Viking Woodstown Conservation Management Plan
This Conservation Management Plan was prepared by Abarta Heritage for Waterford City & County Council, it was funded by The Heritage Council‘s Heritage Plan Fund in 2019 & 2020.
Woodstown has the potential to become a world-leading exemplar of Viking studies, archaeology & experimental archaeology, living history, artefact analysis & conservation techniques, natural heritage management, participatory education and sustainable tourism. This Conservation Management Plan suggests some ways in which that potential can be fulfilled.
What is Viking Woodstown?
During investigations in advance of the N25 Waterford City Bypass in 2003, an archaeological site was discovered here at Woodstown. Further surveys and targeted excavation revealed the remains to be a Viking settlement known as a longphort, that dates between AD. 850–950. Though only a small percentage of the site was investigated, archaeologists identified the remains of the large enclosing ditches that once protected the settlement, along with evidence for trade, craft, industry and everyday life. They also found a Viking grave, where a warrior had been laid to rest along with their sword, spear, axe, shield and other high status objects.
Woodstown is one of the most important Viking settlements found outside Scandinavia. The site is so significant, it was declared a national monument and the route of the road was altered to preserve it. Waterford City & County Council and an expert Steering Committee are exploring ways to better understand and protect this important place. This plan is an important part of this work.
The Conservation Management Plan
This Conservation Management Plan is informed by consultation and best practice and the previous work, reports and guidance of the Woodstown Viking Site Steering Committee. The plan details the significance of Woodstown, and it offers a research strategy that will form a pathway to a better understanding of the site and its context. The plan offers interpretative and communications strategies that will ensure that the story is engaging and accessible to a variety of audiences, and it will identify potential funding sources that could help to achieve the strategies outlined in the plan. It also considers biodiversity and natural heritage, and assesses practical considerations such as land ownership, boundaries, protection of the archaeological remains and public access.
The Importance of Collaboration
The Viking Woodstown Conservation Management Plan is designed to consider the needs of the archaeological monument and its natural environment as well as the needs of visitors, and to find a balance between creating a place of education and research as well as tourism and public engagement, a place that is economically viable and a place of social inclusion. It emphasises the importance of collaborative approaches and the opportunity afforded by the site’s connections with Norway and other Scandinavian countries. Collaboration has been a key aspect of this project from its very earliest inception, and it is informed by an expert steering committee:
- Bernadette Guest, Heritage Officer, Waterford City & County Council.
- Ian Doyle, Head of Conservation, The Heritage Council.
- Ambassador Else Berit Eikeland and Ambassador Mari Skåre, Norwegian Embassy, Ireland.
- Counsellor Arne Follerås Norwegian Embassy, Ireland.
- James Eogan, Archaeologist, Transport Infrastructure Ireland.
- Eamonn McEneaney, Director, Waterford Treasures.
- Maeve O’Callagan, Archaeologist, National Monuments Service.
- Maeve Sikora, Keeper of Irish Antiquities, National Museum of Ireland.
- Dr. Liam Lysaght, Director, National Biodiversity Data Centre.
- John Sheehan, Department of Archaeology, University College Cork.
- Terje Gansum, Vestfold Fylkeskommune, Norway.
- Orla Scully, Archaeologist.
Members of the Woodstown Viking Site Steering Committee discussing the plan
(video by Frontline Audio Visual).
Where can I access the Woodstown Conservation Plan?
You can find the plan embedded in our screen reader below. The images and figures may appear blurry as it is set to low-resolution to save loading times. Alternatively, if you wish to download a higher resolution pdf version of the Conservation Management Plan you can do so here.
Where can I hear more about Viking Woodstown?
To hear the story of Viking Woodstown check out our free audiobook produced with Transport Infrastructure Ireland. It tells the story of Woodstown based on the archaeological discoveries to date. You can download it for free from our website. You can also find it as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud, Google Podcasts and all other major platforms. Simply search for Abarta Heritage to discover the stories of Ireland!
The publication of a Conservation Management Plan for the Woodstown Viking Site is timely and very welcome. This is a comprehensive, informative and ambitious plan that sets out the significance of the site, with a considered approach for further research, animation, interpretation and pragmatic management of the site. The location of the site along the Waterford Greenway presents an opportunity to provide access to, and participation in, public archaeology in tandem with an excavations and experimental archaeology programme. There is great potential for heritage tourism and expansion of living history events at the site as demonstrated by Déise Medieval during the Woodstown Viking Festival in Heritage Week. I wish to commend Neil Jackman and his team at Abarta Heritage for producing an excellent plan that is well researched and with great vision.
The report was written by Neil Jackman, and designed by Sara Nylund. It is copyright of Waterford City and County Council. The plan was funded through the Heritage Council’s Heritage Plan Fund 2019 & 2020.
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If you wish to download a version of the Conservation Management Plan you can do so here.