EDO4513 - 5 South Terrace, South Street, Dorchester; observations and recording 1996

Steve Wallis of the Dorset County Council Archaeology Service observed the groundworks for a new extension to the rear of 5 South Terrace, South Street, Dorchester during June 1996. A well was exposed at the rear of the property behind the wall at the rear of the basement. The well was about 8m deep and c. 1.5m wide. It had a circular cross section, and the lower courses were of brick, while the upper courses were a rubbly mix of stone and brick. Observations of the footings trench for the extension revealed a 1.7m depth of dark soil overlying a lighter brown layer, 0.4m thick, directly on top of the natural chalk, which was, probably the remains of the ancient ground surface.