Monument record MDO18610 - Colliton Park, Dorchester; Roman Building II

Fragmentary remains of two rectangular rooms of a building (Building II) were exposed in the NW part of Colliton Park during excavations in 1937 and 1938. This building was very poorly preserved with no surviving floor surfaces or evidence for its function. It may have been set within a larger courtyard area (together with Building VII). This building was probably late 3rd-4th century date but no dating evidence was recovered.

Fragmentary remains of two rooms of a building were exposed in the NW part of Colliton Park during excavations in 1937 and 1938. Due to the outbreak of World War II, the excavations were never completed or written up. The following account is based on the interim report (1) and the Royal Commission Inventory entry (2). Building II was very poorly preserved with only the fragmentary bottom course of the footings surviving, which defined parts of two rectangular rooms. No floor surfaces survived (1). No evidence for the function of this building survived, nor of its original extent. A small oven may have been found several metres to the SE (2). Given the character of the surrounding buildings, it is likely that Building II is industrial rather than domestic in character. This building may have been set within a larger courtyard area (defined as Building VII to the west). Building II was separated from Building I to the north by a ditch and it lay just NE of another small two-roomed building (Building 250) excavated in 1984 by Wessex Archaeology (3). No dating evidence for the date of use of Building II was found, but it is likely to be contemporary with the courtyard and Building VII, for which a late 3rd-4th century date can be proposed.

Record last edited

Mar 10 2024 5:28PM