Monument record MDO18103 - Old Methodist Chapel earlier medieval terrace and pits

Found during the 1982 excavations at the Old Methodist Chapel, Dorchester. A small level terrace was found behind the angle of the burgages along South Street and Durngate Street. This was infilled by the 14th century. Around the edges of this terrace were a series of pits containing 12th-13th century pottery. Most of the pits contained Roman building rubble.

Found during the excavations carried out by Wessex Archaeology in 1982 after the demolition of the South Street Methodist Chapel on the corner of South Street and Durngate Street, Dorchester. (1) The results of the excavation were published together with the results of the adjacent Greyhound Yard excavations. (2) The numbers in square brackets below are context and feature numbers used in the published report (2). The evidence for earlier medieval activity was restricted to the area behind the street frontage and was heavily disturbed by post-medieval activity. A flat level terrace [293] up to 0.3m deep was found cut into the slope, fitting into the corner behind the South Street and Durngate Street burgages. A number of postholes were found possibly associated with this terrace, which was filled with soil containing 14th century pottery. Several pits of broadly 12th-13th century date were found mainly to the north and west of terrace [293] and may have been broadly contemporary with it. To the west of terrace [293] were two pits [27] and [140]. Pit [27] was a circular pit 2m across and 1.4m deep with a rounded profile and undercut sides. It was largely filled with dark soils containing mortar and wall plaster fragments. It was cut by Pit [140] an irregular pit about 2m across and 1.4m deep filled with a large quantity of flint, limestone and tile rubble. It cut through one of the walls of Roman building 509. Pits [243] and [245] lay to the north of terrace [293]. Pit [243] was almost completely cut away by pit [245] which was a bell-shaped pit about 1.5m wide and 1.3m deep. It was largely filled with tips of flint and limestone rubble. Pits [254/227], [48] and [147] lay to the east of the terrace. Pit [254/227] was probably a single large pit, 2m across and 1m deep. It was filled with reddish clay loams with chalk rubble. Pits [48] and [147] were small rubble-filled pits cutting into the top of Roman building 367. The functions of these pits is not clear and many were filled with Roman building debris. These pits are broadly dated to the 12th-13th century by the pottery recovered from them.

Record last edited

Mar 21 2011 10:19AM