EDO4018 - Duchy of Cornwall, Land off Bridport Road, Poundbury, Archaeological Desk-based Assessment

Wessex Archaeology was commissioned by Dorchester Town Council to undertake a desk-based assessment of three areas of proposed development lying between the Bridport Road and Poundbury Road, Dorchester. The aim of the desk-based assessment was to collate and document all known or potential archaeological sites and findspots within the proposed development area and within 0.5 km around it. The area of study was composed of four separate proposed developments, covering an area of approximately 16 ha. Of downland to the west of Dorchester. Area A was the area of the proposed new cemetery; Area B was the area of the proposed Sports Ground; Area C was the area of the proposed Squash and Tennis Club development. The results have established that several known archaeological features lie within the study area, although none lie directly in the area of development. However, fieldwalking in the vicinity suggest that quantities of worked flint occur in the ploughsoil, and evidence from aerial photographs suggest the presence of a large enclosure within the study area along with other less obvious features. The study has also demonstrated that there is potential for as yet unidentified archaeological remains. The highest potential is for the identification of artefacts and deposits of prehistoric and especially Bronze Age date. There is a high potential for the remnants of Bronze Age ditched field boundaries and other associated features, such as settlement remains.