EDO3763 - Former Hardye's School, Barnes Way, Dorchester; evaluation (Trench 10)

An archaeological field evaluation of former playing fields and land adjacent to the former Hardye’s School, Dorchester, was conducted by AC archaeology during September and October 1996 in advance of development of the site for housing. A total of 14 machine-excavated trenches were dug, comprising an approximate 2.7% sample of the 7.88 ha of proposed development. Trench 10 was parallel to and 10m west of the eastern site boundary, approximately 210m long and aligned N-S, with a rectangular 7x10m extension to the east near the northern end. This extension was excavated to fully expose the plan of a Romano-British rectangular ditched enclosure (8.5m long N-S, 7.5m wide E-W). The lack of associated structures or domestic artefacts suggested that this enclosure was associated with animal husbandry. The southern ditch was cut by an oval pit and two irregular groups of stakeholes may be root disturbance. There was a further E-W aligned gully near the centre of the trench and a possible medieval pit (1.5m diameter, 0.3m deep, no artefacts) near the north end. The continuation of a possible sewer trench observed in Trench 9 was found at the southern end.