EDO6271 - Land to rear of Fuchsia Cottage, Mission Hall Lane, Sutton Poyntz, Weymouth; desk based assessment

The assessment took place prior to possible development of the site for a new house. It included Map Regression, examination of the National Monuments Record and Dorset Historic Environment Record and showed that the immediate area of the site contained considerable evidence of prehistoric, Iron Age, and Roman activity. Further investigation was recommended in the form of two evaluation trenches. This work comprised the stripping of the house footprint area by mini-excavator and excavation of two trenches, examination of the fills. No finds of archaeological significance were found except some pieces of animal bone and one sherd of post-medieval pottery. A ditch, a ditch terminal and two gullies were examined. The ditch was shown to turn 90 degrees east and measured 1.6m to 1.9m at the turn. One gully was concluded not to be a major feature, although this was the site of the pottery sherd. The other gully measured 550-600mm wide contained an abundance of stones, and the above mentioned animal bones. It was identified as a probable French drain of post-medieval date. The ditch terminal cut through the fill of the first ditch and was hence of later date. A probable pit near to the ditch terminal was also identified and not excavated.