EDO4557 - Autofactor's House, Fordington, Dorchester; excavation 1982

A trial excavation, funded by the Dorset Archaeological Committee, was carried out in advance of development during 1982-3 at the Autofactor's House, Fordington, just outside the Roman walled town. It was hoped that part of the outer defensive ditch system might be preserved. Four test trenches were dug by machine, one of which located the outer edge of the ditch system. This lay 6m from the western edge of the site and comprised a cut through the chalk at an agle of less than 45 degrees. In the eastern part of the site modern concrete lay directly on top of chalk bedrock. The presence of the outer ditch at this point suggests a 50m wide triple ditch system similar to other parts of the town. a section exposed behind the eastern retaining wall of the site revealed a medieval N-S aligned ditch 0.6m deep which is interpreted as a boundary ditch for Salisbury Field.