Monument record MDO18178 - 7-9 James Road, Dorchester: medieval boundary ditch

A single ditch, probably a field boundary ditch, was found during evaluation excavation at 7-9 James Road, Dorchester, by AC archaeology in August 2004. This ditch was dated by two small abraded sherds of medieval pottery. It was on the same line as a medieval field boundary ditch found during the excavations on the adjacent Thomas Hardye site in 1994-5.

A ditch, aligned roughly east-west was found during the evaluation excavation at 7-9 James Road, Dorchester, undertaken by AC archaeology in August 2004(1) (2). The ditch was 1.6m wide and 0.6m deep and was traced for a length of about six metres. A single small slot through it revealed a complex profile, indicating probable recutting of this feature. It was filled with a light brown clay soil with chalk pieces in the base of the deepest part and above this was a homogenous fill of light brown clay soil with occasional small flints and chalk flecks. The dating evidence comprised two abraded sherds of medieval pottery and a small quantity of prehistoric worked flint. This ditch is probably part of a larger medieval field boundary system, further parts of which were located during the 1994-5 excavations on the adjacent Thomas Hardye School site (3). A similar medieval ditch was exposed on the same line and is likely to be part of the same feature. This is probably a headland running E-W defining a block of strip field running N-S, as seen on Simpson's 1779 map of Fordington.

Record last edited

Jul 7 2006 1:58AM