EDO5234 - Southwest Quadrant, Bridport: evaluation trench 1

AC archaeology undertook an evaluation of an area of land known as the Southwest Quadrant, Bridport in November 1998. This comprised the excavation of four machine-dug trial trenches and two hand-dug trial trenches and a sketch earthwork survey of an area of former allotments to the northwest of St Mary’s Church. The trenches were positioned to investigate the possible line of the postulated Saxon defences to the east and west of Priory Lane, the possible early routeway and river crossing of the Brit and other earthwork traces. Trench 1 was a 15m by 1m machine-dug trench excavated immediately to the west of Priory Lane in the allotments. It was excavated to investigate whether the postulated Saxon town defences ran along this side of Priory Lane. The trench revealed a layer of natural alluvium at a depth of 0.75m with a layer of post-medieval alluvium containing charcoal and roof slate fragments above, beneath the modern allotment topsoil. No trace of a ditch was found.(1) (2)