Monument record MDO18262 - Wessex Court, Charles Street, Dorchester; Post-medieval Structure 1614

Structure 1614 was the remains of a post-built building, partly exposed in Trench 2 during the 1989 excavations at Wessex Court, Charles Street, Dorchester. Not enough of this building was exposed to determine its size and shape. It was built over a 15th-16th agricultural soil and can be identified as probably part of a barn constructed not long before 1623, which was rented by the Reverend John White. This structure was replaced in stone by Structure 1615.

Found in Trench 2 during the excavations carried out by Wessex Archaeology in 1989 in the proposed Wessex Court retail development area between Charles Street, Acland Road, and South Walks, Dorchester (1) (2) (3) (4). The numbers in square brackets below are context and feature numbers used in the report and archive (1) (4). The evidence for Structure 1614 consisted of seven postholes and one stakehole. The postholes were all of similar size, about 0.25m in diameter and in depth with stone packing. One posthole contained a single sherd of 16th-17th century pottery, otherwise the finds were redeposited Roman material. The postholes cut through a general soil layer containing 15th-16th century pottery (which appears to be part of the medieval field of Estwalles, which was enclosed in 1596). The small size of the trench meant that the size and shape of the building could not be determined, though four of the postholes were in a line running NNW-SSE. No floor surfaces associated with this structure were recognised. There is documentary evidence for a barn, built in the northern part of the medieval field of Estwalles, not long before 1623 and rented by the Reverend John White, in the location of this building (1). It is possible that Structure 1614 represents the first phase of this barn, which was later rebuilt in stone (as Structure 1615).

Record last edited

Aug 28 2008 4:27AM