A RANGE of finds have already been made during an archaeological dig at the site of Irvine’s new leisure centre.

Work is currently being carried out by Kilwinning-based company Rathmell Archaeology Ltd on the site adjacent to Irvine’s Townhouse. So far, an oven/kiln has been discovered along with a well and a series of pits and layers that are said to have produced pottery dating from the 12th to 15th centuries.

The archaeological work is focusing on the early features of the site to see if what findings can be made on the development on the medieval burgh of Irvine, rather than the most recent history of the site from 1860 onwards. The work was required to be carried out as a condition of planning consent as the development area lies in the heart of Irvine’s medieval burgh.

Two historic buildings (Annick Community Centre and the old police office) were demolished to make way for the work on the controversial new leisure centre site.

North Ayrshire Council were unable for comment however the dig’s progress has been charted by the West of Scotland Archaeological Service on their website: “The previous evaluation trenching indicated that of survival of potentially archaeologically significant strata could be divided into four main areas.

“The immediate frontage onto the High Street appeared to have suffered significant disruption and truncation during the 19th and 20th centuries, with no significant strata identified. To the rear of this frontage, in the war memorial car park, an area of dense structural remains including surfaces, wall foundations, ditches, pits and a well were located, and it is this area that is shown in the photograph at the top of this item.

“The picture below shows the base of a kiln or oven, also identified in this area of the site during the current phase of excavation.

“In contrast to the eastern section of the site, evaluation indicated that the equivalent area behind the Townhouse had suffered sever disruption and truncation during the modern period, with little comparable survival. However, in the northeastern two-thirds of the site, significant depths of modern made ground (up to 1.2m) were found to overlie a potentially homogenous medieval soil that was up to 0.8m thick.

"It was not apparent from the topography of the modern town that there would have been such a marked change in natural ground level to the north of the High Street. This soil horizon exhibited occasional features cut into its upper surface and surviving beneath it cut into the natural subsoil. These features appeared to be a range of pits and ditches with no notable structural evidence.

“A range of finds have been made, both during the evaluation and the current phase of fieldwork. The assemblage has so far been dominated by gritty wares from the 12th and 15th centuries, with only a few sherds of later redwares and post-medieval reduced wares present.

“There has been a lack of ceramic evidence between 1600 and 1800, with numerous sherds of 19th and 20th century ceramics recovered.”