EWX1069 - Wessex Court Development, Charles Street, Dorchester; excavations 1989 to 1990
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Location
| Grid reference | Centred SY 69349 90484 (68m by 175m) (6 map features) |
|---|---|
| Map sheet | SY69SE |
| Civil Parish | Dorchester; Dorset |
| Unitary Authority | Dorset |
Technique(s)
Organisation
Wessex Archaeology
Date
1989-1990
Description
Wessex Archaeology carried out a series of excavations on the site of the proposed Wessex Court Retail Development between 22/05/1989 - 3/07/1989 (Trenches 1-3), and 25/7/89 - 12/9/89 (Trenches 4-5) (1). The excavation of Trench 6 (2) and an impulse radar survey (3) were conducted between 9/10/1990 and 19/12/1990.
The excavations revealed eight large, late neolithic pits associated with the Dorchester Late Neolithic Timber Monument (in Trenches 1 and 3), early Roman timber structures, late Roman walled structures with flint nodule foundations (notably in Trenches 3, 4 and 6), a Roman road which spanned the 1st to 4th centuries AD and possibly beyond (Trench 4) and evidence for the inner defensive bank of the Roman town of Durnovaria (Trench 5).
The site was of particular significance because it straddled a small coombe in the natural chalk into which Roman, medieval and post-medieval soils had accumulated, preserving the archaeology below.
Sources/Archives (12)
- --- SDO9408 Unpublished document: Davies, S M and Farwell, D. 1989. Excavations at Charles Street (Wessex Court), Dorchester: Interim report on Stage 1, 25th May-3rd July and Stage 2, 25th July-12th September 1989.
- --- SDO9410 Unpublished document: Moore, C. 1998. Charles Street, Dorchester, Dorset: Development Brief Draft Archaeological Statement.
- --- SDO9414 Article in serial: Davies, S M and Farwell, D E. 1989. 'Charles Street, Dorchester, Wessex Court Development', Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society.
- --- SDO9415 Article in serial: Adam, N J. 1990. 'Excavations at Charles Street (Wessex Court), Dorchester, Interim Note on Stage 3, October-December 1990' Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society. 112.
- --- SDO10046 Article in serial: Frere, S S. 1990. 'Roman Britain in 1989: 1. Sites explored' Britannia. 21. 350-352.
- --- SDO10077 Article in serial: Frere, S S. 1991. 'Roman Britain in 1990: 1. Sites explored' Britannia. 22. 302.
- --- SDO16497 Digital archive: Historic England. NRHE Excavation Index. 651516.
- --- SDO90 Serial: Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society. 1991. Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1990. 112. 115-117.
- --- SDO89 Serial: Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society. 1990. Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1989. 111. 107-109.
- <1> SDO9409 Unpublished document: Adam, N J, Butterworth, C A, Davies, S M, and Farwell, D E. 1992. Excavations at Wessex Court , Charles Street, Dorchester, Dorset, 1989.
- <2> SDO191 Unpublished document: Adam, N J and Butterworth, C A. 1993. Excavations at Wessex Court, Charles Street, Dorchester, Dorset, 1990. Volume 1: Text & Appendix I.
- <3> SDO9413 Unpublished document: Stangers consulting engineers and scientists. 1991. Report on the Impulse Radar Survey at Wessex Court, Dorchester.
Child/subsequent Site Events/Activities (7)
- EDO3730 Wessex Court, Charles Street, Dorchester; Trench 1 (Ref: NMR UID: 651516)
- EDO3732 Wessex Court, Charles Street, Dorchester; Trench 2 (Ref: NMR UID: 651516)
- EDO3733 Wessex Court, Charles Street, Dorchester; Trench 3 (Ref: NMR UID: 651516)
- EDO3734 Wessex Court, Charles Street, Dorchester; Trench 4 (Ref: NMR UID: 651516)
- EDO3735 Wessex Court, Charles Street, Dorchester; Trench 5 (Ref: NMR UID: 651516)
- EDO3736 Wessex Court, Charles Street, Dorchester; Trench 6 (Ref: NMR UID: 651516)
- EWX2119 Impulse Radar Suvey at Wessex Court, Dorchester; geophysical survey 1990
Record last edited
Jul 31 2023 3:40PM