EDO4649 - Poundbury Development Offsite Planting, Dorchester; evaluation 1991

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Location

Grid reference Centred SY 673 891 (899m by 544m) (3 map features)
Map sheet SY68NE
Civil Parish Winterborne Monkton; Dorset
Civil Parish Dorchester; Dorset
Unitary Authority Dorset

Technique(s)

Organisation

Wessex Archaeology

Date

1991

Description

Wessex Archaeology carried out an evaluation of areas proposed for tree planting on land to the south west of Dorchester, during January and February 1991. Three areas were assessed, each with a single machine trench: west of Bush Cottage, Maiden Castle Road; East of Maiden Castle car park; and east of the A35 by-pass and north of Maiden Castle Road. A 30m x 2m trench was excavated parallel to Maiden Castle Road, 5m south of the fence line in a pasture field west of Bush Cottage. No archaeological features were identified although three struck flint flakes were recovered from the topsoil. A 50m x 2m trench was excavated 5m east of the fence line at Maiden Castle Car Park. No archaeological features were identified and no artefacts recovered. A 50m x 2m trench, aligned approximately NW-SE, was excavated some 15m north of the Maiden Castle Road fence line in the angle formed by Maiden Castle Road and the A35 bypass. At the northern end of the trench, below 0.3m of topsoil, two shallow E-W aligned ditches, probably of Roman date, were revealed. The northern ditch measured 1.4m wide and 0.2m deep, it had possibly been recut and contained 3 pieces of worked flint an oyster shell and a fragment of iron in its fill. The second ditch was 0.9m wide, 0.1m deep and contained 2 pieces of worked flint and a sherd of Roman pottery. These features are part of an extensive cropmark complex which lies mainly to the west of the site, it is a scheduled ancient monument and was partially excavated during construction of the bypass.

Sources/Archives (4)

  • --- Unpublished document: Wessex Archaeology. 1992. Summary List of Projects in Dorset 1992.
  • <1> Unpublished document: Davies, S M. 1991. Poundbury Development, Dorchester (Offsite Planting), Summary Report on Archaeological Assessment.
  • <2> Excavation archive: Wessex Archaeology. 1991. Poundbury Development Offsite Planting, Dorchester.
  • <3> Digital archive: Historic England. NRHE Excavation Index. 654506.

Map

Child/subsequent Site Events/Activities (3)

  • Poundbury Development Offsite Planting, Dorchester; Bush Cottage
  • Poundbury Development Offsite Planting, Dorchester; east of Maiden Castle Car Park
  • Poundbury Development Offsite Planting, Dorchester, east of A35/north of Maiden Castle Road; evaluation

Record last edited

May 21 2021 5:33PM

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