EDO4980 - Marabout Barracks, Marabout Industrial Estate, Dorchester; observations and recording 1982

Observations by Christopher Sparey Green during construction work on the site of the Marabout Industrial Estate in 1982 revealed a large ditch running NNW-SSE across the site. It was traced for a distance of about 60m. A diagonal section was recorded across this ditch, which was about 6.1m wide and 2.8m deep, with a V-shaped profile. There was a double V-shape in the base of the ditch suggesting a recut on the northern side. It was filled with fine chalk rubble and flints at the base with layers of grey-brown chalky soil above. No finds or other dating information was recovered. However, the scale and character of this ditch was similar to the ditches of the defences of Poundbury hillfort, perhaps suggesting they were broadly similar in date. The results of this watching brief have been included in the published monograph on the main excavations at Poundbury (1) and the site record included within the archive of these excavations (2).