Monument record MDO18197 - Post-medieval pits, 1 Acland Road, Dorchester

Three pits(a large stone-lined cess pit, a small stone lined pit and another pit filled with ceramic drain pipes and pantiles at the base) dating to the 17th-19th century were found during observations by Terrain Archaeology at 1 Acland Road, Dorchester in 2004.

Three post-medieval pits were partially exposed and excavated as part of a watching brief undertaken by Terrain Archaeology,during the construction of an extension to the rear of 1 Acland Road, Dorchester, in April 2004.(1) (2) At the northern end of the trench was a roughly square stone-lined pit, oriented roughly NE-SW measuring about 0.9m across and 0.7m deep. It had vertical sides and a flat bottom with a brick and limestone lining. It was filled with soft dark brown soil. No finds were recovered.(1) To the west was a rectangular pit with vertical sides and flat bottom, 1.1m wide and 1.15m deep. At the base of this pit were two layers of neatly stacked unused salt glaze ceramic drain pipes sealed beneath a covering of pantiles in a red sand matrix. The upper part of the pit was filled with dark brown soil and brick fragments (1). Most of the southern end of the trench was occupied by a large rectangular stone-lined pit, over 2.5m by 1.8m across and over 0.6m deep. The stone lining was a 0.5m thick layer of flint nodules and limestone rubble in rough courses. A number of tips of soil and stone rubble filled the upper part of the pit. These contained a small quantity of 17th century pottery, animal bone, oyster shell, and brick fragments (1). Similar pits of 17th-19th century date were found in the adjacent 1982 excavations at the Old Methodist Chapel and 1984 excavations at Greyhound Yard (3).

Record last edited

Jul 13 2006 9:22AM