Monument record MDO18162 - Greyhound Yard, Green Dragon Inn and malt-house

On the northeastern side of the 1984 Greyhound Yard excavations was a substantial terrace for a large stone building, much altered and extended in the 19th century. This building is shown on the 1772 map of Dorchester and can be identified as part of the Green Dragon Inn. It was demolished in 1984

Found during the excavations carried out by Wessex Archaeology in 1984 prior to the redevelopment of the area of the former Greyhound Yard. (1) The results of the excavation were published together with the results of the adjacent Old Methodist Chapel excavations. (2) The numbers in square brackets below are context and feature numbers used in the published report (2). In the northern part of the eastern side of the excavation was a large terrace which had deeply truncated the deposits on that part of the site. It was constructed for a large post-medieval building [5523], which had been extensively rebuilt and was demolished in 1984. The western side was defined by a thick wall of mortared limestone blocks laid directly on the chalk bedrock, which was probably an original wall. The eastern wall was a modern concrete construction. The building was extended southwards in the 19th century. This building is shown on Hutchins’ 1772 map as the back of a house fronting onto Durngate Street.(3) This was the Green Dragon Inn which in 1737 had a malt-house. To the south were a number of pits. Pit [1093] was a large square cess pit with a stone rubble lining. The finds in the lower part were of 17th century date and the upper fills contained 18th century material. Just to the north and east were two shallower stone-lined pits [1695, 1051], one of which lay beneath the 19th century extension to Building 5523.

Record last edited

May 2 2012 4:00AM