The development site sits on a peninsula that juts into the bay, just off the Milford road. Whilst the nearest recorded monument, a cashel (a type of stone ringfort), lies more than 400 metres east of the proposed route, field surveys by North West Archaeological Services had uncovered something intriguing: what appeared to be an unrecorded fort constructed from modified natural features, sitting just 30 metres west of the planned road.

Given the proximity of this potential fort and some low earthen banks spotted to the south-east, the team decided to investigate thoroughly before construction could begin. They employed geophysical surveying techniques to scan beneath the surface, then followed up with extensive test trenching. The main excavation consisted of a centre-line trench stretching 430 metres along the entire length of the proposed road, supplemented by numerous spur trenches, each 10 to 20 metres long, which targeted specific anomalies the geophysics had flagged.

Despite the promising initial discoveries and thorough investigation under excavation licence 04E0938, the trenches revealed no evidence of archaeological activity. The suspected fort and earthworks, whilst visible above ground, left no subsurface traces within the road corridor itself. This absence of findings cleared the way for the development to proceed, though the nearby fort remains as a landscape feature, its origins and purpose still somewhat mysterious.