EDO3847 - Southfield House, Dorchester; Trench 2

Southfield House lies across the line of the southern defences of the Roman town of Durnovaria, immediately east of the the suggested site of the south gate and the Roman road to Radipole. Following the observation of eight test pits excavated by developers in 1986, an evaluation of the site was carried out by Wessex Archaeology during June and July 1987. Six trial trenches were excavated by machine in the garden of Southfield House, mainly aligned N-S across the line of the Roman town defences. Trench 2 was aligned N-S and located immediately east of Southfield House. It measured 28.5m long and 1.6m wide and was excavated to a maximum depth of 2.07m at the north end and 1.46m at the south end on to natural chalk bedrock. The northern part of the trench revealed part of the counterscarp bank. A possible grave of ditch terminal was found in the eastern side of the trench, just south of the counterscarp bank. The top of the counterscarp bank and much of the rest of the trench was disturbed by later gardening activity.