EDO4709 - Duchy of Cornwall, Land off Bridport Road, Poundbury; desk-based assessment

Wessex Archaeology was commissioned by the Duchy of Cornwall to undertake a desk-based assessment of land off Bridport 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 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 indicates the presence of archaeological remains in the form of soilmarks. 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.