Castle Ward down to a reed bed.

Archaeologists were on site monitoring the work at the time just in case anything of significance was found. But they never expected what was revealed after the first few red bricks were uncovered. As the topsoil was stripped back further, the remnants of a collection of buildings were exposed for the first time in three centuries.

Around a central, cobbled courtyard were several buildings, some with tiled and flagged floors. A sink, fireplace, cellar and network of stone-lined drains have all been identified. Several artefacts have also been found, including pottery, glass bottles, ceramics and discarded, butchered, animal bones.