Woodstown Management Plan – Rewilding the Waterford Vikings!
During a programme of archaeological test- trenching works in advance of the construction of the N25 Waterford City Bypass in 2003, archaeologists identified previously unknown but clearly significant archaeological remains at Woodstown that dated to the ninth century and that related to Scandinavian activity. Following the initial investigations it became clear that the site was of potential international importance. From the nature of the archaeology and the volume of artefacts, it was decided that full-excavation of the archaeological site would have a significant impact on the delivery and budget of the planned road. In May 2005, the then Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government declared the site to be a National Monument and ordered its preservation. The route of the road was changed to protect the site. Since then, further research excavations and surveys have revealed that Woodstown is one of the most important Viking-Age sites ever to be discovered in Ireland.
Recently, Abarta Heritage was appointed to carry out a Conservation Management Plan, Research Strategy and Interpretation Strategy for Woodstown. The overall plan is informed by consultation and a review of previous work carried out by the Woodstown Viking Site Steering Committee. The committee included representatives from Waterford City & County Council, the Heritage Council, National Monuments Service, National Museum of Ireland, University College Cork School of Archaeology, the Norwegian Embassy to Ireland, Waterford Museum of Treasures, Transport Infrastructure Ireland and the National Biodiversity Data Centre, as well as a number of other experts, archaeologists and stakeholders.
The primary challenge that Woodstown poses is that despite it being an incredibly important monument it is almost entirely invisible above the surface of the ground. The plan is designed to not only better protect and understand the monument, but to make the intangible, tangible. To help people to gain new insights into what Woodstown can tell us about life in a Viking settlement. The strategy considers audience and accessibility, and it has a strongly participatory focus. Combined with living history with groups like the wonderful Déise Medieval, Viking Woodstown would become a world-leading centre for experiencing the story of the Vikings. Such an attraction would complement the Waterford Museum of Treasures and King of the Vikings in Waterford City.
The PDF document below provides a brief outline of the forthcoming Conservation Management Plan for Woodstown Viking Site. The plan was commissioned by Waterford City & County Council and funded through the Heritage Council’s Heritage Plan Fund 2019 & 2020. The final complete plan will be published this Autumn.
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!
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